onewhoponders

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the Second Sunday of Lent: Year A

John 3:1-17

“He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” (John 3:2)

Why then do we need to go any further?  If we can see clearly that someone is doing things that only a person whom God is working through, can do, why ask any further questions regarding proofs?  And if God is the source of the “what,” that is being done, we already know the answer to why.  It is because, God loves us.

Nicodemus comes to our Lord Jesus “by night.”  This darkness of night may also allude to his ignorance. He comes to Jesus in his not-knowing and his not believing even though, self-admittedly he says “we know that you are a teacher who has come from God.”  Nicodemus and his cohorts do regard Jesus, knowing, as he says, “for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”  Some theologians will say it is not about doing.  But even Nicodemus recognizes the signs that Jesus is “doing.”  But the doing is from God. Yes, God made us human being not human doing, I have said this many times.  Our good doing however must come from God acting through us, using our hands and feet and minds and words to the glory of God.

God is God of heaven and earth. Nicodemus (and many of us today) ought to know this.  Jesus tells of things earthly and heavenly.  And he says, “If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” (John 3:12).  Our Lord Jesus’ mission is to save the world.  Perhaps the most famous statement in the New Testament is John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Our Lord Jesus makes us aware of an invitation from God to live joyfully in eternity to have life and have it abundantly.  We do this by believing.  But believing in this sense means action, it means living out our lives in truth and love. 

I really liked the words of the Reverend Helen Van Koevering, rector of Saint Raphael the Archangel Episcopal church in Lexington, Kentucky as she writes in Forward Day by Day for (March 8, 2020), “When we follow Jesus we learn to respond to life with Generosity, Reconciliation, Acceptance, Compassion, and Encouragement “GRACE.”  Thank you Helen.

Being our Lord Jesus’ hands and feet and mouth and mind is more than just saying what we believe; we must demonstrate what we believe through acts of caring, hospitality, and doing for others, putting others before ourselves.  In living this way, we accept the invitation from God to join the company of heaven in eternal life as promised by God.  For those who believe and live it out in godly ways may not perish but have eternal life.

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: Second Sunday in Lent (BCP p. 218)

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday after the First Sunday of Lent: Year 2

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

Genesis 40:1 to 23; 1^st Corinthians 3:16 to 23; Mark 2:13 to 22:

“Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and peoplecame and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”  (Mark 2:18)

I can still remember my parents asking me if my friends went and jumped off a cliff, would I do it too?  Peer pressure and new fads and even old traditions sometimes should be called into question.

 Because “it has always been done that way” doesn’t mean it should always be done that way. Everybody does something a certain way and too often it becomes expected that all must do it the same way.  This moves into the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and all other social and cultural trends we are “peered” into. There is something to be said for “dare to be different.”  This is especially true if one has set down and really thought about habits and practices.  In our Episcopal Church, Holy Communion used to be a once or twice a month tradition before the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. After that, and ever since, every Sunday is considered the Feast Day of our Lord.  Wasn’t it always?  In this Gospel reading of Mark, Levi (Matthew) is invited to “follow” Jesus.  He did.  He quit what he had always done to do the Lord’s work.  When opportunity knocks…

Enough cannot be said about pondering over decisions before acting.  Let us again review Blaise Pascal who said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  I would say then, that after pondering over a practice (or anything), all activities around the practice may also have to change as well.  My morning ponderings and daily exercise program require me to rise early in the morning.  Therefore, I have had to adjust my sleep habits in order to accommodate this schedule.  In this same Gospel reading for today our Lord Jesus says, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins”  (Mark 2:22).  My new wine of blogging and working out would not work in the old wineskin of going to bed at 10 or 11 pm. There are adjustments to adjustments.

Today we remember George Herbert, Priest and Poet (February 27, 1633) and his information may be found at:  George Herbert

“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 the Future of the Human Race (BCP p. 828)

O God our heavenly Father, you have blessed us and given us dominion over all the earth: Increase our reverence before the mystery of life; and give us new insight into your purposes for the human race, and new wisdom and determination in making provision for its future in accordance with your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the First Week of Lent: Year2

 Morning, Psalm 45; Evening, Psalms 47 and 48:
Genesis 37:12-24; 1^st Corinthians 1:20 to 31; Mark 1:14 to 28:

“Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” (1^st Corinthians 1:26)

Paul must have been looking into the future, and at me, when he wrote these words. In school, I was not wise by human standards, I am not powerful or of noble birth. And yet, I discern a real sense of God’s call on my life.

When I look at God’s call in the Bible, I realize that there are certain characteristics that such a call consists of.  We have many calls from God in scripture: Abraham, Debra, Rebecca, Moses, Elijah, Amos, Mary, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist, and Paul, only to name a very few. There are many more in the Bible and a great many more beyond the Bible. God calls both male and female.  In every case, there are human risks involved, even human, or mortal death.

God’s call is inconvenient, untimely, cost money, and is always for the benefit of others, not the one called. If you see these things in what you think is a call from God, then, I believe it really is a call from God.  But know this, you can’t really lose. God will keep you in eternity no matter what happens to you. God wins every time.

