Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 16: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 16 and 17; Evening, Psalm 22;
1^st Kings 5:1 to 6:1 and 6:7; Acts 28:1 to 16; Mark 14:27 to 42:

“My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope” (Psalm 16:9)

As we enter the eve of our God-given Sabbath Day, I look for words in our readings that suggest rest.  Our Sabbath (Saturday), is our gift from God. 

In our Gospel reading from Mark our Lord Jesus reprimands Peter, James and John for sleeping and taking their rest while he, (Jesus), was praying. However, I believe prayer can, and should be done while at rest, especially on the Sabbath. Of course, the day that Jesus was arrested was by all accounts, a Thursday.

Maybe the Sabbath should not be for public worship. A worship service requires work.  I believe the original worship services conducted on the Sabbath were a way for the clergy leadership to ensure people were not at their normal avocations or occupations.  God did not give us the Sabbath as a day of worship; but rather, a day of rest.  So, shouldn’t we all hold Saturdays aside as a day to remember the Goodness of God, and be thankful? I realize that not everybody can.  First responders, medical staff, the military, police, detention staff and others must have a way of rotating a Sabbath observance.  But that does not mean we should just ignore it altogether. We need to take time weekly to just ponder about our relationship with God and one another.

To get a fuller understanding of the Sabbath, I have again attached my favorite YouTube website about the Sabbath:  What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube.  This YouTube video will explain the importance of Sabbath.  It is God’s gift to humanity.  God loves us and wants the best for us. This is why God wants us to rest on the seventh day.

My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope, and more especially for me on the Sabbath Day.

“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. 

Let us live to love, serve and teach, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints, and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 16: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 18:1 to 20; Evening, Psalm 18:21 to 50;        
1^st  Kings 3:16 to 28; Acts 27:27 to 44; Mark 14:12 to 26:

Take, bless, divide and share.

We have a Eucharistic meal taking place in two of our readings for today.  I will start with our Gospel according to Mark. And while this Gospel account took place first chronologically, we read our Acts account first as we pray through the Daily Office.  But the point to the lesson remains; Both Paul and our Lord Jesus (albeit at different times), took bread, blessed the bread, divided it up and handed it out to those needing the healing food of Communion.

Our Lord Jesus instituted the gathering at a meal as a Christian sign of love and hospitality.  I was gathered among friends last night where I was asked to say the blessing. I was asked again at the close of our gathering. I am always honored to do it.  Our Lord Jesus was intentional about using food as a way to remember his presence among us for all time.

In Acts, there were about two hundred fifty persons on the ship sailing for Italy. This ship could be considered to be a floating Church of two hundred fifty souls.  Before the ship ran aground and begin to crumble, Paul took bread, gave thanks to God for it, and shared the meal.  This is what we do in our Church almost every Sunday in remembrance of our Lord Jesus.

The ship was destroyed.  Some could go on by their own ability to swim. Some had to stay clutched to pieces of the church-ship in order to come to safety.  Let this be a lesson to all of us.  Some of us have been fully well-informed by the Church and can go on in life being led by the Holy Spirit. Many of us must hold on to parts of the Church in order to arrive safely before our Lord Jesus.  Paul was not a sailor but he knew and loved and trusted in the Lord. As it turns out, Paul lost no one to death even though it was the plan of the soldiers to kill the prisoners rather than to let them escape. Where is the love in that response?

When you are among friends, perhaps some who have not as yet been recognized as such, and refreshments or a meal is served, be the good spiritual host and give thanks to God for it.  This does not mean to be offensive to those who do not yet understand the meaning of Thanksgiving to God.  It simply means remembering and being thankful to God for faith, food and fellowship.

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 16: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 119:1-24; Evening,  Psalms 12, 13 and 14;
1^st  Kings 3:1 to 15; Acts 27:9 to 26; Mark 14:1 to 11:

“It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.  God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right;” (1^st Kings 3:10 and 11)

Solomon wanted God to equip him to be able to live into the responsibility he was born into.  He did not ask for self-serving traits that would make him stand out among others solely for the purpose of being recognized by others as special. He wanted to be able to do God’s work in, and for, his community.

This is the way God still works.  Any gift that we have is not for us alone. It is given to us to be used for the enhanced quality of life for the community in which we live.  It doesn’t matter what kind of gift we are given.  From singing to sports to healing to serving or just plain listening; we are given these gifts for the benefit of others. 

