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After trial in the desert, Jesus, being filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Nazareth, his home town, to speak the Word.

Weeping words, feasting words.

He stood in the synagogue, on the Sabbath day, to read from the Prophet Isaiah.

Weeping words, feasting words.

“God’s Spirit is upon me,” he told his listeners.

“God has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. To proclaim release to the captives.”

“To bring recovery of sight to the blind. To let the oppressed go free.”

Weeping words, feasting words.

Circle of Mercy: Are we prepared to be visited by a similar Spirit? To welcome the baptismal Dove in our midst? To have the Word fulfilled in our hearing? For indeed: "The dove doesn't roost on a person who is scared to get hurt.” (Clarence Jordan)

Amen and amen! May it be so. May it be so.

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Inspired by Luke 4:14-19.

Reader 1: And what are our dreams for the future? Are they not reflections of the various dreams recorded in Scripture, spoken by the ancients which, even today, still echo in our hearts?

R2: For we remember God’s promise of repentance after the flood: “I will never again curse the ground of humankind; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature." (Genesis 9:12-15; 8:21-22)

R3: We recall the day when Hannah praised God in these terms: “The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The Lord raises up the poor from the dust; God lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with the rulers and inherit a seat of honor.” (1 Samuel 2: 1-8)

R4: We dream of the day when "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid.. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”  (Isaiah 11:3-9)

R5: We long for the day when "every boot of the trampling warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire." (Isaiah 9: 6, 7)

R6: We yearn for the day when even the beasts of the field share in the promise of God’s full providence. “When all shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord." (Joel 2:19-26)

R7: We dream of that time when all nations "shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; none shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:3-4)

R8: We clap our hands in anticipation for the day when the lame shall be restored, the outcast will be gathered, and God will change their shame into praise. (Zephaniah 3:19)

R9: With eagerness we lean toward the time when the mighty will topple from their thrones, when those of low degree will be exalted, when the hungry will be gather at the banquet table. (Luke 1:51-53)

R10: Our hearts ache for the time when the People of God will again be anointed with the power to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)

R11: We know in our innermost hearts that creation itself waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; that creation itself, which has been groaning in travail, will be set free from its bondage to decay. (Romans 8:19-24)

R12: For we, too, have a dream, a dream of a “new heaven and a new earth,” when all shall see that “ the dwelling of the Lord is with humankind. God will dwell with them, and they shall be God’s people, and the Lord will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

R13: I, too, have a dream.

ALL: We, too, have a dream.

R14: Today we pledge to infect our young ones with this dream.

ALL: To shout it from the mountaintops.

R15: To ponder it when we rise in the morning, to meditate on it throughout the day, to cherish it in our hearts in the late night hours.

ALL: God give us the strength and the vision to remain faithful to this dream.

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org.

We travel today with Jesus as he was leaving Caesarea Philippi, in the far northern region of ancient Israel. Named for the Roman Caesar, located in what is now known as the Golan Heights, a site of contention to this day, Syrian land occupied by Israeli allure. Even after these years together, the disciples still imagine Jesus supplanting the great Caesar, scattering Rome’s legions, restoring the glory of Judea’s lost splendor, fulfilling its remembered boast as the capital of nations.

And now this! What is this gibberish about “the Son of Man must suffer,” rejected, kicked to the curb, tracked and targeted by the drones of imperial purpose and religious conceit.

“No!” screams Peter, mouth in gear before his brain engaged.

“Yes!” retorts Jesus, lashing back in harsh rejoinder.

Peter, the one who—just days before—identified Jesus as Messiah, prompting Jesus’ praise, now stands accused: Satan. Confuser. Might we, too, still stand confused?

“If you choose to walk my Way,” Jesus continued, “lay down your claims—which are but chains—pick up the cross, and follow.”

“Those who would bank their lives and barter their souls for short-term profit will end up with big-time loss.”

“Yet those who relinquish, for my sake’s endeavor, will find bountiful treasure, unbounded delight.”

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Inspired by Mark 8:31-18.

