Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 11: Year 2

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

Joshua 8:30-35; Romans14:13-23; Matthew 26:57-68

“The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God.” (Romans 14:22)

I am a mentor of Education for Ministry (EfM) administered from The School of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.  As such, I have learned through many sessions to develop my own theology and I have  framed it with a personal creed; a creed to live by; a faith that I have, that I have as my own conviction before God.  I have put together words that I believe really capture my belief. Here it is: “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.”

I think it is the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus that was promised to us when He went back to where He was before he came to us more than 2000 years ago.  We read in the Gospel of St. John, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John:14:26).  Jesus prayed to Creator God that those of us who continue to believe (long after His initial visit) that those of us who follow, will also believe their words. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20 – 21).  This handed down lesson is my conviction before God.  I am very aware of the “account” part of my creed.  I will do the best that I can to be a good person and to love all people.  This too is my conviction before God.

I invite all who read this blog to take pen and paper in hand, (or laptop), and for a moment, put aside the Church doctrinal creed. Save it for when you are assembled in Church.  Craft what you personally believe about your relationship with God and faith. Remember, you can come back later and edit it as you grow in the Spirit. “The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God.”

Please keep Ukraine in your prayers.

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

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 11, Year 2

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

Joshua 8:1-22; Romans14:1-12; Matthew. 26:47-56

“Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.”  (Romans 14: 5)

Paul is teaching Jews and Gentiles alike that all should accept the way the other understands and worships God in their own way.  This is still a valuable lesson for us today.  This applies not only in the wide world of religions, but also within our Christian religion itself.  Whether we are Baptist or Episcopalian, or Roman Catholic, or Presbyterian, or Lutheran, or United Methodist, or Non Denominational, or Amish, we all worship our Lord Jesus in our own way. There is one Jesus but more than one way of having a loving interpretation of, and relationship with, him.

I have dear relatives and close friends who are not Christians.  Some are Jews, some are Muslims and some are of faith-walks I don’t fully understand.  But they believe in a Higher Power in some way. I also know a few so-called, self proclaimed atheist.  I fully believe the latter will come to believe on the other side of this life.  While our walk in faith helps us to navigate this current life, our faith is our preparation for eternal life, at least that’s my Christian understanding.

Paul will go on to say that, “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.  If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s,”  (Romans 14: 7 – 8). These words are part of the opening words used at funerals in the Episcopal Church. Pretty much all funeral services are for the assembled living. The deceased have already moved on. So it is while we are living to the Lord, that is, living in the “dash,” that we should not shape our faith, but rather, let our faith shape us.  Being convinced in our own minds does not mean never changing our minds. Rather, it means being open minded to the other’s way as well as the possibilities for our own way. 

Also, let us remember to keep the people of Ukraine in our prayers.

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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 11: Year 2

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

Joshua 7:1-13; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 26:36-40

“And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?” (Matthew 26: 39 – 40)

I often write about how regularly Jesus prays.  In this case he prays for one hour.  The selected three, Peter, John and James, whom he handpicked could not hang on, they fell asleep. Peter John and James were picked on other occasions also to accompany Jesus as well, like the Transfiguration and in a home to heal a twelve year old sick girl.  So they were special.  They were fishermen.  They were followers, believers, disciples, and in their end, they were martyrs, except for maybe John. But they were also mortals.

We too are mortals like Peter, John and James.  We fall short.  We often don’t have the endurance required to stay awake while Jesus prays.  I have been on weekend retreats where some of us are supposed to be praying for a colleague while that colleague is giving a talk.  Sometimes, when we returned to the praying person and open the door to the chapel we hear him or her say, “Amen.”  I heard one bishop explain using doubtful language, indicating he thought the person who was supposed to be praying was really asleep.

It happens. We are frail creatures. Praying, like any other intentional habit, is a discipline. It requires regular intentionality. Even when we don’t “feel” like it, we must keep the regular discipline of prayer.  God gets used to our patterns. And, Jesus expects to hear us with daily regularity to at least attempt to pray at the times we’ve selected, even if we fall asleep.  Our Lord Jesus still kept his three amigos as appointed Saints of the Church even though they fell asleep.  The same goes for you and me.  This prayer cup responsibility does not pass from us.  God’s will, not ours, be done.

In our prayers, let us keep Ukraine in our hearts and on our lips.

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

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday, Proper 11: Year C

Colossians 1:15-28 and Luke 10:38-42

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing, Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41- 42)

This is a story about hospitality. It is also a story about priority.  The hospitality part shows how important listening to our guests is over efforts of making them comfortable. This Gospel lesson is paired up in track 2 with the Genesis story of the three visitors to Abraham as he sat by the oaks of Mamre at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day (Genesis 18: 1-10). Abraham makes provision for them and then stands by them as they refresh themselves.  He listens to his guests.  He is present with them as Mary is present with Jesus in our Gospel lesson from Luke today.