Every human being has the capacity to receive and use God’s gifts among us.  This is why is so tragic when someone dies. What gifts from God, perhaps not yet made manifest, did they take to the grave with them?  Every person is a treasure. Every person is an empty cup waiting to be filled with whatever the community needs.  God sees what we need and then blesses various people with what we need. This is God’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Like Solomon, we must first love our community and want to see it flourish. It is then we go to God asking for whatever is needed that will enable us to be of service to others.  We should not assume to already know what our community needs. But rather, look to God who knows far better than we do what is needed. Emptying our cup in this way invites God to fill us with what is needed. And, like Solomon, God often blesses us with even more for ourselves, but we shouldn’t ask for gifts for selfish reasons. We ask out of an abundance of love for our neighbors.

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 16: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 5 and 6; Evening,  Psalms 10 and 11;
1^st Kings 1:38 to 2:4; Acts 26:24 to 27:8; Mark 13:28 to 37:

“While he was making this defense, Festus exclaimed, ‘You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane:” (Acts 26:24)

I am an advocate of life-long learning.  So I argue that not learning, and insisting on ignorance will make us more “out of our minds.” We must be open to our truths being reinterpreted.  Saul’s leaders were okay with him as long as he agreed with their narrative. But when his truth was reinterpreted by our Lord Jesus and he was renamed Paul, they say, it’s too much learning.

For me, learning is the second “L” in my five L pattern of following Christ. First, there is simply listening. We must listen in order that we give the speaker the opportunity to be heard, and maybe even understood. When we listen, we learn. Learning then is the second L.

The third L is Love.  If we have really listened we will either see and understand the speaker’s perspective or misunderstanding, or, if we admit it, we will come to understand that we ourselves have made false assumptions.  Either way, love will find a way to resolve our differences.

The fourth L is for living. Paul has done this. Paul has gone off and lived his new truth in Christ Jesus.  We too must put on whatever new development we have been made aware of as if it were and new suit of clothes. We must adjust and feel comfortable in our new understanding of our relationship with God and one another.

The fifth L is for leading, if we get that far. Paul felt that he was called to teach, inform, or lead the nations (Gentiles) to and about our Lord Jesus. But this could only be done after he fully accepted Jesus and believed himself in the Way.  We too after living our lives based on the love of Christ are called to lead those uninformed, or misinformed people about the real and inclusive love of God as made known in Christ Jesus.

So, it’s not that it’s too much learning for Paul or us.  Paul had not received any continued formal education after his Christ encountered trip to Damascus.  He received learning from our Lord Jesus. Such revelation supersedes all human schools of learning. Jesus teaches us to listen, learn, love, live and when called, to lead. But human life really begins with the love of listening.  Too many of us want to be heard but do not want to listen. Paul’s accusers did not want to listen to him. They wanted the Roman authorities to listen to them however. We have the same problem today. At some point our mouths must remain closed so that our ears (and hearts) will open.

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 16: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 1, 2 and 3; Evening, Psalms 4 and 7;
1^st  Kings 1:5 to 31; Acts 26:1 to 23; Mark 13:14to 27

“Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!” (Psalm 1:1)

Our Daily Office Lectionary starts the Psalm readings over again.  We cycle through them several times throughout the year. It pleases me that the first word of the first Psalm is “Happy.”  It is a good way to start anything.

In this particular verse the Psalmist is commending those of us who can recognize unpleasant company and politely avoid them.  The outcome is happiness. It is overall happiness.  We will all have bad days, it’s just part of life.  But we shouldn’t make it worse by staying in the company of negative minded persons who are always looking for antisocial ways of relating to others. Part of being happy is assisting others in being happy as well.

Some of the Psalms are revengeful and harsh, at least for me. I don’t do well with asking God to wreak havoc on those whom I think have done me, or others, wrong. If they are sinful, God knows and in God’s own way, they will be corrected or adjusted. 

In our Acts reading for today Paul recounts being corrected and adjusted as he was going to Damascus.  In our Mark Gospel Reading Jesus informs us that had not God cut short the dreadful day of the coming of the Lord, no one would be spared. But God saved those that God chose.  I personally don’t like the word “elect.”  It kind of seems like some of us are better than others. God loves us all. This kind of “culling” process is present in biblical language in several places in scripture. It is suggested in the Flood language with Noah and his family on the ark.  It is used to save Lot from Sodom. God seems to favor the people who choose to be happy rather than let themselves be dragged into the company of wickedness, sin and scornfulness.  

I don’t initially avoid people I find unpleasant.  I try to get them to see and think about an alternative way of seeing the world. I try to get them to consider an “out-of-control” God.  I say this because when I mention bringing God into their lives, too many people already have an idea about what God would say or do. The key to happiness is not “knowing” God, but rather, “trusting” God.  Once we make an out-of-control, but loving God a part of our relationship with others, we are well on our way to being happy.  In this way we will cease walking in the counsel of the wicked, and lingering in the way of sinners, and sitting in the seats of the scornful. We will just be happy trusting in God.

