Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 20:Year 2
Morning, Psalm 80; Evening, Psalm 77:
Esther 4:4 to 17 or Judith 7:1 to 7 and 19 to 32; Acts 18:1 to 11; and Luke 1:1 to 4 and 3:1 to 14:
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler 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 and 2)
Wow!, Really? Look at all the prestigious titles of human achievement exhibited here. We have the Emperor of Rome, Tiberius by name. We have Pontius Pilate as Governor of all Judea. We have the puppet king Herod figure head, called the king of Galilee, and his brother Philip who lost his wife to his brother Herod as witnessed by John The Baptist. Philip was the ruler of two small sections of the occupied Palestinian area of Judea; and we have Lysaniaas, ruler of Abilene. In addition to these, self absorbed government rulers, we have the self absorbed clergy also, Annas and Caiaphas as high priests.
Now, here is the striking part; The Word of God by-passes all of these self absorbed men and goes to the selfless John hanging out in the wilderness sustaining himself on whatever the earth can provide. He is the empty cup that God can fill because he has room to be filled. The lesson here is that if we are full of ourselves, there is no room for God.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, 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: (Collect for Sunday closest to September 21: Proper 20; p.234 BCP) It seems fitting for today.
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
onewhoponders 