1 Corinthians 1:2-3, NRSV To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
The followers of Jesus in Corinth had some serious problems, infighting and immorality to name a couple, yet Paul calls them saints. A saint is not a perfect person. Saints are simply persons who know their deep need of God. The recognize their need of wholeness and forgiveness, yet they don’t set up house there. They keep trying and growing and trusting in the marvelous grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Let us remember who we are in Jesus-
Beloved, Wounded Healers,
Saints set apart by God and for God
Let us remember our purpose-
To lead a devoted life of compassion, generosity, justice, and hope
A life worthy of the calling to which we have been called
A life which inspires faith in others
Let us remember and recommit ourselves to this life,
by first honoring the lives of those who have inspired us
The heroic and humble who ran the race before us
The martyrs who sacrificed all for the sake of Jesus
And especially those who we have known and loved
who led us to Jesus and encouraged us to deeper faith and service
Name those persons out loud now… pause
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You surround us with witness after witness to your transforming love
Inspire us and empower us to endure
Fill our hearts with courage
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You weep with us in our personal heartbreak and loss
Name those you are grieving out loud now… pause
Comfort us and protect us in our mourning
Fill our souls with hope
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You weep with us in our communal heartbreak and loss
COVID… Fires… Storms… Division… Injustice… Death
Comfort us and protect us in our mourning
Fill our souls with hope
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You cry out in victory over sin and the grave
Raise us and release us to fulfill your calling to be saints
Fill our lives with faithfulness and good works
Honor and hope
In Jesus’ Name and for His Glory, who taught us to pray…
Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer
Consider lighting candles or lumineria, tying ribbons to a branch or wreath, or placing flowers in a vase or stream following the prayer.
PRAYERS, POEMS AND LITURGIES All Saints Remembrance
This liturgy includes quotes from Nelson Mandela and James C. Howell, a reading of 1 Corinithians 1:2-3, a brief explanation of what it means to be a saint, a prayer, naming saints who have strengthened our faith, and flowering the cross. Feel free to use only parts of this liturgy and to assign multiple persons to lead it.
All Saints Day– a poem by Steve Garnaas Holmes based on 1 John 3:1, “See what love God has given us, that we should be called children of God.”
All Saints Remembrance 2020
Let us remember who we are in Jesus-
Beloved, Wounded Healers,
Saints set apart by God and for God
Let us remember our purpose-
To lead a devoted life of compassion, generosity, justice, and hope
A life worthy of the calling to which we have been called
A life which inspires faith in others
Let us remember and recommit ourselves to this life,
by first honoring the lives of those who have inspired us
The heroic and humble who ran the race before us
The martyrs who sacrificed all for the sake of Jesus
And especially those who we have known and loved
who led us to Jesus and encouraged us to deeper faith and service
Name those persons out loud now… pause
From wherever you are worshiping, repeat after me.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You surround us with witness after witness to your transforming love
Inspire us and empower us to endure
Fill our hearts with courage
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You weep with us in our personal heartbreak and loss
Name those you are grieving out loud now… pause
Comfort us and protect us in our mourning
Fill our souls with hope
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You weep with us in our communal heartbreak and loss
COVID… Fires… Storms… Division… Injustice… Death
Comfort us and protect us in our mourning
Fill our souls with hope
Blessed are you, O Lord our God
ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God
You cry out in victory over sin and the grave
Raise us and release us to fulfill your calling
To be saints
Fill our lives with faithfulness and good works
Honor and hope
In Jesus’ Name and for His Glory. Amen.
John 16:20 reminded me of Elijah in the cave. (1 Kings 19) I circle back to this story again and again for its honesty and compassion. Jesus fills his table talk with the disciples with the same honesty and compassion. We can trust God again and again to meet us in our pain with understanding and remind of what is true and what is to come.
John 16:20
Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.”
When the pain is deep, I cannot see
Everything closes in like the dark, damp walls of a cave
All is stone and I am alone
But you do not leave me in the shadows.