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Part 1 of 2

Daily Office Readings for Sunday of Proper 16: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 146 and 147; Evening, Psalms 111, 112 and 113;
2^nd Samuel 24:1 to 2 and10 to 25; Galatians 3:23 to 4:7; John 8:12 to 20:

“If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” (John 8:19)

Our Lord Jesus is our closest view of the love of God. As a Christian, I must look at how our Lord Jesus related with people in order to catch a glimpse of the nature and character of God. Our Lord Jesus, as far as we can tell, never cheated anybody, or hurt or killed anybody.  On the other hand, he seemed to love everybody.  He was occasionally firm with some, but always taught a message of love.

Part 2 of 2 

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Proper 16: Year B

Ephesians 6:10-20 and John 6:56-69

“Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66 to 69)

The truth of the matter is, we don’t have choices.  God, our God, is Lord of all and it is our hope and trust that God, our one God, is loving and merciful to all of us. This love and mercy component about God has been handed down since humanity has recorded our relationship with God. This record is both Biblically recorded, and handed down word of mouth for generations. 

Our Trust is in the goodness of God as made manifest in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.  As Peter says, who else can we appeal to or seek out for help if not our Lord Jesus?  I think the real good news for us, and for all people, is that no matter what happens to us, God wins every time. Nothing can happen to us that God can’t undo. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us and save us from the time of trial.”  Our Lord Jesus taught us to pray to God the Creator in this way for our help and safety. Our help is in the Maker of heaven and earth.  The Incarnate One walked among us to guide us to God’s Self for our sakes.  There is no one else we can count on for eternal life. Simon Peter is so right. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 15: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 137:1to 6, and Psalm 144; Evening,  Psalm 104:
2^nd Samuel 23:1 to 7 and,13 to17; Acts 25:13 to 27; Mark 13:1to 13:

“When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 13: 11)

Mark 13 is the Eschaton or “Last Days” chapter of the Gospel according to Mark. Each Gospel has its own version of the signs of the end of days.  I am often asked the question, “when we die, do we go immediately to heaven or do we wait for the last day?”  To which I answer “when a person sleeps or even is hospitalized for several days, perhaps the first thing they want to know when they awake is the current time (or date if in the hospital).”  This is why we see the current date on a board in most hospital rooms. The point is, once they come to, the time away makes little difference.  We resume where, and when, we are. Being brought before God is the same way. We will see the next and final presence of our selves.

Maybe the more important words for me in our reading for today are the words for not worrying about what to say when it is time to preach.  Nowadays I just outline the points that I think need to be made from the scripture we have for the day, or the designated scripture for the purpose of the gathering, and then really “Let go and let God.”  I depend on the Holy Spirit to use my voice for the spiritual benefit of the listeners.  It is voice to ear, and ear to soul, and soul to action in love and service.

The Holy Spirit, at some level, depends on us to have some language skills whereby we can talk or write to our neighbors.  Many of the early followers did both.  Luke, Paul and the Apostles, both talked (preached), and wrote to the various churches about the love of God in Christ Jesus. And there was that time in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit gifted the apostles with the languages necessary to give understanding to the people. This was the Day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit among us, our Church.

This still happens today.  We only need to be still and give God the time to be with us. God wants every soul to be with God in eternity. Heaven is not a scarce resource. There is space for all.  Our Lord Jesus still says to us today, “Follow Me.” To this I say, “Lead Lord Lead.”

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 15:Year 1

Morning, Psalms 140 and 142; Evening, Psalms 141, 143:1-to11;
2^nd Samuel 19:24 to 43; Acts 24:24 to 25:12; Mark 12:35 to 44:

“Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor.’ Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, ‘You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go:” (Acts 25: 11 and 12).

Paul is not afraid of death because he believes in the resurrection.  Perhaps he does not want to give his Jewish brethren the joy of killing him.  He uses his Roman citizenship to appeal to the emperor and it works.  Festus says, ‘You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go.’

No matter how good we might feel today, death is inevitable. It can be a matter of days, weeks, months, or years.  But inevitably, we will die.  Whom then do we appeal to?  The final Judge is the one who gave us life in the beginning. Let us recall the words from the Gospel according to John; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.”  (John 1:1 to 4)

Our citizenship is with our Creator and Word through Whom all life came into being. We must know that our appeal is to our Creator. The author of life will decide our fate after death has delivered us to the Holy Presence.  At least one way to sway the Creator is to be found with genuine love in our hearts.  Such love cannot be faked. It must be truly genuine.