I have learned through my EfM (Education for Ministry) classes, that hospitality is more than just offering a meal and refreshments.  It is about presence. It is about listening.  If someone goes to a home gathering and grabs food and sits alone without conversing with anyone else then just leaves after consuming the food, no relationship or real hospitality was accomplished. The better part is to have dialogue, conversation.  It doesn’t necessarily mean agreement, just sharing and listening. This is the better part of hospitality. We must be attentive to the better parts and then thank God that it will not be taken away from us, which brings us to the priority part.

The priority part causes us to be mindful of the presence of Christ over all else and the; “this will not be taken away from her” part, shows its eternal nature. Food and work comes and goes.  Being in the presence of God is eternal. I have been, and still become, both Martha and Mary.  Martha is a good tool to use when we don’t want to face what’s really going on. Inevitably the reality of the eternal sets in.  We must choose the better part. Within the context of hospitality there is a priority that should be established.  This is true whether your guests are old friends or new neighborhood children. Our house rules should require us to listen, learn and love.

I would ask that if you are able to receive Ukrainian refugees into your home, please do so. Show them hospitality with the priority of presence. And pray with them for their native land.

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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 10: Year 2

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

Joshua 6:1-14; Romans 13:1-7; Matthew 26:26-35:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Romans 13: 1 – 2)

Poor Paul, while I am in agreement with Paul on many of his insights that I believe are truly from God, this part of the letter to the Church in Rome stops me in my tracks.  This exception is especially true as I look at the history of our Southern States and our Washington D.C. government. In our past, our Government has condoned slavery until a civil war ensued.  And after the war, the re-united government still allowed some citizens to be unjustly treated having to ride in the back of public transportation, no voting rights; little to no education and the list goes on even to include unprosecuted community genocides . We imprisoned innocent Japanese Americans out of fear of their possible connection to Japan in the nineteen forties.  No Paul, resisting such a government is not resisting God, but resisting a ungodly government. Resistance then is Good Trouble as termed by the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis.

Perhaps the best way to make a government the ideal that God wants it to be is not to abandon it, but to participate in the corrective action that will make the government more godly.  As a Christian of contemporary America I can’t ignore the racial unrest being made manifest today. 

There are actions that people are doing that I don’t approve of.  I don’t approve of rioting and the vandalizing done to businesses.  Peaceful protesting is ok but evil is wrong, be it the government or lawless  mobs.  I don’t like kneeling for our National Anthem. I am a thirty year U.S. Marine and proud of it. And, I am a so-called black man, (I really don’t believe in race), who really enjoys having a beer while watching John Wayne westerns.  I pondered about this a lot before sharing it but I need to get this off my chest.  I pray there is a godly message in this and that we all strive  to make our government the government Paul speaks of – the government of God’s people.

Let us remember and honor the struggling government of Ukraine. They have come together for their own common good even against a mighty world power.  But they have God and they have us. Let us keep them in prayer for as long as it takes.

And let us pray for ourselves as we deal with the post Roe v. Wade reversal.

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

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 31; Evening, Psalm 35;

Joshua 4:19-5:1,10-15; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 26:17-25:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12: 21)

So why does evil exist?  Many say evil is the work of the devil; perhaps. Personally, I think it is more the product of psychosis focused on hurtful, and often hateful outcomes that lack any sense of love. It is a byproduct of free will.  I might even suggest that evil happens in the absence of love.  But love doesn’t just happen, it is taught.  It is taught, or should be taught in the family, from birth.

Children who are loved, love others.  Children who are resented, resent others. Maybe the psychosis of evil will show some chemical imbalance in the brain as a probable cause. Whatever the cause, evil is among us.  Our response to it when we see it is to not let it cause a toxic relationship between us, but rather, use the abundance of love that we have been taught to overcome it.

In my studies I have come to believe that God is pure Goodness and Love.  Evil cannot exist by itself.  Evil cannot exist without a first Good to contrast with. From the beginning in Genesis we see first good, and then evil “happens.”  We must study the words of God to Cain in the Genesis story when God said, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it,” (Genesis 4:7).  Therefore, sin, or evil, is lurking, it has from the beginning, when life was brought into being. Creation was formed to be good. Be good  therefore, for goodness sake. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Let us keep the goodness of Ukraine in our prayers as they struggle against evil.

“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, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning,  Psalm 37:1-18; Evening, Psalm 37:19-42 

Joshua 3:14-4:7; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 26:1-16

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

I think being conformed to this world means discerning what is the mind of our peers.  With the various platforms of social media and school systems we are encouraged to be tribal, that is, only trust those who are like us, or agree with us.  The ethos is, “either you are with me or you are against me.”  There is no gray area or middle way.  God, I believe speaking through Paul, appeals to us to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that [we] may discern what is the will of God.” I believe this requires a prayer that asks the question, “Dear God, what would You have me do today?”

As a Christian, I am so thankful that we had our Lord Jesus to model for us how we should live together.  Jesus could often be seen praying, and often said that he is doing the will of the Father.  This does not mean that he did not know what was the will of people also. In our Matthew reading for today we hear Jesus say exactly what the religious authorities wanted to do to him.  Jesus also knew those who loved him, like the woman who poured costly ointment on him, His disciples didn’t like it and complained that the money could have been given to the poor.  They were either jealous or just plain tribal.

