In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Juliet famously asks Romeo, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” She’s saying, “Romeo – it doesn’t matter what our family names are, what matters is our love, which would be just as true if our families weren’t at war with one another.” And her point is valid – a Capulet can love a Smith or a Jones just as validly as a Montague. Right?
Gracious Lord, forgive the sins of the preacher, for they are many, that only your Word might be proclaimed and only your Truth be heard ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
How’d you sleep last night? According to studies, more than half of us would say “Not great.” Many do not get enough good quality sleep. Some of that is self-inflicted – going to bed too late, screens before bed, or having an evening drink. But a lot of it is beyond our control because while our bodies might be ready for rest, we can’t seem to turn off our minds. We lay there thinking about what we’d say differently if we could redo that conversation, or running through the to-do list for tomorrow, or trying to figure out how to solve whatever we’re up against.
In the name of the Holy Trinity ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
“You shall not make for yourselves any idol.” That is one of the 613 commandments in the Old Testament. Yes, I know that Jesus was once asked which commandment is the greatest – to which he responded with two: love God from Deuteronomy and love your neighbor from Leviticus. To be clear, I’m not disagreeing with Jesus. Those two together, indeed, are the greatest commandment. But the commandment about not having idols might be most urgent for us today.
Holy Spirit, the Life that gives life: You are the cause of all movement. You are the breath of all creatures. You are the salve that purifies our souls. You are the ointment that heals our wounds. You are the fire that warms our hearts. You are the light that guides our feet. Be with us now, and evermore. Amen.
Lectionary Readings (note, we are using a trial version of the lectionary in Eastertide that has an alternate first reading and Psalm)
In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.
The hardest part of faith for a lot of us is the problem of suffering. We experience tragedies, illnesses, and misfortunes and we just want the suffering to stop. Or, if the pain doesn’t go away, we want to know why. Not that a reason for suffering necessarily relieves the pain, but it gives it a larger purpose that at least makes it tolerable. But, truth be told, all the reasons for pain and suffering that preachers sometimes give are unsatisfactory and only lead to deeper sense of woundedness.