onewhoponders

The Eucharistic Gospel Reading for Sunday of Proper 13: Year A

Matthew 14:13-21

“Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” (Matthew 14: 19)

Jesus was moved with compassion to teach the people how to live with each other and to live in an occupied land.  He healed the sick.  And lastly, feeling their hunger, he was moved to feed them with whatever provision was available, in this case, five loaves and two fish.

Jesus took the food, blessed the food, divided the food into manageable portions and then distributed the food.  This process is repeated in our Church at every Sunday Eucharist.  We take, bless, brake and give.  Our Lord Jesus will repeat these four steps at his last supper.  He will take, bread, bless both bread and wine, divide up the meal and pass it around to those at the table.

Having a meal together is perhaps the most intimate practice we can do together.  At meal time, anguish must leave.  I once shared a meal with a fellow Marine in Memphis, Tennessee. He, Scotty, prepared the meal.  It was chicken and rice.   I wanted whole pieces of chicken with rice on the side.  Scotty insisted on cutup pieces of chicken mixed in the rice.  I was upset that he ignored my preference.  When we sat at table, and placed the chicken and rice mixture on the table before us and said the grace, and then filled our plates, we began talking about people at work and our beloved Marine Corps.  I let go of my unfulfilled want of having whole pieces of chicken.  It may have been some greed at work in me, I don’t know, but I’m glad I let that go. Moreover, we were able to eat a second night from the same pot.  Scotty was smart, but it was God who took care of us, even in my displeasure. We took the food, blessed it, divided it up, and partook of the food.  It was communion.

Notice that because of the Covid crisis that we went through, we, the followers of our Lord Jesus, were again seated in the grass, here at St Paul’s in the Pines, and in many parishes across the country.  We were practicing our faith like those of two thousand years ago. Sometimes God will take unfortunate circumstances and bring about good works from them. God takes us from the towns we live in, blesses us in our gathered worship, and then sends us back into the town, renewed and blessed.  And this blessing is not for us to lavish in for our own sake.  No; we are blessed, and we are to be a blessing to all who could not, or, for whatever reason, did not, come and worship with us. God is blessing us to pass it on. You are the disciples and carriers of God’s blessings to others.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: Proper 13 The Sunday closest to August 3 (BCP p. 232)

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 12: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 75 and 76, Evening, Psalms  23 and 27;

Judges 5:19 to 31; Acts 2:22 to 36; Matthew 28:11 to 20:

“‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know, this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.”  (Acts 2: 22 – 24)

Peter painfully reminds the Israelites of both who Jesus was, and is, and their part in going against the goodness of God in handing him over to be killed.  Even though those who actually crucified him were outside their faith, they indeed were also responsible. 

The important thing to remember for us today, we who call ourselves Christians, is that our Lord Jesus was, and is, the living will of God. Today we can only read of “the deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through” our Lord Jesus among the people. We must read and believe.

Today, as Christians, we must believe in the living Jesus.  Our belief then is made manifest in how we conduct ourselves in everyday life.  We do not return evil for evil.  We seek fairness and justice for all people. But first and foremost, we must love God.  For some of us, without regular Church services during the restrictions of the past pandemic, it was difficult.  But Church was never intended to be first.  First, faith starts at home and in the heart of the family. The story of Jesus is shared so that the hearer might grab on and believe.  And in believing, the faithful might come together in Church community.  But even without the gathered Church, we are still held accountable to the precepts of our Baptismal Covenant, our allegiance to the teachings of Christ.  

Peter reminds us, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear” (Acts 2: 32 – 33).  Peter’s words are not limited to his time and day only: they are meant for us today as well.

Today we remember Joseph of Arimathea, (August 1 NT) and his information may be found at Joseph of Arimathaea.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us Pray: Risen and eternal loving Jesus, you brought God to us in human form but so many of us did not heed your teachings. Come to us now in your Holy Spirit and continue your lessons to us that we might at last believe and change our ways and live to learn love over law. In your most holy Name we pray, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 12: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; Evening,  Psalm 73

Judges 5:1-18; Acts 2:1-21; Matthew 28:1 – 10

Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”  (Matthew 28: 10)

Encounters with the Resurrected Jesus differ according to the Gospel account we read.  In Matthew, the disciples are instructed to return to Galilee and there, Jesus will meet them.  Luke and John have Jesus meeting them in Jerusalem of Judea.  Mark is unclear about location in his extended version.  I like the Galilee meeting.  Galilee is where Jesus began his ministry and walked throughout Galilee preaching the Good news, and healing many, and casting out demons, for three years.  This place moved me as I sat in a boat in Lake Galilee in February of 2018 with a full view of the land that Jesus walked.  I took a picture of it and it is the scene at the top of each new “One Who Ponders blog.”

So Jesus says return to your beginnings and you will see me.  They were Galileans, for the most part, fishermen by trade.  Galilee is where they were grounded in their faith.  How about you?  Where were you when you were first told about our Lord Jesus?  Where is your Galilee?

