onewhoponders

The Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year B

  John 15:1 to 8:

“Jesus said to his disciples, I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.”  (John 15:1)

The true vine does not suggest that there are false vines but rather, it makes us realize that there is a “main” vine that, like veins and arteries, brings us the air we breathe and takes away spent oxygen to be expelled. Jesus goes on to say, “He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. So, either way we get cut. We can be cut off, or, we can be trimmed so as to grow more fruit for God. The fruit that God is seeking is love.

I find myself, at times, doing too many things. And in order to get better at what I really want, I have to let go of some busyness so that I can more fully concentrate on what is more important. It is when I fully concentrate on what I want that I am more productive, more fruitful.  

Jesus says, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing;” (John 15: 5). This metaphor or vision of God as Vine Grower apart from the vine itself works. God is Other-than-us, but we are the produce of God’s hands and heart. Jesus says, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Let us pray:

Oh Most Holy Lord Jesus, the Incarnate I-AM, breathe on us with your Holy Spirit in order that we might better understand our calling in this life and let go of all unfruitful interests. As you are our connection to the Great Vine Grower, feed us Lord Christ in order that we will be properly nourished for the doing of God’s will and produce the fruit God is looking for. In your most Holy Name we prey: Amen.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 4^th Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalm 138, 139:1-17(18-23);

Exodus 40:18 to 38; 1^st Thessalonians 4:1 to 12; Matthew 5:38 to 48:

Psalm 139 Verses 1 – 3

1. Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 2. You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways.  3. Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

These are only the first three verses of Psalm 139.  I look at this Psalm as a meditation.  Verses 1 through 17 remind us of how well God knows us. These verses are also the ones most frequently treasured in this Psalm.  The remaining verses tend to deal with what the Psalmist wants to happen to the wicked. I try not to go there.

I ponder about how it feels to know that when I have a thought or a feeling, that God knows about it as soon as I do (maybe even before I do).  I am truly not alone, not even in my inmost thoughts. I like to think that sometimes God is not so passive in my thinking. That is, God also “prompts” my thinking in one direction or another. It’s like God allows me to see a “burning bush.” I, like Moses, must then decide if I am going to go check it out. The words of scripture are like the burning bush, the pages burn in us, but we are never consumed.  And through them, the Holy Spirit speaks to us.

Here’s the thing, God is a participant with all of us.  The divine hints are already with us.  But it’s up to us to check them out.  God discerns your thoughts from afar and is acquainted with all your ways.  Indeed, there is not a word on your lips, but God, O Lord, knows it altogether. This does not mean that God approves of all your words or thoughts.  Think about this and allow yourself to follow God’s lead in your life, not your own idea about what you should do. Try not to go there.

Let us pray:

Most gracious and loving God, you already know whereof we are made and the path we are likely to take, be present, be present Dear God with all our steps and then lead us in ways pleasing in your sight, this we beg of you most loving God. Amen.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 4^th Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning,  Psalm 40 and 54; Evening, Psalm 51;

Exodus 34:18 to 35;  1^st  Thessalonians 3:1 to 13; Matthew 5:27 to 37:

“Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God! how great your wonders and your plans for us! there is none who can be compared with you.” (Psalm 40:5)

Psalm 40 is wonderful. While it does have some verses that try to move God to deal with problem people, most of it is giving thanks to God for God’s wonder care of us.

I have been in tight spots where I didn’t see a good outcome. I don’t know if I consciously prayed during such times but deep within me, I am always aware of the presence of God. Actively pray or not, God is aware of our situations, and the situations of our communities. Great are God’s wonders and God’s plans for us. We must always trust in the Lord and remember to be so thankful when God has acted for our benefit.

Let us pray:

Oh All mighty God, giver of all good gifts and graces, you know our needs before we ask and provide them for us when we need them. Your plans for us exceed anything we could ask or imagine. Dear Lord God, help each of us to be better participants in your plan for humanity and this planet our island home. Teach us to be coworkers with you in your divine plan as it pleases you. In your most gracious Name we pray: Amen.

“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

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 4^th Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 50;  Evening, Psalm  60;

Exodus 34:1 to 17; 1^st Thessalonians 2:13 to 20; Matthew 5:21to 26:

“We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.”  (1 Thessalonians 2:3)

We are the vessels of the Word of God! God speaks of love.  This means we, as we carry out the word of God, we present love in word and deed to all whom we encounter.  We are the cup of Christ.  This is the Baptism that brought us into the Christian faith. 

Please remember and fully accept that, “In the beginning was the Word.” The Word came to us for hearing and believing. Many times I have said that we are people of stories. God is in your story no matter who you are.  You are God’s own.  Therefore, God’s Self is in you. I give thanks for you knowing and believing that you are continuing the Word of God by telling your own truths about how God has acted, and is acting, in your life.  Thank You Jesus.