“But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” (Matthew 26: 10 – 11).  I must add Mark’s words to this scene; “And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”  (Mark 14: 9; but I don’t think the Gospel writers have done a good job of Jesus’ instruction on this matter).  Jesus set His mind on the mind of God.  He showed his disciples that there was a way to accept the woman’s deed and not be against her.  He further tells them, and us, that we will always have the poor among us.  We honor Jesus by caring for the poor. 

Every day we should ask God to show us the better way. We will always hear the way of people.  But the way of people may not be pleasing to God.  We still have Jesus with us in spirit. It doesn’t take much to ponder, “Lord Jesus lead me and guide me this day that my thoughts, words and actions may be pleasing in Your sight. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Also, let us continue to keep Ukraine in our prayers.  Prayer works, it really does.

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

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 38; Evening,  Psalm 119:25-48;

Joshua 3:1-13; Romans 11:25-36; Matthew 25:31-46:

“All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.” (Matthew 25: 32 – 33)

 This sheep – goat metaphor gives the goats a bad look.  It seems particularly unfair to me as it makes it seem as if the simple appearance of the animal, being a sheep or a goat, is all the justification necessary. It is perhaps easy for God to look upon the human heart and make this distinction however.  God in Christ Jesus can see clearly who we are, and much of who we are seems to be determined by how we act or respond to the needs of others.  Let those who have ears hear.

The bottom line here is that there is a judgment day.  There is a resurrection for the goats and the sheep among us where there will be accountability and apparently some kind of separation.  The good news is that unlike real goats and sheep, we have a choice.  We can live the lives of the sheep by stretching out our hearts in such a way that we feel the pain and neglect of those who are hungry, those who are sick, and those who are incarcerated.

I think the real difference between the sheep and the goats is the concern, (or lack of concern), we might have for our neighbor.  This is about compassion versus self serving. Some acts of self serving can even be seen as hostile to those who are in need, whom we choose to ignore.   Can we not all help one another at least to just be okay?  Our Lord Jesus wants us to be his sheep in this metaphor.  We can choose to be sheep in so far as it means being kind to others.  Not ba a a a ad, huh?

Please note that the sheep and goats were not separated based on what they professed with their lips, but rather, what they did with their time, hearts, hands and steps.  They were separated based on how they responded, or not responded, to the needs of others, without regard to their belief or non-belief, of themselves, or others. We don’t necessarily need to change what people believe, but we necessarily must love and care for those in need.

Let us also love and care for the people of Ukraine. They are in real need right now.

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

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 26 and 28; Evening, Psalms 36 and 39;

Joshua 2:15 – 24; Romans 11:13 – 24; Matthew 25: 14 – 30

“Do not vaunt yourselves over the branches. If you do vaunt yourselves, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.  You will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.  For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.  Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity towards those who have fallen, but God’s kindness towards you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.”  (Romans 11: 18 – 22)

I can remember telling a priest who is a dear friend of mine, that I identify myself by the Church to which I belong.  I told him long ago that I don’t care about being black, or male, or straight, or American.  I am Anglican!  It has been a long process but one that redefined me for who I truly am in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s metaphor of the root, the trunk or a tree and its branches, natural and grafted, really clarify for me my own “grafted” status.  I was not really brought up in any particular religious faith tradition. I did attend a Catholic school which formed a deep spirituality in me.  Little did I know in the mid 1950’s that the Episcopal Church would pick up where the grade school of St Vincent DePaul left off some twenty years later and graft me into its Anglicanism.  Paul is so correct when he says; “it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.”

The Spiritual tree of God has many grafted-in branches and many that have always been connected. All are good paths to, and nurtured by, God. God is the root of all faith.

Beyond worship traditions and into global humanity, let us keep Ukraine in our prayers. All of us are nurtured from the same root, which also includes the Russian people.

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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 25; Evening, Psalms  9 and 15;

Joshua 2:1-14; Rom. 11:1-12;  Matt. 25:1-13

“But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.  And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them.’  She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.”  (Joshua 2: 4 – 6)

Is it ever ok to lie?  As I study our ancient writings, I have to say, yes!  And it is not just in this case.  In chapter 27 of Genesis, Jacob, (who later became Israel), was blessed based on a lie!  Jacob, participating with his mother Rebecca, fooled Isaac with a lie into believing that Jacob was Esau, who was technically the first-born son. Therefore, the name of Israel came to be based on a lie that God was aware of. This was a lie that God sanctioned. 

It seems that God reads the human heart.  If the heart is good and loving, God will pardon a multitude of sins.  So I ponder about the six social laws of our ten commandments. The first four are about honoring God; have no other God, don’t use God’s Name in vain, make no image of God and remember the Sabbath.  The last six however have to do with how we relate with one another. Of these last six, along with lies, which, if not all, can be sanctioned by God when necessary?

Does the war in Ukraine warrant killing in self-defense?  I think it does and there are plenty of stories in scripture where God approved of wars.  It seems that God reads the human heart.  If the heart is good and loving, God will pardon a multitude of sins, if they are sins at all. 

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