You are with me,
Calling me out of the cave
Speaking in smallness and stillness
Speaking hope into my hopelessness
Reminding me of all the possibilities
Thank you, Faithful One
My Light and Life
Who opens the crypt of my broken heart
Who draws me forth from my too soon tomb
Who leaves no one in the dark
John 17:15, 18
Jesus prayed, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one… As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
The world is full of evil
The world is full of need
The world is full of people
who do not understand your love and saving power
and those who do
Psalm 28:7a
The Lord is my strength and my shield
In him my heart trusts…
Jesus, Son and Savior
We follow you out into the world
Recognizing the sacrifice and danger
Recognizing you are greater
Psalm 28:7a
The Lord is my strength and my shield
In him my heart trusts…
We claim your promises of protection and leadership
Watch over us as we love our neighbors and enemies
Defend us as we build up the poor and discouraged
Guard us as we shield the vulnerable and oppressed
Pray for us as we block those who would prey upon others
Psalm 28:7a
The Lord is my strength and my shield
In him my heart trusts…
May your Glory shine in every eye
May your Kingdom come in every heart
Amen
______________
For the next few months, I’m reading a chapter from the Gospels each day. This is part of the Summer in the Scriptures reading plan sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Click Here for the reading plan.
As part of the Facebook group, I’ve been supplying prayers based on the day’s reading. Feel free to post your prayers and observations based on the readings here or there as well.
May the grace of the Gospels, the challenge, and the call, inspire us to great faith and great good works in Jesus’ name. – Lisa <
Dr. Lucy Hone’s statement, “Adversity doesn’t discriminate” captured my heart. It revealed a truth I’d been living for a long time with those I serve as their pastor, the larger community and world I serve, and my own experience.
If adversity is a universal experience, could it be resilience is also universally accessible?
I and Dr. Hone agree. Yes!
After sharing her own experience of crushing loss, Dr. Hone says, “I didn’t need to be told how bad things were. Believe me, I already knew things were truly terrible. What I needed most was hope. I needed a journey through all that anguish, pain, and longing.”
She offers these strategies for rising up from adversity, for accessing resilience.
1. Resilient people know suffering is a part of life for all humans.
2. Resilient people carefully assess situations, knowing what they can and cannot change. We are hardwired to notice the negative. “Our threat focus, our stress response, is permanently dialed up.” Resilient people notice both the negative and the good. Focusing attention on the good, such as practicing gratitude, brings perspective and higher levels of happiness. Finding the good takes intentionality and effort.
3. Resilient people ask themselves, “Is what I’m doing helping me or harming me?” This powerful question provides boundaries and control over decisionmaking.
She closes with, “I won’t pretend that thinking this way is easy. And it doesn’t remove all the pain. But if I’ve learned anything over the last five years, it’s that thinking this way really does help. More than anything it has shown me that it is possible to live and grieve at the same time and for that, I will be always grateful.”
What strategies help you grow and stay resilient?
From the official TED Talk Notes: “Dr. Lucy Hone is a director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, a research associate at AUT University, a published academic researcher, best-selling author and contributor to Psychology Today, the Sunday Star Times and Next magazine.”
Micah 7:8, ESV
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed
Romans 5:1-5 ESV
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Persevering in Prayer
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge
Notes from a message offered Sunday, 11/10/19 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarasota Florida.
What can you do with a rubber band?
Rubber bands are elastic. So are Jesus’ parables- stories with a deeper spiritual meaning. They both stretch in many directions.
You can read a parable one day and hear from God. You can read them a month later or even years later and receive another important truth from God.
It reminds us the scriptures are living and active. God meets us exactly where we are in the Word of God.
Luke 18:1-8. The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge
From the point of view of followers of Jesus as the widow 1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 Jesus said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Jesus sets up a contrast between God and the unjust judge.
The judge is powerful, probably the most powerful person in his community. He’s worldly, corrupt, slow to respond, indifferent, disrespectful, unbelieving.
