Sunday October 30th. 2022
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." Luke 19:1-10
Today, I will offer an abbreviated Sunday prayer and reflection. I am in Virginia, after an incredible event, the Matoaka Covenant kickoff. We listened, we learned, we feasted, and we prayed together. At the end of the day, we shared communion at the shores of the James River. The same river which the first settlers sailed into coming to Jamestown. An artery which is still a main trade route and sacred ground to the Indigenous people of Virginia. Most of us gathered there were not there about power, position or status, but to open our hearts to the Creator and welcome God's love and truth into our hearts and our communities. As we shared communion, eagles soared overhead, leaning into the wind and blessing the gathering. We were all changed.
Loving Creator, you sent your spirit
to the lost, the outcast and the hurting
to remind us that we are your beloved
and always blessed by your embrace.
Help us Lord, to honor all people and our sacred earth.
We often separate and continue in ignorance
rather than hearing the strange and hard truths
rather than coming down from our safety
to welcome the strangers to our homes.
Help us Lord, to honor all people and our sacred earth.
You gave us good, fertile lands
abundant seas and flowing rivers
yet we would hoard and control
rather than set a bigger table for all.
Help us Lord, to honor all people and our sacred earth.
Help us to hear the cries of the ancestors
let us mend the broken hoops of relations.
Help us Lord, to honor all people and our sacred earth.
Make us grateful and willing to learn
from the people we have intentionally silenced.
Help us Lord, to honor all people and our sacred earth.
For you love is found in our humble hearts
and where justice and truth have deep roots.
Help us Lord, to honor all people and our sacred earth. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment