Cleveland Ordination

Posted on July 9, 2023 by megganmanlove

Shortly after I was elected bishop, I learned that a first-call pastor had received and accepted a call to Redeemer Lutheran Boise (which has a shared ministry agreement with Grace Lutheran, Horseshoe Bend). It was time to start planning Mariah Mills ordination in Cleveland. What I did not know but soon learned was that, because of our full-communion agreement with the Episcopalians, I cannot preside alone at someone’s ordination between my start date and installation. After a bit of a scramble, Bishop Stacie Fidlar (in the grey alb) from the Northern Illinois Synod volunteered to be the bishop of record. I was still able to participate in the service. It was such a joy to hear mentors and parishioners talk about Mariah and sing her praises. After the service I asked Rev. Dr. Rachel Wrenn (Mariah’s Old Testament professor at Trinity Seminary in Columbus and the preacher at the ordination) if she was doing something at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp later this year; I thought I recognized her from a flyer on a table when I was at Flathead in June. Yes, she is. And that launched us into a conversation about outdoor ministries, parishes we’d served, and later her time at Emory and her dissertation.

Truth be told, I have wanted to go to Cleveland to visit two friends for a long time. Deb Yandala and I met when we were on Margie Fiedler’s 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering Fiesta Planning Team, back when I was in the first years of my first call in Iowa. My dad had been a mentor to Deb and I have stayed in touch with Deb and her husband Sherm Bishop these many years. Sherm died, too young, in April 2022, 14 months after my dad died. Karen and I made up half of our Jesuit Volunteer Corps community in Syracuse, NY the year after we both graduated from college. She went on to get her MSW from Case Western and is coming up on her 20 year anniversary at The Cleveland Clinic. I do not think we had been together since a five-year JVC reunion in San Francisco. I loved walking around Lakewood with Karen after the ordination. After serving for several years on Nampa’s Building and Design Review Committee, serving on the Leap Housing board, watching Boise update its zoning code, and reading two books about zoning, it was beautiful to see the walkability of her city. Deb lives in Battery Park which also has neighborhoods and some real walkability, including a route right down to a Lake Erie beach.

  • Me And Deb at the Lake at Sunset
  • Karen and Me
  • Beautiful Lake Erie
  • Dr. Wrenn and I at the dinner/reception
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Central Washington

Posted on July 6, 2023 by megganmanlove

It was an honor to preach and preside at Celebration Lutheran in East Wenatchee July 2, the Sunday after Pastor Dave Haven’s retirement. Thanks to the members of Grace Lutheran, Wenatchee for hosting a cluster luncheon that same day, during which I highlighted some things we do together as a synod and then we heard what is happening in various ministries and communities. In 2004, after I finished my 10-month internship at Emmanuel, Cheney and EWU Lutheran Campus Ministry, I took a short trip to Seattle to see family friends the Atiks. I asked everyone in Cheney if I should stop somewhere on the roadtrip and the consensus was Leavenworth. So how fitting that I began my time as bishop in this beautiful western corner of the synod and Maynard and Darlene drove over to see me.

Despite serving the last 12+ years in this synod, I have never been to the Grunewald Guild, so Monday morning, Synod VP Lisa Therell and I drove up there after meeting at her congregation, Faith in Leavenworth (amazing murals by Richard Caemmerer and a novel-worthy story about the church building). Lisa was elected vice president at the same synod assembly and it was great to start conversations about our synod.

Then I drove down to Ellensburg where Lutheran Pastor Ethan Bergman serves Grace Episcopal. Ethan and his wife will be on the companion synod trip (with me and Heidi and Dan Cryer) this fall so we talked about that and the Domestic Hunger Grant application process for our synod (which Ethan helps facilitate). That process has come a long way since I wrote my first grant and started this blog back in 2013. I spent the night with the Cryers in Kennwick and Heidi helped me think through so much of the trip to the Ulanga-Kilombero Diocese. On my way out of town I had lunch with synod council exec committee member Jerry Ethridge, who I had gotten to know through the Stewardship for All Seasons program Lord of Life and Trinity participated in together.

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Metaphors for Life Together in Christ

Posted on July 4, 2023 by megganmanlove

Originally published in the Northwest Intermountain Synod e-news.

Dear Friends in Christ,

I spent the first two weeks of June leading summer staff training sessions for Luther Heights Bible Camp in the Sawtooth Mountains and Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp south of Glacier National Park in Montana. I led sessions on Lutheranism 101 and then took the counselors on deep dives through the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Bible Studies. The text for Day 2 Who is Jesus? Is John 15:1-17 (the vine and branches passage). Because we were at the beginning of staff training at both camps, biblical passages about community were also used for worship and devotions. These passages included 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (the body of Christ). I found it wonderful to juxtapose these two passages with the summer staffs, but I also find it helpful as I begin my call as bishop of our synod. In the passage from John, Jesus uses a metaphor that highlights interrelationships and is nonhierarchical. Perhaps most significant, the branches are also anonymous; nothing distinguishes one branch from the other. The only measure of one’s place in community is to love Jesus. Period. Contrast that with the Apostle Paul’s metaphor of the body in his letter to the church in Corinth. Instead of anonymity, Paul has an abundance of specificity. What both passages share is an emphasis on interdependence, with God in Jesus and with one another. I look forward to venturing out into our synod and discovering all the specificities throughout our synod. Please be ready to share with me what is unique about your neighborhood, community, congregation, and maybe even you! How have you experienced God’s love and grace? What energizes you about responding to that love and grace in your setting? In turn, be prepared for me to remind us of all that unites us, most importantly our love of Jesus Christ and Jesus’ unfailing love for us.

Peace,

Bishop Manlove

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July 2, 2023

Posted on July 4, 2023 by megganmanlove

Sermon preached at Celebration Lutheran, East Wenatchee, the Sunday after a retirement.

Matthew 10:40-42

[Jesus said to the twelve:] 40“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

I had to smile when I first read this morning’s gospel in the context of preaching and presiding at Celebration Lutheran today. When I came back to this synod, the synod of my internship, after my six years in rural Western Iowa, one of the pastors who offered me the most memorable welcome was Dave Haven. We were in Spokane for a stewardship event and ended up talking late into the night about South Dakota, Concordia College, the ELCA Youth Gatherings, and outdoor ministries. I later knew Dave to be a pastor very comfortable up front leading, making us laugh, singing our hearts out. But his first welcome to me was that long conversation about ministry and the church and what I hoped for my new call. He truly welcomed me, and I suspect many of you have similar stories. What a gift you had to celebrate his years of ministry in this place and to have what we in the church call “a good ending.”

I know from perusing your website, hearing about your congregation over the years, meeting some of your members, reading recent newsletters, that Pastor Dave was not the only one who knows a thing or two about welcoming people. Your building appears to be a place of welcome for a variety of outside groups, but hospitality and mission are not limited to the confines of these walls. And let’s be clear, our passage from Matthew is all about mission.

Our three verses from Matthew’s gospel today come at the end of a long discourse by Jesus. All of Matthew chapter 10 is Jesus sending out the Twelve Apostles in mission. Sometimes this chapter is called the “missionary discourse.” Jesus offers words of guidance, warning, and promise about the disciples’ mission. 

Here’s a summary: These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions (5). If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town (14). See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves (16). So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered (26). Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me (34). And finally, whoever welcomes you welcomes me (40). 

In other words, Jesus is sending them into a dangerous world as part of his mission to love, save, bless and be reconciled to that world. But the disciples will find welcome. Those who welcome them also welcome and receive Jesus. 

As the bishop of our synod, I would be remiss if I did not share how Celebration Lutheran’s welcome extends beyond even this valley in real and vital ways. I mentioned Lutheran Campus Ministry in my greetings from the synod, but I want to tell you a story now about our collective impact on one college campus.

Since our inception as a synod, we have supported three campus ministries: at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, at Wazoo in Pullman and University of Idaho in Moscow. ELCA Deacon Karla Newman-Smiley has been campus minister at University of Idaho for over twenty years. For over twenty years, Karla has been showing up for students, faculty, and staff in Moscow, Idaho. She has again and again been a voice of welcome on that campus and in that community. She has continued to hone her skills, becoming a spiritual director, and she has participated in many campus committees and ecumenical endeavors. 

Last fall, the University of Idaho campus was rocked in a way it had never been, when four students were murdered. Life for the campus had finally returned to normal after the pandemic academic years and suddenly there was this tragedy of four deaths. What’s more, there was deep fear and anxiety. 

In the early hours of Monday, Nov. 14, the University of Idaho’s Office of the Dean of Students contacted various student ministries in an effort to provide counseling and other services to over 10,000 University of Idaho students. Karla noted in an interview that she found her “purpose to be supporting the Dean of Students and keeping The Center (formerly the Campus Christian Center) open as a space for students, faculty and staff, even though right now it feels like a suspended space.” 

While the campus felt deserted, there were some students who could not leave. Some students were local to the Moscow region. And of course there are faculty members also live in the university town. 

Karla had to break off one interview when a student knocked on her door. Later, a faculty member sought her out because they needed to talk. When Karla was able to return to the interview she explained that international students are on campus throughout the Thanksgiving break. Not only are they far from home, but many are not followers of Judeo-Christian religions. 

Organizations like Moscow Interfaith Association, work with The Center to provide spiritual support for all students of all faiths or no faith. Though The Center is supported by seven mainline Protestant denominations, Karla said there is “no need to proselytize” and The Center is available to everyone: it provides a welcome to all.

After the Thanksgiving Break, on Dec. 1, the University of Idaho held a candle vigil for the community. A few university staff spoke, and members of the victims’ families shared words. One campus minister was invited to pray—ELCA Deacon Karla Newman-Smiley. I cried so many tears when I watched the recording, tears of sadness for the families and community, tears of grief for our broken world, tears of weariness. But I also cried tears of gratitude for Karla’s presence. Karla’s words also led me to shed tears of hope in the God whose welcome is constant and steady, the God whose welcome never tires, never wavers.

I wish I could tell you the impact Karla’s prayer had on the students and families but it would only be conjecture. But what I want to say is to you today is thank you for being part of the Lutheran Campus Ministry story in this synod. Thank you for supporting a deacon who has welcomed people into various spaces for over twenty years. It should not surprise any of us that Karla was then invited and welcomed to offer words of prayer when tragedy struck. She, like you and me, is a theologian of the cross. She was able to name in truthful, loving, accessible language that the God of Jesus Christ is in the hidden, unexpected, and broken spaces of life, like Moscow, Idaho in the fall of 2022.

We have many gifts in our tradition, but one is the ability to grieve as community. When a pastoral transition occurs, we take time to laugh and cry and tell stories, to acknowledge our grief. When young people die tragically, we dig into the well of lament, crying out to God with our anguish, and knowing that God welcomes those cries because it means we are in relationship with God and with one another. We grieve because it is what the saints before us have done for centuries. Like them we grieve ultimately as people with hope, not false hope or hope full of sentimentality, but the deep Easter hope that is ours not just one Sunday in April, but all year long. Thanks be to God.

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June 11, 2023

Posted on June 12, 2023 by megganmanlove

Message for Sunday Worship at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp’s 2023 Women’s Retreat

(Adapted from a tvprays.org reflection and my dissertation)

What is it that drives us to love our neighbors, to boldly give people a glimpse of the reign of God through congregational ministries and our daily lives? For us, the scriptural principal of agape, which Jesus uses in Mark 12:31, continues to guide us: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Experiencing the agape of Jesus, how can we not want others to experience it? In a culture filled with options, filled with advertisements, filled with promises, we cannot assume people will experience God’s love. And we should never assume that the paid congregational staff are the only ones equipped and empowered to share the agape of Jesus. 

Laying the groundwork for what later became known as the Priesthood of All Believers, Martin Luther wrote, “For all Christians whatsoever really and truly belong to the religious class, and there is no difference among them except in so far as they do different work. That is St. Paul’s meaning, in I Corinthians 12, when he says: ‘We are all one body, yet each member bath his own work for serving others.’ This applies to us all, because we have on baptism, one gospel, one faith, and are all equally Christian” (An Appeal to the Ruling Class). 

There is another metaphor of Paul’s that I find equally helpful, and that was true before the pandemic had me utilizing the postal service at a new pace. In 2 Corinthians, Paul mentions other apostles whom he calls “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5, 12:11) and “false apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:13). 

These traveling missionaries have come to Corinth after Paul left. Now, impressed by these new apostles’ credentials, the Corinthians may be asking about Paul’s credentials. Earlier in the letter, Paul tells the Corinthians that he and Timothy do not need letters of recommendation since the Corinthians themselves are a letter recommending Paul’s ministry.

 “3Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely, we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our* hearts, to be known and read by all; 3and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”(2 Cor. 3:1-3)

I have always been a proponent of letter writing and still have, in various shoeboxes, the letters my parents and I wrote to one another during my many months at summer camp and my first few years in college, before email replaced letters. With all of this as background, I love the metaphor of people being the letters.

The Apostle Paul’s opponents seem to have pointed out that he did not have “letters of recommendation bearing the imperial seal in order to verify [his] identity.” Paul contrasts letters written on paper and letters written on the heart. One scholar explains that this is “a representation of Paul’s fundamental dualism of ‘letter vs. spirit’ (2 Cor. 3:6), which is consistently applied to his interpretation of the Torah (or Law) . . . this defensive rhetoric of Paul, wonderful as it may sound, turned out to be completely ineffective in the presence of people who demanded nothing other than hard proof.” The argument may not have worked on Paul’s opponents, but it absolutely worked on me.

I serve a congregation that puts more emphasis on our actions rather than our words, so to me this Scripture passage also seems to serve as a bridge to something more. Yes, our actions of growing food, providing housing, practicing hospitality, and loving our neighbors will always be paramount. But we also understand the power of language and are slowly growing our skills in telling our faith stories. 

Eventually, both our words and our actions will be the letters of recommendation for the congregation, the larger Christian church, and the triune God we worship. 

We all have the potential to be the letters of recommendation to the communities we live in and to the world, letters of Jesus’ agape. Our very human hearts are filled with the love of Jesus. That love is made known in feeding and housing people, caring for the neighbor, learning about the world we inhabit, disrupting racism, and advocating for marginalized people or the natural world.

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Christian Living Spotlight Podcast-Housing

Posted on June 7, 2023 by megganmanlove

Bart Cochran was featured in Christian Living Magazine recently. This podcast is related to the magazine and was on radio live a few Saturdays ago.

Bart Cochran of LEAP Housing , and Pastor Meggan Manlove from Trinity Lutheran Church and Pastor Joe Bankard from Collister United Methodist Church share about affordable housing on excess church property. We hope you’ll listen in to this inspiring episode!

Here’s a LINK to the episode.

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Transition Begins

Posted on May 30, 2023 by megganmanlove

June Trinity Lutheran Epistle Column

Dear Friends in Christ, 

Writing is usually my natural and easy medium of communication, but it seems like a ridiculous exercise to try to sum up all my love and gratitude and hopes for our congregation in one simple column for the Epistle. I hope as you read this, you remember all of my other words written in this space, prayed at bedsides, shared in meetings, spoken from the pulpit: words of encouragement, compassion, wonder, inquiry, and thanksgiving. As I said in my sermon after the bishop’s election, I am so grateful to our congregation for giving me all the opportunities that helped me become the person the synod assembly elected/called to the office of bishop. There is something else I want to express my gratitude for—for helping me love and believe in the power of the good news again and again. All the ways I have grown in leadership could have led me to go run a nonprofit, which might have been fun. But I still find the good news of Jesus Christ compelling, still find the abundant love of God a message the community needs to hear, still think the story of God’s redeeming love is a story worth sharing. More than anything else, your collective willingness to keep engaging with the story of God’s love has spurred me on. For every Confirmation youth, new member class, midwinter movie participant, Monday study group student, and coffee conversation partner who wrestled with scripture, faith, discipleship in the 21stcentury, I am so incredibly grateful. And it is the God of this same story, the God who we have worshiped together, prayed to, and even cried out to in pain or anger, who will accompany us in the months and years ahead. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26) 

Pastor Meggan 

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May 21, 2023

Posted on May 21, 2023 by megganmanlove

Prayer of the Day

O God of glory, your Son Jesus Christ suffered for us and ascended to your right hand. Unite us with Christ and each other in suffering and in joy, that all the world may be drawn into your bountiful presence, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Acts 1:6-14

6When [the apostles] had come together, they asked [Jesus], “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
 12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. 13When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35

 1Let God arise, and let God’s ene- | mies be scattered;
  let those who | hate God flee.
 2As smoke is driven away, so you should drive | them away;
  as the wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the pres- | ence of God.
 3But let the righteous be glad and rejoice | before God;
  let them also be mer- | ry and joyful.
 4Sing to God, sing praises to God’s name; exalt the one who | rides the clouds;
  I Am is that name, rejoice | before God! 
 5In your holy habita- | tion, O God,
  you are a father to orphans, defend- | er of widows;
 6you give the solitary a home and bring forth prisoners | into freedom;
  but the rebels shall live in | desert places.
 7O God, when you went forth be- | fore your people,
  when you marched | through the wilderness,
 8the earth quaked, and the skies poured down rain, at the presence of God, the | God of Sinai,
  at the presence of God, the | God of Israel.
 9You sent a bountiful | rain, O God;
  you restored your inheritance | when it languished.
 10Your people found their | home in it;
  in your goodness, O God, you have made provision | for the poor. 
 32Sing to God, O kingdoms | of the earth;
  sing praises | to the Lord.
 33You ride in the heavens, O God, in the | ancient heavens;
  you send forth your voice, your | mighty voice.
 34Ascribe pow- | er to God,
  whose majesty is over Israel; whose strength is | in the skies.
 35How wonderful you are in your holy places, O | God of Israel,
  giving strength and power to your people! | Blessed be God!

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

 5:6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

John 17:1-11

1After Jesus had spoken these words [to his disciples], he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
 6“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Sermon – Pastor Meggan Manlove

Baptisms, Affirmation of Baptism, Last Sunday

In an almost offhanded way, it is written that Jesus appeared to his apostles for forty days after his “suffering.” But 40 is significant. We find the number forty throughout the Bible. It rained for forty days and nights while Noah and his family were safely aboard the ark. The Hebrew people wandered the Sinai wilderness for forty years. Two pillars of faith, Moses and Elijah, went into the wilderness for forty days and nights to discover the will of God. Jesus, himself, was led into the wilderness, where he was tested by the devil for forty days and nights.

Gail Ramshaw suggests that perhaps the origin of this metaphor lied in the fact that forty days exceeds the lunar pacing of 30 days. In other words, 40 is a long time. But forty is also mythically alive. It is a time pregnant with a religious future. Fort is how long we must wait for God’s intent to be realized. Forty is the delay which all humans experience. It is the legendary period of hope, the duration of either joy or sorrow that opens to emotions unknown. It often takes forty to open the door.

Maybe Christians adopted this number, this chronology, because we accepted the historicity of a literal even on the hill near Jerusalem. Or maybe it was because we know that even after the transformation of Christ’s resurrection we need to wait yet longer for his full manifestation. Today is full of mystery, mythic imagery, truth, and hope.

So back to the church year and the end of the Easter Season. The festival of Pentecost, which we will celebrate next week, is followed by ordinary time, the time of the church, the time when our sanctuary is adorned in green. The Day of Ascension was Thursday, 40 days after Easter. So, Ascension prepares us for Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit.

It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions since Jesus’ friends followed Jesus into Jerusalem. They have felt hope, fear, despair, and then the unbelievable presence of Jesus. Jesus is no longer dead, but alive. But they knew he would not stay. 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” This is the same Spirit that rested on Jesus in his baptism. It is the same Spirit that anointed Jesus to preach good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed. This same “power from on high” would now be given to the disciples and, by extension, to us. This is a gift from beyond us. It is not the same as “team spirit” or inner peace or anything we create on our own.

How can we speak of something we have never seen? Could the Spirit be anything we imagine? Though we cannot see the Spirit, we can see where the Spirit has been.

There’s a wonderful woodcut of the Jesus’ Ascension by Albrecht Durer. If you look closely at the picture, you can see footprints on the earth. Durer has carefully outlined Jesus’ footprints down on the level where the disciples are standing with their mouths open. Perhaps the artist was simply imagining a detail that is not in the text. Or perhaps, he is asking us, “Why do you stand looking up into heaven?”

Look at Jesus and we will see where the Spirit has been. Jesus’ feet carried him where others would not go. His feet brought him to tables surrounded by odd companions, grounded him as he children on his lap, and carried him as he questioned disparities between the wealthy and the poor. 

One scholar says the Holy Spirit “is nothing less than the mystery of God’s personal engagement with the world…the mystery of God closer to us than we are to ourselves.” This is staying power.

Listen for the Holy Spirit in the faith stories we will hear and see today. Listen for the Holy Spirit in the baptisms and affirmation of baptisms, and even leave-taking litany. It is the gift of the Holy spirit which sustains and leads each of us and the church collectively. Now let us hear how the Spirit has been at work specifically in two people’s lives.

Faith Statements by Confirmands

Prayers of Intercession

The prayers are prepared locally for each occasion. The following examples may be adapted or used as appropriate.

United in the hope and joy of the resurrection, let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need.

A brief silence.

God of harmony, as you drew your Son to your side, you draw us to you and unite us with the planet and one another. Weave your church together in a web of mutual love for the sake of the world. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

As your Spirit hovered over the waters of creation, so your Spirit hovers over all that you have made. Bless the water that sustains the planet and grant wisdom to use it wisely. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

You empower your people with the fire of your Spirit. Challenge activists and organizers, teachers and politicians, and all in leadership to speak a message of peace and justice. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

You care for all your children. Show your steadfast love to those suffering isolation, especially exiles, refugees, or prisoners. Break the chains of all held fast by systemic oppression of any kind. Comfort all who are afraid or suffering from illness (especially). Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

We give thanks that humankind serves as your body in the world, stewarding your abundant gifts. Guide this congregation’s leaders as they seek your will. We pray for our staff and council (persons can be named). Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

You raise your saints to new life in Christ. We give you thanks for (Helena and) all your saints who have given us glimpses of your redeeming love. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Rejoicing in the victory of Christ’s resurrection, we lift our prayers and praise to you, almighty and eternal God; through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.

Amen.

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May 14, 2023

Posted on May 14, 2023 by megganmanlove

Prayer of the Day

Almighty and ever-living God, you hold together all things in heaven and on earth. In your great mercy receive the prayers of all your children, and give to all the world the Spirit of your truth and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Acts 17:22-31

22Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, 
 ‘For we too are his offspring.’
29Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Psalm 66:8-20

 8Bless our | God, you peoples;
  let the sound of | praise be heard.
 9Our God has kept us a- | mong the living
  and has not allowed our | feet to slip. 
 10For you, O God, have | tested us;
  you have tried us just as sil- | ver is tried.
 11You brought us in- | to the net;
  you laid heavy burdens up- | on our backs.
 12You let people ride over our heads; we went through | fire and water,
  but you brought us out into a place | of refreshment.
 13I will enter your house | with burnt offerings
  and will pay | you my vows—
 14those that I promised | with my lips
  and spoke with my mouth when I | was in trouble.
 15I will offer you burnt offerings of fatlings with the | smoke of rams;
  I will give you ox- | en and goats. 
 16Come and listen, all you | who believe,
  and I will tell you what God has | done for me.
 17I called out to God | with my mouth,
  and praised the Lord | with my tongue.
 18If I had cherished evil | in my heart,
  the Lord would | not have heard me;
 19but in truth | God has heard me
  and has attended to the sound | of my prayer.
 20Blessed be God, who has not reject- | ed my prayer,
  nor withheld unfailing | love from me. 

1 Peter 3:13-22

13Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

John 14:15-21

[Jesus said to the disciples:] 15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
 18“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Sermon – Pastor Meggan Manlove

A courtroom is what I picture when Jesus promises not to leave the disciples alone.  Today we find the disciples gathered with Jesus, who is about to die. The disciples are grieving deeply because they are finally getting some sense of what is to come.  The teacher who they’ve grown to love is going to leave them.  They are afraid of being orphaned. The disciples have been traveling with Jesus every day for three years and now he is going to leave them. Their world is about to be turned upside down and their master and friend will not be with them.  In anticipation of the events to come, Jesus teaches the disciples that in fact he will remain with them, the in a different way. He loves them.  

He says he will give them an Advocate. And here I picture the loving District Attorney who has been assigned to someone, a child or adult, a victim with no one else to advocate for them. The person is alone in the world. No family or friends can be found to walk with him in the days ahead. He is so lost and so traumatized that he can not even talk. One part of the advocate’s job is to simply help this person to tell his own story—to tell others what he has seen and heard. And though it will not happen in the walls of the courtroom, the advocate will also help the individual to live again, to put one foot in front of the other when this nightmare is over.  

As Jesus explains the significance of his departure to his disciples, he points them toward the life that they will lead after his death. Jesus and the Father will be with them. They will not be left orphaned.    

Orphan must have been a powerful image that resonated with the disciples.  Earlier, Jesus’ addressed the disciples as “little children.”  They have become part of a family—a family of God. Now it seems that those family ties will be cut. But Jesus assures them that the intimacy will not undercut by Jesus’ departure. His promise to return counters any possible perception of Jesus’ death as his abandonment of his disciples.

How can the relationship continue? Jesus says, the Father “will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”  

If the courtroom advocate is what I first imagine when I hear our translation of Jesus’ speech, it is not the only image we should have while reading this text. It has been my experience that Lutherans do not warm to discussions about the Holy Spirit. I was perplexed by the Spirit as a child and my mother did not help my understanding when she told me the Spirit was the easiest being in the Trinity for her to grasp. She also still likes our old language—the Holy Ghost.

Part of the struggle is that there is an understanding among some Christians that you can only claim that the Spirit is present if you speak in tongues or are affected in some other physical way. We think there is a monopoly on the Spirit. We forget or are insecure about explaining the ways the Spirit at work in our lives.  

The word which is translated here as “Advocate” actually comes from a verb, “parakaleo.” Parakaleo has a wide range of meanings that include “to exhort and encourage,” “to comfort and console,” “to call upon for help,” and “to appeal.”  So, the partner noun can mean “the one who exhorts,” “the one who comforts,” “the one who helps,” and “the one who makes appeals on one’s behalf.”  In John Chapter 14 I think the word draws on the whole range of meanings in the variety of functions attributed to the Paraclete.  

The difficulty of choosing among these meanings is reflected in the various English translations–almost every translation is different when it comes to this word.  Instead of settling on one English word, it seems best to translate parakeleo as “Paraclete” as in the New Jerusalem Bible, popular with uur Roman Catholic siblings.  

There is more. Jesus does not say that he will give the disciples a Paraclete. He says he will give them “another” Paraclete. In other words, Jesus himself was also a Paraclete.  It is not simply another name for the Spirit. It is a way of describing what the Spirit does, what functions are held in common with Jesus.  To call the Paraclete the “Spirit of truth” is to identify the Paraclete as more than a true or truthful Spirit. As the Spirit of truth, the Paraclete shares in the work of Jesus, because Jesus is the truth.  

Gaining some insight into this one who exhorts, encourages, advocates, comforts, consoles, appeals, and helps is only helpful when we hear the rest of the Jesus’ speech. Intertwined with the promise of the Paraclete is another way in which the disciples and Jesus will stay connected. The heart of this discourse is love–two dimensions of the believer’s love relationship with Jesus. 

These things cannot be separate: one’s love of Jesus and the keeping of his commandments and the abiding and indwelling of the presence of God, even after Jesus’ death and departure with those who love him.  To love Jesus is to keep his commandments.  Which commandments?  The greatest ones—to love God and to love your neighbor.   

Susan Armstrong wrote in her memoir The Spiral Staircase that “the one and only test of a valid religious idea, doctrinal statement, spiritual experience, or devotional practice was that it must lead directly to practical compassion. If your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express this sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good theology.” Armstrong is concerned with how theology moves one to have compassion for others.

The Christian’s union with God and Jesus is possible after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus has promised his disciples that this union is so.  But it is not a private, mystical union of the believer with his or her god.  Jesus’ words consistently point to the communal nature of union and relationship with him after the end of his earthly ministry. The promises of divine presence are promises made to the community. I will give you all a Paraclete. I will not leave your community orphaned. Keep the greatest commandments—all of you.

It is this community of faith into which you will be baptized today Kristina. You were not ready to receive or make the promises when your children were baptized. But now you are ready and we are rejoicing! We already know you to be one practicing compassion for others and trying to follow Jesus’ way faithfully. The Holy Spirit will be with you on this journey, in and through this community of faith. 

Jesus does not promise another Paraclete, or his own return, to individuals, but to a community who lives in love.  God, Jesus, and the other Paraclete are inseparably interconnected with one another. This is clear in the promise of God’s sending another Paraclete in response to Jesus’ request.  

The relationship with Jesus does not depend on physical presence, but on the presence of the love of God in the life of the community.  And the love for God is present whenever those who love Jesus keep his commandments, when they continue to live out the love that Jesus showed in his own life and death. Love is the sign of fidelity to Jesus. Communion with God, Jesus, and the Paraclete suggests that the believing community in any generation, including our own, will enter into relationship with Jesus–when we open our hearts to the Spirit and show compassion to those near and far away.

Prayers of Intercession (Sundays and Seasons)

United in the hope and joy of the resurrection, let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need.

A brief silence.

God our faithful companion, you promise to never leave us and to send your Spirit to guide us in wisdom and truth. Send your people into the world to serve as mirrors that reflect and magnify your love. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

All the earth sings praises to you. Grant your care to the creatures, plants, and places that are suffering, and equip us to respond to their song. Make us agents of restoration and refreshment for all your beloved creation. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

You call all people of the world your children. Judge the nations justly, show mercy to all who are oppressed, and speak truth to power through your prophets. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Nurturing Lord, you sent your Spirit to grant us peace. Make your presence known to those who feel abandoned or alone, and to all who are sick or grieving (especially). Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

You hold us in your loving care. We pray for mothers and mother figures. Console all who long to be mothers, children estranged from their mothers, anyone grieving the death of a mother, and mothers who have lost a child. Support all for whom this day is difficult. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

Almighty God, you give life and breath to all things. We give thanks for the apostle Matthias and all your saints (especially). Sustain us by your love until we join the saints in glory. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Rejoicing in the victory of Christ’s resurrection, we lift our prayers and praise to you, almighty and eternal God; through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.

Amen.

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May 7, 2023

Posted on May 7, 2023 by megganmanlove

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another, to follow in the way of his commandments, and to share his risen life with all the world, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Acts 7:55-60

55Filled with the Holy Spirit, [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

 1In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be | put to shame;
  deliver me | in your righteousness.
 2Incline your | ear to me;
  make haste to de- | liver me.
 3Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag | and my stronghold;
  for the sake of your name, lead | me and guide me.
 4Take me out of the net that they have secretly | set for me,
  for you are my tow- | er of strength. 
 5Into your hands I com- | mend my spirit,
  for you have redeemed me, O Lord, | God of truth.
 15My times are | in your hand;
  rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who | persecute me.
 16Let your face shine up- | on your servant;
  save me in your | steadfast love.” 

1 Peter 2:2-10

2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
 4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture: 
 “See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
  a cornerstone chosen and precious;
 and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, 
 “The stone that the builders rejected
  has become the very head of the corner,”
8and 
 “A stone that makes them stumble,
  and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
 10Once you were not a people,
  but now you are God’s people;
 once you had not received mercy,
  but now you have received mercy.

John 14:1-14

[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
 8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

Sermon – Pastor Meggan Manlove

The promise and good news in today’s gospel lesson is pretty life-giving and beautiful. We worship a God who truly loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. I know that many people in the world and maybe a few of you are experiencing anxiety. That anxiety may have many sources, including changes coming to the congregation but also so many other things. Whatever the source of your anxiety, know that Jesus can bear it, as is made clear in our reading from John Chapter 14.

“In my Father’s house are many dwellings,” Jesus says, using a word which means “resting place.” This passage has many interpretations. Some readers argue that Jesus’ statement that he is going to “prepare a place for you” means that he is going away, to heaven, like preparation for the Ascension. A less helpful and faithful interpretation is that Jesus is going to get a place ready for those who will be “raptured” out of their cars or houses for seven years.  There is yet another way to hear Jesus’ words. 

First, let us remember that this entire speech of Jesus’ is the testament of a leader on the eve of his death. Death is in the air. Jesus is not speaking about ascending up to heaven. He is speaking about dying. 

Just as important, Jesus does not specify where the Father’s house is located. Is it in heaven? Not necessarily, certainly not exclusively. We know this because later on, Jesus will say that he and the Father will come and make their dwelling in the believing or trusting person: “We will come and make are dwelling with them.” This is about God’s mystical dwelling in Jesus’ followers. It is in this way that the Father also “dwells” in Jesus. 

If there is one gospel that does not want us to get caught up or sidetracked by locations or chronologies, it is John’s gospel. What this most mystical gospel wants us to grasp is that this is a relational God. The Father and Jesus have an intimate relationship. Through Jesus, God desires deep relationships with the disciples, including you and me. As followers of Jesus have abiding-places in Christ, so Jesus and the Father have an abiding-place in each follower. God makes a home with us.

The “father’s house” is not so much heaven as God’s household or family on earth. We, reading scripture some 2000 years later, are already living in the mystical dwelling place in the Father’s household which Jesus has prepared for us. This passage is not about mansions in the sky, but about spiritual dwellings in Jesus. 

One scholar tells a story about a four-year-old girl who is asked by her father while boarding a plane, “Where are we going?” “To Grandma’s” the girl shouts. Not “to Pocatello” or “Seattle,” but “to Grandma’s” she says. For her, Grandma’s is a person, not a place. We find our home in those who love us, in people more than places. 

So, also, with Jesus’ words for us today. What matters is not where the rooms are geographically, but whose rooms they are. “We are going to God’s.” Our home is with God, we are told. Today we hear assurance that Jesus is preparing a place for us with God. We are going to God’s. That is all that matters in Jesus’ long address. We are going to God’s because God has already come to dwell with us in Jesus.

Sometimes it takes my breath away, that we can have a relationship with God through this Jesus. I want such a relationship for all of you; really, I want it for every human being on the planet. 

