John Thomas Frazier

Pondering for Saturday, January 7, 2023

Daily Office Readings for January 7, Epiphany: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 103; Evening, Psalms 114 and 115:
Isaiah 52:3 to 6; Revelation 2:1 to 7; John 2:1 to 11:

“Now therefore, what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is despised.” (Isaiah 52: 5)

Two years ago yesterday, was an awful day in our national capital. There was rioting and someone was killed. Our leaders howled continually but God’s name was despised.

We pledge that we, these United States of America, are one nation “under God.” But there was nothing godly about how people behaved in the insurrection that took place on the Day of Epiphany in our Nation’s Capital. The moral light of our Lord was all but extinguished. But God wins, every time. We, these United States of America, have prevailed.

We can’t just give lip service to our belief in, and obedience to, God. We must live our faith with real discipline and respect for national values. We must maintain integrity and with prayer and patience, do the hard work of working through consensus. This is who we are. This is DRIPP. It is Discipline, Respect, Integrity, Prayer and Patience. The DRIPP concept works for the individual as well as our country. This is what the prophet Isaiah pondered. It is what the saints who have gone before us have said. It is what we must heed. Let us DRIPP on.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Iran and China.

As we listen to what the Spirit 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

Pondering for Friday, January 6, 2023

Eucharistic Readings for Epiphany: All Years

Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7,10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12:

“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” (Matthew 2: 1 and 2)

We are all born into some kind of human culture. Most cultures are primarily predominated by something we have come to recognize as “race.” Too often too many of us develop a shameful pride with regard to whatever race we claim to be. This is sad. Race is a human construct, not a Godly one.

The Wise Men (or Magi) were primarily astronomers who gazed up at the stars. They noticed any irregularities occurring in the heavens and maybe even conferred amongst themselves the meaning of any strange happenings. How they knew a star, or particular shining light, was the signal of a Jewish infant-king, we will perhaps never know. What we do know is that these men (most probably men, we don’t know how many and we shouldn’t let the three gifts limit the number of men), sought out this king regardless of whatever his ethnicity or race might be. Perhaps this is what made them “wise.”

They saw a divine light that must have been distinguished from regular stars and planets. It was so precise that it could specifically indicate the place where the child was living. No star up in the heavens, no matter how bright could stop, and then be low enough to the earth to point to a specific dwelling place. This divine light pointed to the Moral Light of the world.

During this season of Epiphany let us not worry about who we are ethnically, but rather, seek out our Lord Jesus wherever, and whoever he might be. We are still called to follow that light, that moral light, that leads us to that moral high-ground where we treat each other, all others with dignity and respect regardless of their socio-economic status, national origin, language, sexual orientation, gender, religion, lack of religion, or race. The other only needs to be human and therefore made in God’s Image.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Iran and China.

“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 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

Pondering for Thursday, January 5, 2023

Today is Day 12 of Christmas ;the Last Day of Christmas.

Eve of Epiphany: Year 1
Psalms 29 and 98;
Isaiah 66:18 to 23; and Romans 15:7 to 13

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name’; and again he says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’; and again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him’; and again Isaiah says, The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.’ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15: 7 to 13)

In these few words from Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome, the word Gentiles appears 6 times. This word means “the nations” “other than us.” and it shows the inclusive nature of God, and God’s call for us to reconcile all people to God. This is our hope as Christians and as a people of faith.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Merry Christmas: Day 12, and our last Day of Christmas.

Angels still top our experiences today: Merry Christmas: Day 11

You too are gifted with an invitation to follow our Lord Jesus. Merry Christmas: Day 10

As a Christmas gift you are blessed, and you are called by God to be a blessing to all whom you come in contact with. Merry Christmas: Day 9

Be you male or female, you were made as a gift to our community before you were born and so named at your own Christening. Merry Christmas: Day 8

God was born among us to teach us how to depend on God together for help all the time, but most especially in time of human need. Merry Christmas: Day 7

Forgive someone this Christmas and accept being forgiven. Merry Christmas: Day 6

Let us believe with patience, and have patience in believing. Merry Christmas: Day 5

We are never to hurt or harm children, only help them, teach them, save and love them. This is what Christmas is all about. Merry Christmas: Day 4

The testimony of John the apostle about our Lord Jesus is true; Believe. Merry Christmas: Day 3

Let us not take our hate or ill will for another with us to our mortal death. Merry Christmas: Day 2

Our being saved has as much to do with the birth of Jesus as it does his Resurrection from the dead. Merry Christmas: Day 1

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Iran and China.

As we listen to what the Spirit 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

Pondering for Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Today is the 11^th Day of Christmas

Daily Office Readings for January 4, Year 1

Morning, Psalms 85 and 87; Evening, Psalm 89:1 to 29:
Exodus 3:1 to 12; Hebrews 11:23 to 31; John 14:6 to 14:

“Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.” (Exodus 3: 1 and 2)

This burning bush, or flaming tree, could perhaps be the prototype Christmas tree. And for those of us who top our Christmas trees with an angel, it is even more fitting; this tree that should be taken down tomorrow by the way. This burning bush was Trinitarian in that it was fire, remained as a continuous bush, and it had a voice, the burning bush “spoke” to Moses.