Blessed King of Glory, Queen of Heaven, Patron of the fields and Matron of seas:

We hoist Your banner, proclaiming Glory for the Heavens and goodness for the earth!

We cannot help but be heartened by the advent of new leaders, by the prospect of new direction, with hints that the banner of Justice may again be saluted in the forging of public policies.

We hoist Your banner, proclaiming Glory for the Heavens and goodness for the earth!

We cannot help but be heartened: That the rod of Mercy may be wielded in the rule of nations.

We hoist Your banner, proclaiming Glory for the Heavens and goodness for the earth.

We cannot help but be heartened: That enmity will yield to the ecstasy of Your Embrace.

We hoist Your banner, proclaiming Glory for the Heavens and goodness for the earth.

We harbor no delusion. We know the way forward may be filled with deeper disappointments; that trust may again be abused; that the cries of those shunned to the byways may continue to be offered in vain.

We hoist Your banner, proclaiming Glory for the Heavens and goodness for the earth.

But not forever! Compel my people to the table of plenty!

Hallelujah!

Not forever will enmity be abled, aligned against those marked as dishonored, disabled, disgraced; against all who have disappeared, disenfranchised, discouraged. Such enmity itself will be disarmed!

Hallelujah! Braced with this promise, transform our thankful hearts into obedient hands and fearless voice, proclaiming Glory for the Heavens and goodness for the earth!

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Inspired by Psalm 146 & Luke 14:16-24.

We thank you, God, for water.
By it you give life to plants,
Animals, and all humankind.

We thank you that in the beginning
your Spirit of creation moved over
the face of the waters.

We thank you for your rainbow
covenant promise that emerged from
the drowning floodwaters.

We thank you for safe passage
of our ancestors through the Red Sea,
from slavery to freedom.

We thank you for quenching the
thirst of our forebears with water
from the rock at Horeb.

We thank you for the Heaven-parting,
dove-accompanying baptism of Jesus
in the River Jordan.

We thank you for Jesus,
Who stilled raging water;
who offered living water,
a spring of water welling up
     to eternal life;
who washed the disciples’ feet
to signify their continuing vocation.

We thank you, God, that you
have led us by still waters.

We thank you for the promise
that one day justice will flow like
the waters, righteousness like
an everflowing stream.

We thank you for creating us
in the watery womb of our
mothers and for recreating us
in the watery womb of baptism.

           This is our confession:
Having been buried with Christ into death,
knowing that Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of God,
we ourselves are raised to
walk in the newness of life.

Amen!

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Co-written with Nancy Hastings Sehested, repinted from For the Living of These Days: Resources for Enriching Worship, Michael Hawn, ed. Smyth & Helwys Pub.

Stand amazed, you betrothed of unimagined Grace.
     Your siege is ending.

The Regent of Heaven shall come
    to reclaim the earth,
          to restore its shared inheritance,
     to redeem its memory of mercy
                 and its generous harvest.

In those days the remnant of pardon will arrive
from every far-flung hill and hamlet.
     Among them will be the shamed and forsaken,
           the exposed and exploited; the blind and the lame
                 and the laboring women.

A new day will break with stunning news: Wisdom’s
     womb shall confound every weapon’s contempt.

Disconsolate tears form streams of pure gladness.
     All shall approach without stumbling or regret.

My people will be known as a garden of plenty.
     Dancing shoes and festive attire will displace
           every mourner’s ashen array.

From the least to the greatest, no sorrow, no sin,
     shall offend or rescind Heaven’s ransomed delight.

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Inspired by Jeremiah 31.

Leader: God of justice and mercy, we gather as people of conscience and as people of faith. In our rich diversity, we assemble tonight in one spirit and with one purpose.

People: We convene our hearts, our hopes and our voices.

Leader: God of justice and mercy, we accompany our brother, Troy Davis, who in these moments faces state sponsored execution.  May he know the fullness of your embrace, of your freedom, of your love.  May he know that his witness, his courage and his faith will not die.

People: We hoist our hearts, our hopes and our voices with Troy’s.

Leader: God of justice and mercy, plant your vision deep within us so that we may recognize Troy’s life and death as an eternal pillar of fire ready to lead us through the night and towards the promised land of beloved community, a land where execution and torture reign no more.