Today, August 20, we remember Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux 1153. Bernard is famous for giving a sermon that motivated Christian Knights to go and liberate and protect pathways to Jerusalem and Palestine.  I think such a sermon would be helpful today for creating a pathway for Americans and loyal Afghanistan supporters to escape the horror perpetrated against them in Afghanistan. I pray for those in trouble and appeal to God for their protection and safe passage.  I pray for them even in my rest.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that God had done, and God rested on the seventh day from all the work that God had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom.  

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday, of Proper 15: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 131, 132, and 133; Evening, Psalms 134 and 135;
2^nd Samuel 19:1 to 23; Acts 24:1 to 23; Mark 12:28 to 34:

“I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous:” (Acts 24: 15).

After his accusers use their smooth talk by buttering up Felix the Governor, trying to persuade him to execute Paul, Paul now speaks and states his case about how he has not changed the Hebrew Law and still believes in what they believe, to include the resurrection.

Paul proclaims that there will be a resurrection of both the Good and the bad – the righteous and the unrighteous.  And just as he stood before Felix then, all humanity will stand before the Great Throne of God where the Judge of life will gaze upon the content of our hearts.

I believe what is found in our hearts will state our case far more than whatever our earthly actions were. Our earthly witnesses may have seen us do or say something that they considered sinful, or even evil. But God looks upon us and loves us and sees the “why” of our ways. Back when Paul was Saul, he went about doing what he thought in his heart, was what God wanted of him.  It was not until our Risen Lord Jesus met him on the Road to Damascus that he was changed forever.

Our Lord Jesus teaches us that God knows our hearts and has mercy on us.  Our only hope in the resurrection is that God in Christ Jesus has mercy on us, forgives us, and accepts us into eternal glory. But like Saul to Paul who stands before Felix, we stand before our Lord. We can’t fix ourselves. We need our Maker to fix us but we have to want it first. 

If we want it, we must pray our Opening Collect as seriously as we can.  “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.” (1979 Book of Common Prayer; page 355)

We must understand that we will be raised from the dead.  Of course, I don’t know what that will be like. I haven’t been there.  It doesn’t really make any difference how we die or how our end of life is remembered, be it cremation, traditional burial, drowned at sea or blown to smithereens.  God will bring us before the Great Throne. There we will be judged. It is important that we believe this and in believing it, we conduct our lives now in accordance with a righteous heart. We do this with the help of our Lord. And the Lord of lords will help us if we just try to love one another.

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 15: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 119:145 to 176; Evening, Psalms 128, 129 and 130;
2^nd Samuel 18:19 to 33; Acts 23:23 to 35; Mark 12:13 to 27:

“And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth:” (Mark 12:14)

Our Daily Office Lectionary Reading of Mark is long for today and has two components. There is the issue of whether or not they, or we, should pay the tax.  Then there are the Sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection. This is why they are “SAD YOU SEE?”  I will try to deal with both.

Jesus walks into human history about five thousand years after we have been using money.  Money, especial metal coins have pretty much no shelf life, the coins will last several human life times and therefore can be handed down from generation to generation. And pretty much as long as we have had money we have had public servants who do not work fields or ply the craftsman’s trades.  Such public officials are the governing body from Cesar himself right down to the lowest soldier enforcing Roman, or whatever national law or constitution, he or she is instructed to enforce.  We need these public servants. We would be hard-pressed to have a community life without them. We also need a reserve for those who have no income.  So yes, we should pay the tax.  However, our Lord Jesus is right; God does not want the tax.  God wants our hearts and souls to be with God for all eternity; which brings us to the next issue, the Resurrection.

Jesus refuses to use the example put before him by the Sadducees regarding the woman who married brothers, all of whom died and finally she died.  The question put before Jesus is, “Whose wife will she be in the Resurrection?”  Jesus informs them that they don’t understand the scriptures.  Life in the Resurrection is independent of human traditions and laws. We are all God’s  own in the Resurrection without having the limitations of our mortal restrictions. Jesus uses God’s words about being the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  God does not say He “was” the God of them, but rather, “is”, the God of them.  They still Live!

I think they spoke correctly when they approached Jesus in the beginning. “And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth:”  There was no need to go any further after saying that.  Since Jesus teaches the Way of God in accordance with the truth; then they, and we, should be done with any further questions. There should be nothing further to discuss. We should just listen to him and obey the commands to love God and neighbor.

Let us live to love, serve and teach, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying through the saints and to us, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John