Today we remember Matthias the Apostle (February 24 NT), and his information may be found at:  St. Matthias 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: For all Christians in their vocation (BCP p. 256)

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday after the First Sunday of Lent: Year 2

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

Genesis 37:1 to 11; 1^st Corinthians 1:1 to 19; Mark 1:1 to 13:

“Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locust and wild honey.” (Mark 1:6)

Now the locust pods of which John ate were a pod-bearing tree of the family that includes the honey locust, swamp locust, and carob, family: Leguminosae.  For many years I thought John was eating grasshoppers.  I used to love telling John the Baptist stories to children and hearing them say “yuk” at the thought of eating wild grasshoppers.  It wasn’t till I visited Israel that I learned that the locust pod with honey was what John was actually eating.  John was an outsider, and a vegetarian it seems.  He dressed rough even by the standards of his day.  What’s important about John the Baptist is that he emptied himself in order to create space for what God wanted. A cup or a glass or a bowl is no good to us if it’s full.  Only an empty vessel is good for holding the food or drink we need.

There were so many people of human power in John’s day that were full of themselves. And God knows who is receptive to the Word of God. Listen to the opening of chapter 3 of Luke again: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.”  (Luke 3: 1 – 2)

Notice that while so many were full of themselves with their human titles, John was away from all of that, living in the wilderness, free to go and announce the coming of our Lord Jesus.  The wilderness was not so far removed that the word of God could not reach him.  The same is true today.  Each, and every one of us should have some “alone” time.  Remember the quote from Blaise Pascal, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  John sat quietly off to himself eating his sweet cereal and pondering about the Good News he was about to bring to the world, to us.  We must look past how his life was ended in human terms. We also must look beyond our own current wilderness and focus on the Good News from God.

Today we remember Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna and Martyr, (February 23, 156) and his information may be found at:  Polycarp

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: A Prayer of Self-Dedication (BCP p. 832)

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the First Sunday of Lent: Year A

Matthew 4:1-11

“It is written.” (Matthew 4:1-11)      

Scripture reports that God writes the Ten Commandments to Moses for the freed Israelites, of which, the first four are about our relationship with God. The following six are about our relationship with one another. All of the laws are written and our lord Jesus responds with those written words about our relationship with God. We are to have the deepest love we can for God.

We Episcopalians, have been called the “People of the Book,” perhaps because of our fondness of our Book of Common Prayer (the BCP). There was a time when Confirmation classes required Confirmands to remember the Outline of Faith or the Catechism (p. 845 of the BCP). The Catechism is a series of questions and answers that covers the range of what Episcopalians are supposed to believe.  The bishop, when he or she comes on the big day of Confirmation, would ask the questions and the Confirmands would answer. The teaching priest would stand back nervously hoping the Confirmands would answer all, or most of them correctly.  Having some of it memorized today is still maybe not a bad thing.

Our Lord Jesus’ responses can also be reduced down to His twin commandments of Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself.  This Commandment is reminiscent of the first part of the Jewish “Shema,” that is “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Exodus 6:4-5).  And to this, our Lord Jesus adds “and love your neighbor as yourself.”  Personally, I like the words of the Gospel of John where our Lord Jesus says for us to love our Neighbor as He loved us.  And remember, He loved us all the way to the cross.  I like saying “I trust in the Creating Word through the Holy Spirit of the Incarnate Word, in whom we live and move and love and have our being, and to whom we must give an account.”  This is my personal creed.

So much is written that we could quote, especially in our times of challenge. Whether the source is the Bible or the Prayer Book, or a combination of both, or words that you have crafted for yourself as I have, latch onto something that will anchor you to right behavior as Jesus did. He said “it is written, and thus he thwarted evil.  Even if you write it, you will be able to say, “For, it is written.”  

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: First Sunday in Lent (BCP p. 218)

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for the Saturday after Ash Wednesday: Year 2

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

Ezekiel 39:21 to 29; Philippians 4:10 to 20; John 17:20 to 26:

“Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.” (Psalm 32:10)

I remember once having Morning Prayer with two other seminarians while in seminary and reading this Psalm.  We laughed as all three of us thought of people that we too would have to be fitted with bit and bridle, or else we would not stay near them.  But it was because we did indeed have understanding, and that we were loving, and so we stayed near them even when it was uncomfortable.

The metaphor of bit and bridle may in fact be a good way of looking at how God holds us close to God’s will.  We often don’t have understanding.  Often we don’t know the will of God and when God reveals just a little of it to us, we run.  We become like Jonah trying to avoid Nineveh.

I think the point of the Psalmist is that not having understanding keeps us in fear. We don’t realize the power of God’s forgiveness. We need to stay near the rough un-comfortableness of God and be patient until understanding finally comes.

There was a time in my life when I did not want one of my daughters to be pregnant.  But she was.  I could feel a prayer welling up in my gut to ask God to not let her be pregnant because she was still a senior in high school.  But she was. She gave birth to her first born, Alex.  Alex is a gift from God to us.  I love my granddaughter so much.  So, the joy that God gave me is what I needed, rather than what I asked for.  I am so glad God fitted me with bit and bridle, or else I would not have stayed near God.  I had very little understanding back then.

Is there any lack of understanding in your life that causes you to want to move away from God? God will fit you with that bit and bridle and hold you close unless you turn and run to your own pain and peril, spiritually bruised from opposing the bit and bridle . We as seminarians learned that while this verse sounds funny, holding on to what God wants for us is as serious as it gets. Every human being has a story, or two, or more, of challenges. We need to tell these stories as did the prophets of the Bible. Our stories help others know that God holds us close – bit and bridle close. 

Today we remember John Henrey Newman, Priest and Theologian (1890) and his information may be found at:  John Henry Newman

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:

Heavenly Creator, be with us when we sometimes want to reject those we are not comfortable with, or situations that cause us much anxiety. Calm us dear Lord with Your bit and bridle in order that we might see and receive your message of love. Amen.