Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 107:33 to 43; Evening,  Psalm 108:1-6(7-13); 33;

Exodus 2:23 to 3:15; 1^st Corinthians 13:1 to 13; Mark 9:14 to 29:

“He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.” (Mark 9:29)

I feel like not enough Christian effort is applied in prayer today either. By this I mean the “sit-in-your-room-alone – prayer.” After the disciples of our Lord Jesus failed to cast out the evil spirit by whatever means they were using, Jesus himself interviewed the father of the boy about how long this has been happening.  Then Jesus told the evil presence not only to come out of the boy, but also to never enter him again. Our Lord Jesus later explains about needing to pray more. He says that “This kind can come out only through prayer.”  This is still what we need today.

We have suffered as a planet from this Covid 19 and even some clergy, Christian clergy, have gone along with secular instruction to establish and maintain physical (social) distancing. And that has worked but perhaps during our time, (alone) distancing, we also prayed, prayed without ceasing.  

Perhaps this physical distancing was good advice for the physical self. How about our spiritual selves?  Sooner or later we will all stand before the One  for whom nothing is impossible.  What response will we give for not coming to our Lord for help?  Our Presiding Bishop once said the most important prayer we can pray is one word, and that word is; “Help.”

Folks, we must have faith and believe. Our Lord Jesus took issue with the father who showed some doubt when he ask, “if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” (Mark 9: 22)  To this Jesus responds, “‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes” (Mark 9: 23).  My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we must never under estimate the power of our faith in God or the power of  prayer that it brings to bear on whatever troubles us. God loves us so much that God can’t refuse whatever we ask, but we must trust and ask. And we ask for the benefit of one another everywhere. We don’t ask just for ourselves, our family, or our Church or our Country, but for human kind all over the planet as our technology today enables us to know of it. 

Our planet has an evil presence, it is war and violence. This is evidenced by the violence against Ukraine. It is wrong and sinful.  And God needs to hear our concern about it as God heard about such evil through the cries of the people enslaved under pharaoh in our Exodus reading for today. So too, God needs to hear about how much we need for the evil of our day to go away. God wants us to ask for help.  Oh my people of prayer, Pray! “This kind [of evil] can come out only through prayer.”

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 the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 102; Evening,  Psalm 107:1 to 32;

Exodus 2:1 to 22; 1^st Corinthians 12:27 to 13:3; Mark 9:2 to 13:

“He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.”  (Exodus 2: 20)

Moses has killed an Egyptian and has been exposed by an angry Hebrew man, maybe even the same Hebrew man whom he spared the beating.  He is on the run. Just as he got in trouble for saving a man from a beating, he later defends women from harassing shepherds.  Perhaps these are the traits that God saw in Moses and therefore called him to the Burning Bush and enlisted Moses to do more work.  I’m just pondering here. 

Moses is invited to “Break Bread” in the home of Reuel and later marries his daughter (Zipporah).  Some translations say he was invited to a meal.  I like the term “Break Bread.”  I missed our own breaking of the bread during the “physical distancing” because of Covid 19. I also like, and admire, the courage of Moses. He continues in his way of courage even though he is on the run because of his troubles in Egypt.  God notices his courage and righteousness and will make good use of his character for the benefit of the enslaved Israelites.

The father of the girls also recognized the goodness of Moses and wanted to welcome him into his home. Moses possessed traits the father hadn’t seen in the local men who would rather bully women at the well. Moses didn’t back down when trouble came, be it his Hebrew kin, the Egyptians, except for the pharaoh himself who could have him killed, or even mean spirited shepherds in a foreign land.  With Moses, there was a difference between right and wrong. So the same should be with us as well.

When we see an injustice happening we have a moral obligation to intervene. I feel we are doing that for the people of Ukraine, but not enough.  Russian bullies are killing and harassing the people of Ukraine. I pray that the day will come, and soon, when we will break bread with them, in their restored homes. Nothing is impossible for God. God creates us, sustains us, and will, if asked, make bullying to cease in all the world. Let us continue to pray for peace in Ukraine.

“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 the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 69: Evening,  Psalm 73;

Exodus 1:6 to 22; 1^st  Corinthians 12:12 to 26; Mark 8:27 to 9:1:

“He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:29)

Our Lord Jesus had already asked his close followers “who do the people say that I am?”   And rumors abound.  There were all kinds of responses.  Then he let the dust settle and he asked those who closely followed him “who do YOU say that I am?” 