Most of you have to some extent experienced that dwelling and abiding with Jesus that we hope everyone experiences. It’s not that this love and dwelling gets rid of anxiety and fear, but it certainly makes it easier to bear. Conversations or prayer time with Jesus can be calming and restorative. Abiding with Jesus will lead to something else.

Jesus says as much in our gospel passage, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in my will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these.” Greater, perhaps because although none of us can do what God did through Jesus’s death and resurrection, all of us together can bring a whole lot of love into our world as we care for our neighbors. 

I want to say here that if you are proud that I was elected bishop, then you ought to also take quite a bit of pride in being part of this congregation. You are, after all, the congregation that clearly grew me into the pastor this synod wanted to call as bishop. And so much of that growth was rooted in neighbor love. 

When I was asked to chair the search committee for the new Luther Heights Exec Director, the council said, “go for it,” and I had to lead my first team on Zoom. When we were approached about selling or acquiring Trinity New Hope affordable housing, we all, after lots of deliberation, voted for it unanimously, which launched me into a whole new set of learning and growing. When I proposed writing an extensive grant for my own sabbatical, a team stepped up to work with me and when were denied the first time, they said, let’s try just one more time. And we got the grant and my grant writing skills also grew. And at every Worship, Music, and Altar Guild meeting I have been reminded that not all Lutherans are afraid of trying new things, even in worship. And during the pandemic, you rallied around me and I learned how to build community online and make videos. 

In October I will meet in person with around 25 synod council members and staff. A little of my confidence in our outcomes is because of what I have been told about this group. But the bulk of my confidence comes from 12 years as your pastor—that when people are gathered together around a mission, they will do amazing things. You are my evidence that this is true. 

If Jesus gives us the clear instruction, to love our neighbor by doing the works that Jesus’ does, then this morning’s passage from First Peter paints a picture for what that might look like for a church body, including you Trinity Lutheran. Paul writes to an early Christian community and addresses them as exiles. They may be actual exiles, or they may be experiencing abuse for the new faith. 

It is of course impossible to put ourselves in their shoes. But like those early Christians, our ultimate identity is in relation to the priesthood of believers—the body of Christ—not me your pastor but all of us. The verse which precedes are reading tells us what behaviors and attitudes we should leave behind as we live into relationship with Jesus and our neighbors: “Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, all slander.” That’s some pretty clear ethics.

Then First Peter weaves geological images into his message. Resurrection makes somebodies out of nobodies by making us into living stones—hewing us, shaping us, building us together into a home, into a community with others. I love that image of living stones; as living stones, who dwell with Jesus serve our neighbors.

We reside in a world dominated by greed, individualism and violence. Is there anything more radical than the way of life to which we are called? It is life overflowing with love, selflessness, mercy, and care for all those who society reject. Community, hope, a table where everyone is welcome: these continue to be counter cultural. And what of a God of love and mercy? These beliefs and way of living are not the norm. But First Peter’s imagery brings good news too, for the letter speaks of the chief corner stone.

A cornerstone is not only the stone set at the corner of two intersecting walls. It is one prepared and chosen for its exact 90-degree angle.  It is the basis for the construction of the whole building. Choosing the right corner is basic not only to the aesthetics of the building but also to its stability and longevity. I hear the chorus of the great hymn, “No storm can shake my inmost call while to that Rock I’m clinging. Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?” Jesus has been, is, and always will be our rock.

And in fact, First Peter declares, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” The author takes language right out of the Prophet Hosea and the Book of Exodus, scripture of the Hebrew People, and grafts this Gentile community onto the royal priesthood. Through Jesus, dwelling with God is a gift available for all people, including you and me. But that dwelling, that relationship cannot be hoarded. Those who dwell with God are to “declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Prayers of Intercession

The prayers are prepared locally for each occasion. The following examples may be adapted or used as appropriate.

United in the hope and joy of the resurrection, let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need.

A brief silence.

God of life, strengthen your church to proclaim your gospel even in times of trouble. As we remember Stephen, we give thanks for diaconal ministry. Bless all deacons and strengthen them for their bridge-building ministry between church and world. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Creating God, you show your steadfast love through mighty waters, towering mountains, verdant fields, and arid deserts. Protect the earth’s diverse habitats from the forces of pollution, erosion, extinction, and global warming. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Mighty God, your Spirit guides us into all truth. Give wisdom to world and local leaders and organizations as they begin, build, or renew relationships. Strengthen leaders and aid organizations in areas needing to be rebuilt following conflict, unrest, or natural disaster (especially). Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Loving God, you make your home among us. Abide with refugees, those experiencing homelessness, those fleeing war and poverty, and all who question if there is a home in your heart. We pray for all who are sick (especially). Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Assuring God, you accompany your people amid uncertainty and change. Uphold people in this community who have recently moved, changed jobs or schools, retired, or are going through transitions of any kind. Lead us in your ways. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

Renewing God, you gather the saints at your heavenly banquet. We give you thanks for the care shown us by those who have gone before us (especially). Grant confidence and comfort for all awaiting the place you have prepared. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Rejoicing in the victory of Christ’s resurrection, we lift our prayers and praise to you, almighty and eternal God; through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.

Amen.

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