Let us pray:                                                            

Almighty God, Who gifts us with faith that we might believe in our Creator; help us, we pray, to joyfully receive Your Word inside us and then help us further to live out our lives fortified by Your Word in order that we will think, say, and  do those things which are pleasing in Your sight. This we ask in the Name of the Incarnate One, our Lord Jesus; Amen

Today our Church remembers Saint Mark, apostle and evangelist. Information about Mark can be found at, St. Mark the Evangelist (satucket.com).

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 4^th Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:49-72; Evening, Psalm 49;

Exodus 33:1 to 23 ; 1^st Thessalonians  2:1 to 12;  Matthew 5:17 to 20:

“For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.” (Exodus 33:5)

I guess “stiff-necked” is a good way to describe our arrogance toward people who differ from us or our ungratefulness towards God, forgetting all that God has done, and is doing, for us..  Moreover, God lets them (and us) know that the pureness, goodness and immediate presence of God would be detrimental to our physical, and spiritual, well-being if we are not on a path to God’s purity.

This reminds me of a Russian priest (I forget his name), who said that when we die, our soul gravitates towards God. And as our souls get close to the Divine, whatever it has about us that is not good and loving begins to disintegrate. This could happen to the point that there is nothing of us left. This journey of our soul could be our destruction, in whole or in part, depending on what we can rid ourselves of now while we still have time. This may even explain the innocence of babies and young ones who make it to God. They haven’t had time to be corrupted yet.

So, my beloved in the Lord, we, like the Israelites in the wilderness, are on a journey.  Whatever it is that makes our necks stiff, let’s rid ourselves of it now so that when our souls are on its journey home, only a little of us (if any) will be lost on the Way. And we didn’t need that part of us anyway.

Let us pray:

Dear Holy God, as you are pure love, to be near you would shake us away and destroy us. Purify us Lord as You are pure. Continue making us a holy people as You are holy. Please help us in our daily lives to cleanse ourselves of all that is unsightly to You, You who loved us into being. Amen.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 45; Evening, Psalms 47 and 48;

Exodus 32:21 to 34;  Thessalonians 1:1 to 10;  Matthew 5:11 to16:

“They said to me, “Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.””  (Exodus 32:23)

There are so many problems going on in the theology of this reading that we should be made aware of.  First, Aaron is weak.  He is intimidated by a vicious mob. Second, Aaron tries to convince Moses of the “sensibility” of his weakness.  Third, we can’t “make” gods.  The very nature of a god is that such a one is well beyond our existence.  Of course it is possible to make representative images of what we believe such gods to look like. But our God has a strict Commandment against that. Here’s a hint; if we can make it, it cannot really be a god, especially not our God.  We ourselves were created by God our Parent. Lastly, if we do not know what happened to someone, we should always assume they are still alive until otherwise shown. They should never have given up on Moses.

Now for me, there is sadness in this reading because it tells of mass murder from Moses and the Levites.  I leave it to you to think what you will about that. The point here is that there is only one God, and God is not made with hands or anything.  God always was and always will be.  And this is true before we existed and will be true long after we exist no more. God does not need us to be God.

While we are ordered not to make anything to resemble God, we can, and should, use the earth provided materials of art to help and aid us in the worship of God. In fact, in Chapter 35 of Exodus God begins to give Moses specific instructions about how to craft a worship space and worship items. Today, using our God-given skills, we have continued in making items that assist us in our worship of God.  Today we have stained glass windows, paintings and icons, music, candles and incense, our Book of Common Prayer and the Bible itself, which are not items to worship, but rather, to assist us in our worship of God.

Without doubt, prayer is the most powerful source for worship. Prayer is something that all humans can produce even if a person has no hands or discerned gifts of art.  To just sit quietly and opening one’s self to God is the greatest worship practice anyone can do. Aaron could have used this advice to strengthen him against the insistence of the people to make a calf.  We too must be diligent in prayer.  There are always anxieties around from some kind of fear that tries to move our loyalty from God to something human made.

Let us pray:

Oh Holy and Creating Spirit of God, who gifts us with faith and reverence for your loving creation, be with each of us in our prayers in order that we will find the strength to remain steadfastly loyal to your guidance and follow where you lead us as you did the people of old. We ask this in Your most sacred Name, I Am, Amen.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 41 and 52; Evening,  Psalm 44;

Exodus 32:1 to 20; Colossians 3:18 to 4:18; Matthew 5:1 to10:

 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Of all the Beatitudes, (as they are called), I like “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,” the best.  I have become aware of the Enneagram personality types.  I am a 9 on their spectrum.  The 9’s are traditionally those who try to bring people together, they are peace makers. They listen to others and work to find consensus.