The same question applies to us today, we who profess to be followers of our Lord Jesus as Christians. We hear all the time who the general public (including some professed Christians), say that Jesus is. 

Some folk are so misinformed that they don’t keep the history of our Lord Jesus in the New Testament when they speak of Him. Some will have him anywhere from Adam and Eve in the garden to being aboard the Mayflower as it came to the Americas. Some even say that he is a figment of our imagination.  Fine for them, but who do YOU (reading this blog), say that our Lord Jesus is?  And please, say who he is in your deeds rather than your words, even as you struggle to love all people.

Say who He is in prayer and deed as you do not return evil for evil.  Say who He is as you bless those who curse you (or slap you). For this is who our Lord Jesus is, and how we live out our lives is the only way we can say who He is; He is the Messiah! He is the source of eternal life. He is God revealed in human form for the benefit of eternal life for human beings.

I must admit that I don’t always follow our Lord Jesus in a way that says who I believe He is. I am a work in progress. I have trouble not fighting back when attacked. But I pray God understands me and who I am.   I am also concerned about how I admire the people of Ukraine for fighting back as I believe they should. I pray God also blesses their efforts to defend themselves. I ask all of you to continue in your prayers for their peace, safety and freedom.

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 the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 101 and 109; Evening, Psalm 119:121 to 144;

Genesis 50:15 to 26; 1^st Corinthians 12:1 to 11; Mark 8:11-26:

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die; but God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” So Joseph made the Israelites swear, saying, “When God comes to you, you shall carry up my bones from here.” And Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old; he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:24 to 26)

I love re-reading our ancient stories. In the ending of Genesis, Joseph tells us how God can, and will, bring good out of what was intended to be evil. There is a lot of crying with Joseph and his brothers about their sad history, but there is forgiveness with new understanding about what God has done, and is doing.

Joseph was embalmed, a gift procedure from Egypt. I personally believe the making and baking of bread also came from Egypt, it’s just how I ponder about things. But we must note that Joseph wants his bones to be taken back to the promised land when they leave Egypt. Joseph, who married a non-Israelite woman, and had sons by her, was more wise and perceptive than I (or we), have given him credit for.

Joseph tells them that God will come to them and bring them up out of Egypt. He doesn’t say when, or how, in or in whom, God will do this. And, after many, many generations of Hebrew families, and many kings of Egypt, we will get Moses. He is the second Hebrew-born, Egyptian-raised, person to lead the Hebrews after Joseph.  God’s action is played out in the person of Moses as it was with Joseph.

As the Book of Genesis ends we again have God identified as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God will next be identified as “I AM” along with continuing to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. While God does not change, our knowledge of God evolves. God still acts through us, even today. Our God is not a God who said I WAS, or, I WILL BE,  but rather, I AM.  For me, I see the essence of God as pure Loving Goodness with Mercy.  We always have goodness first and then comes some sinister human action requiring mercy. This has happened throughout human history. It is happening now in Ukraine.

Let us continue to pray for God to bring Ukraine out of danger, in God’s time, and in God’s own way, and in the person or persons God chooses.

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 the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 97 and 99; Evening,  Psalm 94:

Genesis 49:29 to 50:14; 1^st Cor. 11:17 to 34; Mark 8:1 to 10

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is foryou. Do this in remembrance of me.’” (1Corinthians 11:23 – 24)

In the Synoptic Gospels we learn about how our Lord Jesus wants us to remember Him, as well as here in 1^st Corinthians, where Paul reports how our Lord Jesus gives us the image of how he wants us to remember Him: by the bread and the cup.

It was the bread and wine, the body and blood, that was missing by not being able to go to Church during the onset of Covid. I never thought I, or anybody, would lose Church attendance for Lent, but we did. I missed it as did all of my flock.  As we began to come back to Church, we did so without Holy Communion. Later we resumed with bread only. Even now as I write these words we have returned with both kinds but there is a difference. Now we come to the rail to receive the bread and then proceed to a designated place to receive the wine from individual little glasses. Perhaps we will never again drink from a common cup. I don’t know.

Yielding to change for the sake of safety makes sense. We again get the body and blood as commanded by our Lord Jesus. But we are using reason, one of the legs of the three-legged stool (of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason), as introduced by Richard Hooker, the 17^th Century Anglican Priest. We are a reasonable people who find ways to fulfill our Christ given destiny of eternal life.