People: Answer our weakness with strength, our fear with courage.

Leader: We pray for the MacPhail and Davis families. While we cannot fathom the depth of their anger and sorrow, we lift them up in prayer and ask that your healing powers continue to work in their lives.

People: We plead for consolation, on their behalf and ours.

Leader: We pray also for the people of Savannah, for the people of Georgia, for the people of our nation. Draw near in this season of pain and division.  Free us from the chains of violence and vengeance.

People: We ask for restoration.

Leader: Enliven our bodies with a harvest of hope. Enlarge this sanctuary of promise—for the canceling of debt and the outbreak of joy—’til it covers the earth and exclaims to the heavens!

People: We cry out for healing!

Leader: Mark all our days with the practice of praise that issues in pardon and mercy unmeasured.

People: Break us, remake us, from blinded might to the Light that foreshadows the Dawn of Delight.

Leader: Gracious Host, we acknowledge the frailty of human judgment. We acknowledge that our highest institutions are fallible, are plagued by racism and blindness, as are we.

People: We concede our need for humility and grace.

Leader: Author of All Breath, revive in us your reverence for life.

People: Cleanse us, mend us, mold and enfold us in bountiful grace for the healing of nations.

Leader: Beloved, sustain the MacPhail family and the Davis family. Establish the hand of every just intention, every envoy of peace, every agent of ransom.

ALL:  Amen. So may it be. For all of the earth, for you and for me.

Ken Sehested, written for a prayer Vigil on behalf of Troy Davis, Wednesday, 21 September 2011, Cathedral of All Souls, Asheville, NC. After a short delay in his scheduled 7 pm execution, Davis was executed by the State of Georgia. Read Amnesty International’s preview of the case. http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-troy-davis

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about those who get too big for their britches.

Who could that be? Hope it’s not me.

Two men stopped by the hospice chapel to pray. One was spiritual-but-not-religious (SNR). Big on centering prayer, sweat lodges, Taizé music and Tibetan prayer flags. On top of that, he’s an activist, an act-of-conscience jailbird, recycles everything, vegetarian, drives a hybrid, ACLU member, makes his own granola.

Could be me, if you add green tea.

The other was a tea-partying born-again beer-bellied redneck. Looks forward to county fair food and Charlie Pride and Patsy Cline music. Says you’uns when speaking second person plural. Eats Wonder Bread and baloney sandwiches and chews Red Man. Never heard of Jon Stewart. Tears up singing the national anthem. Wants the guv’ment to keep its hands off his Medicare.

Might be me, if born under a (really) different star.

When the SNR saw the beer-belly walk in, he paused his quiet Ojibwe prayer chant and scowled under his breath, “Thank Goddess I don’t have his cholesterol level!”

The Wonder Bread man, having just heard his babygirl’s final breath, cried out, “He’p me, Lawdjesus!”

So now I ask: Whose prayer do you think lit a fire in Heaven that day?

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Inspired by Luke 18:9-14.

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with divine recompense to save you."

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame one leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.

Waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.

The haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing.

Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Using and adapting lines from Isaiah 35.

The troubling breath of the
Blessed One broke into speech:
“Oh human one, hear my question and answer rightly.
Can these bones live? Can these bones live?”

Only You know. Only You know.

 “Then prophesy to these skeletal remains.”

Oh dry bones, hear the Word of the
One whose breath brings refreshment.
Flesh shall follow sinew; moist skin
will be stretched in supple layers.

Breathe, oh dry bones, breathe again!
The rumble of life shall overwhelm
           the rattle of death.
Graveyards shall open and spill
     their captives into fertile fields.

Breathe, oh dry bones, breathe again!
     Fill your lungs with Spirit’s Wind.
Sons and daughters, old ones and young,
     meadow and mountain, beast and bird,
the One present at creation shall be honored again.
On that day, no longer shall any govern
           by threat of the grave.

Spirit descend! Breathe on us, Breath of God.

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Inspired by Ezekiel 37 & Acts 2.