Your Galilee may be more than a single, physical location.  Jesus’ instruction to return to Galilee may be an invitation to go back to the time (and place) when you first decided to follow him.  As Galilee is a vast area with several notable towns where our Lord Jesus taught and performed signs and wonders; like the Sermon on the Mount at Mount Tabor; the raising of a woman’s son in Nain; where he was raised by Mary in Nazareth; the feeding of the multitudes near Capernaum where he chose to live, and other places as well. 

Your Galilee may be a vast area or collections of life-altars also.  Going back may be a serious meditation on your own Galilee experience.  My own Galilee includes St Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Nashville, Tennessee; Paris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot in South Carolina; St Anne’s Episcopal Church in Memphis Tennessee; Virginia The Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia; and St Paul’s in the Pines Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. All of these are the building blocks of my spirituality. What and where are your life-altar places that make up your Galilee experiences?  These are the places that Jesus is asking you to return to in order to meet  him again. Ponder on these places.

Today we remember Ignatius of Loyola, Mystic, Educator, Preacher and Founder of the Jesuits (July 31, 1556) and his information may be found at: Ignatius of Loyola.      

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom. 

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: For Quiet Confidence (BCP p. 832)

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 12: Year 2

 Morning, Psalms 72; Evening, Psalm 119:73-96;  

Judges 3:12 to 30; Acts 1:1 to 14; Matthew  27:45 to 54:

“In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”  (Acts 1: 1 – 3)

When I read scripture, I remember that I am standing behind the writer.  I am watching Luke, a man who never knew Jesus the way the apostles did.  He learned from Paul and Peter.  I remember that his teacher Paul also did not know Jesus in the flesh, Paul met the bright shining resurrected Jesus while he, (Paul) was traveling to Damascus.

Even with this insight, I know that the “Acts of the Apostles” is Luke’s second book, his Gospel account being the first.  Acts starts out with heavy input from Peter but ends with Paul speaking. It wasn’t until I saw the movie “Paul, Apostle of Christ” (with James Faulkner as Paul and Jim Caviezel as Luke), that I realized how significant Luke was in providing these writings to us.  He put himself at great risk going into and out of confinement with Paul. I highly recommend the movie.

Luke was an educated man, a physician.  He was accustomed to writing and taking notes.  God used the gifts of Luke to ensure we, of today, knew the history of Jesus and the first apostles, disciples and Christians. It must be remembered that he never met Jesus personally. He received his information from Peter and Paul. God still gifts a few of us with what we need as a community.  We get what we need for now, and we get what we will need for the future – like Luke.

The only thing you have to do to please God is live, believe, have courage when it seems dangerous, and make use of the gifts God has graced you with. This leads to the kingdom of God that Jesus spoke of through Luke. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Today we remember Mary and Martha of Bethany and The First Ordination of Women to the priesthood, and their information may be found at: Mary & Martha of Bethany; and First Ordination of Women to the Priesthood in The; respectively.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John.

Let us pray:

Bright shining Jesus, who met Saul on his way to Damascus, guide us in our studies of your time with us, and let us be in the experience that we too might be fully apostolic and changed forever, as was Simon to Peter and Saul to Paul. And, we pray, let us be like Luke who learned from the experience of those who went before him. In your most holy Name we pray, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 12: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 61 and 62, Evening, Psalm 68; 

Judges 2:1 and 5,11 to 23; Romans 16:17 to 27; Matthew 27:32 to 44:

“Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them.  But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshipping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.” (Judges 2: 18 – 19)

Perhaps judges were prophets of sorts but they seem to take on more a military role in many cases.  God was with them for the good of the people.  But what’s important here is that the judges were raised by God for the well being and direction of the people.

I think it was through the feelings of the judges that God could feel what the people were going through. This would be kind of a pre-Jesus experience for God where the Creator felt a little of what the people were feeling. 

There is a timeless truth at work with the book of Judges.  There was no School of Theology or Seminary for human- selected young ones to attend, or a human crafted degree of certification.  God graced who God raised up as a judge. I believe this is still true today.  There are God-selected people, men and women, in our midst like Deborah and even Samson, who are graced by God for the strategic purpose of moving us to where God wants us to be.  Denomination or religious tradition notwithstanding, God will choose who God will choose. God always has, God always will.  According to the words that our Lord Jesus gave us to pray, “God’s will be done.”  You might be such a person.  No person can say that he or she is not good enough.  Such thoughts and words are not limiting who you are; such thoughts and words attempt to limit the ability of God: for which, there is no limit and for Whom nothing is impossible.  Pray to discern if God is raising you up for the purpose of Leadership. It is entirely possible and it matters not who you are to this point in your life. God will choose who God will choose, and nothing is impossible for God.