President Zelenskyy of Ukraine (while not Anglican), also uses reason as he attempts to negotiate with Russia for peace. I am reminded that when we pray for God to intervene in a crisis or anything, we can’t dictate to God how or what to do. That’s God’s Job and God’s alone. I, and I hope all of you, continue to pray for peace in Ukraine. Let us remember that the Lord’s Supper originated on the night He was betrayed.  It is amazing that something so wonderful came at such a horrible time in human history. But it did. Such is God’s Job, and God’s alone.

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 the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 89:1 to 18; Evening, Psalm 89:19 to 52;

Genesis 49:1to 28; 1^st Corinthians 10:14 to 11:1; Mark 7:24 to 37:

“But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’” (Mark 7: 28)

And with this response from the Syrophoenician mother Our Lord Jesus yielded to her faith.  Some say that this event happened so that we could see God’s inclusive love for all people. Some have even said that this happened as Our Lord Jesus was still learning who he was and the nature of his mission with us.  I prefer the first. 

As Jesus intentionally went to lands outside of Israel to heal and teach, it is doubtful that he would not care about this woman’s daughter.  Also, the Syrophoenician mother shows that anyone bringing their problem to our Lord Jesus, if their faith is genuine, they will not be turned away. This is especially true for intercessory prayer.

It is one thing to pray for ourselves and what we might think we need. But God really pays attention to our plea for the needs of others. Also, in the experience, Jesus shows that He does not have to be physically present where He is needed, moreover, He also knows who we are talking about through our own heart without us having to specifically name or identify them. God reaches through us to comfort and heal those who asks us to pray for then or even their unknown (to us) loved ones. So we do it, we pray for them and God responds.

So too, we pray for both, peace for Ukraine, and the removal of whatever is troubling the Russian regime that is assaulting them. Our Lord Jesus hears our intercessory prayer request and already knows who we are asking it for. Jesus does not care about our so-called race, or our ancestry, or any other human walk in life as long as we believe, as long as we have faith.  Thank You Lord Jesus.

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

Eucharistic Readings for the 4^th Sunday in Lent: Year C

Joshua 5:9 to12;  Psalm 32;  2^nd Corinthians 5:16 to 21;  Luke 15:1 to 3 and 11 to 32:

 “But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!”  (Luke 15:17)

This is a very popular parable in the New Testament and unique to Luke.  I like to call chapter 15 of Luke the lost chapter.  This is not that the chapter was lost but that it is about lost possessions.  First a sheep is lost.  Next a coin is lost.  And lastly, we have the lost son.

Within the Lost Son (or Prodigal Son) parable, there are several points that can be preached on, for example the two sons can represent God’s promise to Israel in the older son; the older son’s attitude is yet another topic.  The Father welcoming back the wayward son is still another.  But my focus is on the younger son “coming to himself.”

I have an adult child who suffers from addiction.  I have suffered greatly with the trials and tribulations we went through wanting her to live a sober life.  We wanted it for her (and just maybe for me too).  It was not until she decided that enough was enough that she got help and turned her life around.  I thank Jesus for her continued recovery.  I also let her know all the time how proud I am of her.  However it was not until she “came to herself” that she was able to say to herself “I will go and get help and stop this tragic life I’m living.”  And she was received with open arms by her support group and by her mother and me.

In life, many of us will get out of sync with how God has made us. It’s like  a car being out of timing.   Sometimes I think it’s a matter of moving faster or slower than the natural pace which God has timed us with.  And sometimes it’s a matter of the bad influences of addiction or wayward people or both.  In any case, we fall out of sync. We fall away from our natural rhythms and need to be tuned up.  We often can’t do it ourselves but just knowing we need adjustment is a good beginning.  The self-talk that the lost son did is a good example of acknowledging we are going in the wrong direction and need to turn around and go home or to a recognized place of safety.  It’s a personal thing but each of us needs to ponder anew what we are doing.

Please remember to pray for the people of Ukraine. Praying for others is the most blessed act we can do and is so precious in God’s sight. With prayer, Russians too will come to themselves.

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 the Third Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 87 and 90; Evening, Psalm 136;

Genesis 47:27 to 48:7; 1^st Corinthians 10:1 to 13; Mark 7:1 to 23:

“Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them.” (Mark 7:1 and 2)

In the Gospel we are always on notice that when the Pharisees approach our Lord Jesus, the encounter is normally confrontational. This meeting at the beginning of Chapter 7 of Mark is no different.  However, as we live today in the throes of the Covid 19 virus, the message over and over again is to wash our hands and wash them often. 

