Pondering for Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 3: Year 2

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

Ecclesiastes 3:1 to 15;  Galatians 2:11 to 21; Matthew 14:1to 12:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵ a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; ⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.  (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 8)

Personally I don’t believe there is ever a time to hate. I could probably deal with the rest of the verses. Having said that, I believe I could even engage in war for a just cause and yet, not hate the people I am fighting.

I am still in the process of writing a short book about human stations in life.  I have developed an acronym for it.  It is SPERC (sounds like “SPERK”) It stands for Study, Practice, Exercise, Rest and Chores.  At no time during the day can I be found not existing in one of these states of being. As I am doing this writing I am in study.  Study also includes prayer and all pondering.  Practice includes those activities that I do with my hands like playing music, practicing golf and other games.  Exercise is about my daily exercises that I believe most people don’t do.  I find that by doing regular exercises I maintain my ability to fulfill other parts of my SPERC program.  Rest includes all peaceful states of being and most especially sleep.  And lastly there are Chores.  Chores are those activities necessary to maintain personal and environmental upkeep like cooking, driving, cleaning the house, cutting the grass and all other necessary actions for healthy living.

I am retired now, but I have plenty to keep me busy.  Writing (Study) is one of those states of my SPERC being.  There is never a moment in my day that I am not in one part or another of my SPERC self.  The writer of Ecclesiastes is correct; there is a time for every matter under heaven.

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

Let us pray:

Almighty God, who brought us into being and is with each of us every moment of our lives, comfort us we pray, to be aware of your precious presence with us and make us both aware of you, and thankful to you, for all that you are doing for us, both the known, and the unknown. And then lead us into right pathways for your Name’s sake.  Amen.