Today we remember Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer, 1750, and his information may be found at: Johann Sebastian Bach

We also remember today, George Frederick Handel and Henre Purcell, Composers, 1759 and 1695 (respectively) and their information may be found at: George Frederick Handel & Henry Purcell.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

Almighty ever-loving and ever-living God, You love us so much and are displeased when we do not love one another.  Open our hearts to each other regardless of skin color, nationality, political affiliation, language, sexual orientation, faith tradition or religion, even the non-religious, and make a path in us to love you, and to love our neighbors, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 12: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 56 and 57; Evening, Psalms  64 and 65;

Joshua 24:16 to 33; Romans 16:1 to 16; Matthew  27: 24 to 31

“So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’ Then the people as a whole answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.”   (Matthew 27: 24 – 26)

Pilate washed his hands, but his heart was still filthy. He had our Lord Jesus beaten before being handed over to be crucified.  However, a literal interpretation of this translation implies that Pilate himself whipped Jesus.  Most readers (myself included) would assume that Pilate had his soldiers do the dirty work. In any case, Pilate re-soiled his “baptized” hands. Dirty hearts make dirty hands. 

The opening prayer for our Sunday Holy Eucharist says it all, “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord: Amen”  (BCP 355). We must first want our hearts focused on wanting good for ourselves and others. It may be that we need help even wanting to think good.  Therefore, we ask the Holy Spirit of God to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts.  There is too much hate and evil taking place in the world; just watch the news.  Our hands and words follow our hearts. Brushing our teeth and washing our hands won’t help if our hearts are soiled. Let us want to heed the Holy Spirit of God and love and care for ourselves and one another.

Today we remember William Reed Huntiongton, Priest (July 27, 1909) and his information may be found at: William Reed Huntington

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

O God, be present in our hearts and make manifest within us a genuine desire for peace and harmony for one another, both for those with whom we agree, and for those with whom we disagree. Enable us to respect the dignity of every human being. Amen.

The Gospel Eucharistic Reading for Sunday of Proper 12: Year A

 Matthew 13:31 to 33 and 44 to 52:

“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” (Matthew 13: 51 – 52)

Leading up to the part where our Lord Jesus asks if the disciples “understood all this,” is a series of “The kingdom of heaven is like,” statements. These similes are all intended to show both the growth-effect of the kingdom of heaven, (something old), and that the heart of a person’s greatest desire, can be accomplished (something new). 

The mustard seed grows to be the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.  The Israelites have been scattered and twice caught in bondage but in spite of all this they grew and grew. They overcame their captors with God’s help and were freed. They became the foundational tree of a One God theology where all the peoples of the earth could find comfort in its branches.

When Jesus gave us the Commandment to first love God and then to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, he established for us what ought to be our greatest desire. Finding our love for God is like finding a treasure hidden in a field, something for which we should be most happy to sell everything we have in order to have it. Again, finding our love for God is like finding fine pearls and again selling all that we have to have them. Truly loving God is total and complete happiness. It is when we love God with all that we are that we can then love our neighbors. It does not work when trying to love neighbor or even family before loving God.  Love God first, then it works.

The reward of our faith, and the growth of it, brings us both something new and something old.  But also, this is to reflect the, Torah (something old),  and the Christian Testament (something new), so when the disciples were asked if they understood all this, I doubt they really did.  I doubt most Christians today really understand all this. The important question is, my beloved of Christ, do you understand all this?

How does pondering your love for God cause a change in how you live your life?  How does understanding the Torah (that that you hate, don’t do to others); and the Christian Testament (do  unto others as you would have them do onto you), connect in your attitude towards others?  How do you bring these two of something old and something new together? Therefore be the scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: Proper 12 The Sunday closest to July 27 (BCP p. 231)

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 11: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalms 138 and 139:1 to 17; 

Joshua 23:1 to 16; Romans15:25 to 33; Matthew 27:11 to 23

“While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.’” (Matthew 27:19)

We don’t have the name of the wife of Pontius Pilate but she was definitely spiritually connected with God.  Many people, prophets and leaders of Israel were contacted by God via a divine dream.  Jacob, Daniel, and even Joseph, the earthly father of our Lord Jesus, are just three examples.  Pilate’s wife is in good company but she is not listened to and heeded by her husband.

I ponder about dreams.  Scripture has shown that dreams are often used as conduits of communication by God for the purpose of doing God’s work. Dreams can be places of revelation.  Pilate did not listen to his wife, perhaps it was destined to be that way, who knows?  For this Matthew Gospel account it may be surprising that we even get to hear her voice.  But we do, and so I pray that all of us should look deeper into our dreams of revelation.

At a Christian Education session I have personally witnessed one person share a dream and another person at the table interpret what the dream could have meant. It made so much sense.  For the most part I believe God’s message for us will move us closer to the will of God in good ways.  Dreams are very slippery however.  If we wait too long we forget the details of our dreams.  It could be an important message lost. I believe the Spirit of God connects with us in some of our dreams (not all), because we stay too busy with worldly things to hear God during our waking hours. Pleasant dreams everyone.

Today we remember James the Apostle, NT (July 25), and his information may be found at: St. James the Apostle

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

Most Holy Lord God, Who created our minds with loving intent, forgive our worldly preoccupations while we are awake and visit us in our dreams again as you have done in times past, and raise our awareness to your will now, and in the ages to come, in order that your will might be done on earth as it is in Heaven, Amen.