Our Lord Jesus will speak of the ill intent of the Pharisee’s attempt to discredit him.  He will also let us all know that if we are not careful there is an unholy kind of dirt that may be in us, in our hearts, and it will do much damage if it comes out in our words and actions against our neighbors.  He says, in effect, that it is not what goes into a person that defiles them but rather, what is crafted in them and then comes out of them in an evil and sinful way that defiles them.

I have a book of Russian Theologians, honorable priests, bishops and monks out of whom comes all goodness. All of the ones in my book were well before the present regime in Russia. What comes out of the present regime, and the clergy who support it, is what pollutes the great Russian religious history.

I am seeing the positive effect of our prayers and its affect on the Russian aggression; I just ask us to keep praying.  Our prayers are working.  The Holy One is listening and acting. I pray that Russia will wash its hands of the violence and then put them together in prayers for forgiveness.

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

Eucharistic Readings for The Annunciation

Isaiah 7:10 to 14; Canticle 15: Hebrews 10:4 to 10: Luke 1:26 to 38:

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

I ponder often about Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus.  She was young, of lower socio-economic status, and to this point, not yet married but now pregnant. Earlier in this reading of Luke, in the NRSV translation of the Bible, we have Mary’s feelings about the proposition God is making with her through the angel Gabriel, “But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be; (Luke 1:29). Luke also has Mary ponder about the shepherd’s words concerning the Baby Jesus when they visited her and Joseph in a stable in Bethlehem; (Luke 2:19). It is from Mary’s “ponderings” that I named this blog.

God has come to us as a Baby human, vulnerable and needing love and tender care.  Regardless of what anyone might say about Mary’s credentials, she was hand-picked by God Almighty. Enough said on that.

According to the Gospels, Jesus shared a home with his Mother Mary all of his earthly life, at least until the start of his traveling ministry. And as we know Jesus has a habit of multiplying food and even changing water into wine. This Mother of lower socio-economic status would not have wanted for food or even refreshment. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Perhaps the saddest point in Mary’s earthly life was seeing her Son nailed to a cross; so sad.  Sad too are the Ukrainian mothers witnessing their sons killed by Russian troops in Ukraine. As we remember Saint Mary today, I pray we also hold today’s Ukrainian mothers in our prayers. If God didn’t think much of human mothers God would not have come to us through one. Birth too is creation.  Let us also ponder about what God must have seen in the nature of Mary and pray for all mothers, especially Ukrainian mothers during our Sabbath time.

“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 the Third Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 42 and 43; Evening,  Psalms 85 and 86;

Genesis 46:1 to 7 and 28 to 34; 1^st Corinthians 9:1 to 15; Mark 6:30 to 46:

“You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37)

The crowd has been following our Lord Jesus until late in the day.  They were tired and now hungry.  The disciples warned Jesus to send them home so that they could feed themselves.  Jesus said no, “You give them something to eat.”

True Christians take responsibility for what needs to be done. Our Lord Jesus has them to take stock of what they have, five loaves and two fish. Admittedly not enough without God getting involved but Jesus takes it, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it. This is the same four-fold table action at Holy Communion. The Priest or Bishop takes the presented sacraments, blesses them, breaks the bread and pours the wine, and then distributes the Lord’s body and blood to the waiting people.

The lesson here is not to be concerned about what we don’t have, but to take stock of what we do have; and then to bless it to God, divide it up, and distribute it as we are able. With God, all things are possible. This action should be repeated at family meals as well.  Breakfast or supper should be first prepared, prayed over in thanksgiving to God, portioned out, and given to family members, all according to their needs from the eldest to the youngest with love.

Perhaps the most important lesson our Lord Jesus is teaching is that we should not push our problems aside. Hungry and tired people needing sustenance is probably as serious as it gets. We have hungry people all around us today. And even if someone gives them a meal, it is rarely “blessed by the giver.”  So, when we provide the hungry with a meal, bless it for them.  I believe blessed food makes the body healthier. The hungry are not the problem of somebody else, Our Lord Jesus says to us; “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37)

Please continue to keep the Ukrainian people and their Russian advocates in your prayers. Thanks.

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