God is more powerful, attentive to injustice, quick to respond, faith-full, compassionate.
Even the ungodly relent in the face of persevering. How much more will God answer you when you pray!
Followers of Jesus are to be like the widow, the person with the least amount of power in the community. Folks would have laughed at the powerless widow getting the judge to do what she wanted him to do.
1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray alwaysandnot to lose heart. 8 when the Son of Man comes, will he find faithon earth?
The widow had faith that her persevering would bring a result. Faith looks like praying always and not losing heart. Does God find you resilient and full of faith? Actively trusting in God and persevering in prayer?
How’s your prayer life?
Using prayer as a rubber stamp as you make plans to fix whatever needs fixing in your own strength?
Using prayer as a last resort when everything else you tried didn’t work?
Have you just given up on prayer? You’ve been praying about the same situation for a long time with no change. It’s easy to get discouraged and lose heart.
Luke 11:9-13 Luke 11:9 Jesus said, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”
A Translation Closer to the Original Intention- Present Progressive Tense Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and it will be given you, Keep on seeking and you will find, keep on knocking and it will be opened unto you. For everyone who continues to ask, receives, and the one who continues to seek, finds, and for the one who continues to knock, it will be opened. What father among you, if your son asks for a fish will instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Example of Persevering Prayers Being Answered
Name your persevering prayer. Keep praying, do not lose heart.
Reconciliation of relationship
The salvation of a loved one
An answer to a question
Deliverance from an addiction
The end of corruption, evil, injustice, oppression
Peace and plenty for all
Trust God is good. Trust God is near and attentive to your needs. Trust God will make the wrongs right. It may not be in this life, it may be in heaven. But it may be now.
Luke 18:1-8. The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge
Stretch the parable in a different direction, from the point of view of God as the widow and we as the judge. 2 Jesus said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’”
Pleading Widow by Steve Garnaas Holmes
Our gender and power stereotypes told us to assume
the judge is God, which would make us the poor widow.
But wait. Who judges? Who cares neither for God or people?
That would be us. And who continually demands
that we do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God?
Sorry, we don’t get the high ground here, denying our privilege,
pretending we’re faithfully imploring God
with our persistent quest for justice.
We’re the ones deaf to the cries of the poor.
God comes in the voice of the vulnerable, the easily ignored
while we in our arrogance easily ignore.
How disconcerting that in this story
the ball is in our court, not God’s!
The demand has been made, over and over.
Jesus warns us: God can outlast us.
But when God comes, will God find us listening?
Prayer and Action
Prayer is coupled with action. If we are praying for that relationship to be reconciled, what are we doing for that relationship to be reconciled? If we are praying for our loved ones to come to faith, what are we doing to create an environment where they could hear the Gospel? If we’re praying for an end to evil, injustice, and oppression, what are we doing to end evil, injustice, and oppression?
The dual truths of persevering in prayer and prayer in action stretch me. I need to pray before I act so I don’t use it as a weapon. I need to persevere in prayer because God is the one who makes things new. I need both.
And I need the Holy Spirit filling me so I don’t lose heart when it seems like nothing’s changing. Persevere in prayer. Prayer and action.
Prayer-
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you hear us. That you want to have a relationship with us. You want to bless us, empower us, encourage us, forgive us.
Help us to talk to you. To talk to you honestly, openly, and often. Help us to persevere in prayer. Help us to not lose heart. Help us to trust you.
Help to know the path we’re on with you is the path of goodness and glory. Help us to know it’s the path of truth and humility, the path of light and life. We need that assurance so we can persevere.
In our praying, help us to hear if there’s an action we are to take. Grant us the courage, grace, and wisdom to act.
You are making us new. You are making this world new. Thank you for the gift of prayer. Amen.
John 16:20 reminded me of Elijah in the cave. (1 Kings 19) I circle back to this story again and again for its honesty and compassion. Jesus fills his table talk with the disciples with the same honesty and compassion. We can trust God again and again to meet us in our pain with understanding and remind of what is true and what is to come.
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