Of  Matthew 5:9, I prefer the Spanish translation of verse 9 of this chapter of Matthew. It reads, “Dichosos los que trabajan por la paz,porque Dios los llamará hijos suyos.” Roughly translated it says blessed are those who “work” for peace, they will be called children of God.”  It might be nitpicking but in the English translation, if peace is not actually accomplished, you fall short of the title peacemaker.  However in the Spanish version you are called a child of God if you “work” for peace.  None of us knows for sure if our efforts will bring about the intended results, whether it’s planning a conference or actually bringing about peace.  All we can do is work towards the goal.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord Jesus, the Author of love and harmony, You yourself have experienced our human condition and are fully aware of our pitiful state. And yet you set us an example of how to live in peace. Teach us still how to work towards peace no matter how difficult it seems. Make us children of God in God’s world today. In your most holy Name we pray, Amen.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the 4^th Sunday of Easter; Year B

John 10: 11 to 18

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

There are other times, particularly in the Gospel according to John, that Jesus informs us that there is more than just one assembly in His Name and that all are included in His call to love each other.

No one faith tradition holds all the answers to God’s purposes for all of human kind. We all struggle to please God because we all want to rest in God in the end. We must however remember that God is love. If a thought that we have is not about love, it is not about God. Jesus is trying to bring all human kind together. Too many of us are trying to find reasons to not get along. We can be different and still love each other, even if it means loving our little differences. We, in this way, complement each other and look beautiful before God.

Jesus uses God’s Words when he says, “I Am” the Good Shepherd. We then, are his sheep. All people on this celestial ball are his sheep. And like sheep, we often don’t know what is good or best for us. This is why we need the rod and the staff of the Good Shepherd to guide us and protect us from never ending harm. Thank You Lord Jesus

Let us pray:

Holy Jesus, Savior of all peoples, we give you thanks for the salvation of the human race. We give you thanks that you have opened our minds to better understand your call for every tribe, nation, language and culture to be included in Your one Holy fold where you will continue to lead and guide us for all eternity in Your heavenly realm. Teach us we pray, while we are still in this mortal form, to start loving each other as you love us.   Amen.  

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 3^rd Week in Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 30, 32; Evening, Psalms 42, 43;

Exodus 25:1-22; Colossians 3;1 to 17: Matthew 4:18 to 25:

“Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13)

God, and ourselves are all we have. God never makes mistakes, and we make them all the time. We think, say, and do things that we often regret. We hurt each other, and in doing so, we hurt ourselves. Perhaps the first lesson we ought to learn is to realize when we have offended and how to respond with “I’m sorry.”

Sometimes we are taught in our families to go and tell someone “I’m sorry.”  The trouble is that we didn’t realize we had offended in the first place. Sometimes however our offense was intentional; sometimes it was unintentional.   From our family, this idea of required apologies grows even to the national stage.  I have heard national leaders say that some other country will not be pardoned unless they apologize for some wrong-doing they have done, often many years in the past.  I think if I have to tell you that you have offended me, demanding you to apologize, is a waste of time, mine, and yours. The only time this is not the case is when the offense was not intended to be offensive.  However when explained that it was taken as offensive, the appropriate, “I’m sorry,” is welcomed. Sometimes in my life I have had to reflect on my past behavior and realize I needed to apologize to someone. And when I realized it, I apologized accordingly.

So the words of the letter to the Colossians is worth heeding: “Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

Let us pray and confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. (BCP 79)

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 3^rd Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 105:1 to 22; Evening, Psalm 105:23 to 45;

Exodus 24:1 to 18; Colossians 2:8 to 23;  Matthew 4:12 to 17:

He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulon and Naphtali.”  (Matthew 4:13)

I can still remember looking from a boat in 2018, to the coast of Israel, in particular, Capernaum.  This is the first place our Lord Jesus went of his own free will and accord.  He was taken by his parents; to Bethlehem to be born; to Egypt to be saved,  to Nazareth to be raised, to Jerusalem to be dedicated, back to Nazareth, to Jerusalem again at age 12, and even to a wedding in Cana by invitation and always back to Nazareth.  But now, he left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake. I took a picture of Capernaum and Galilee of Israel and was so impressed with it that I made it the representation or icon of this blog page.

It is around Capernaum that our Lord Jesus walked along the shore and said to John and James; and to Andrew and Simon Peter; “follow me.”  Capernaum then was his preaching and teaching area.  Our Lord Jesus bloomed where he planted himself.  We too, in our very transitional world, move around a lot. I think now however we are beginning to see that we can pretty much live wherever we want to because we can reach out, or bring the world to us through our laptops or phones wherever we are.  The stay- at- home; work from home, Corona virus showed us this.  We too can bloom from right where we are.  Our home town can, and should, become our “preaching and teaching area” for the Church and for the sake of the Gospel.

None of us knows where our Capernaum will be.  None of us knows where our lives will end on earth. We must always do the best we can wherever we are today, and let tomorrow take care of itself.  Wherever you are right now, it is your Capernaum! Do the Lord’s work.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord Jesus, as You are the Way, the Truth and the Life, help us to anchor our lives in Your goodness so that wherever we make our home, we will promote and present Your loving Gospel to the whole earth. Help us to do this in our work and in our rest. Amen.

“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

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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