Author: John Thomas Frazier

Part 1 of 2

Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the Last Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalms 148, 149 and 150; PM Psalms 114 and 115;
Deuteronomy 6:1to9; Hebrews 12:18to29; John 12:24to32 

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.  Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:4 to 7)

These words in the Hebrew are called the “Shema,” and are important in Jewish prayer regarding the loyalty we should have to God, the One God. I have these words inscribed on a paper and sealed in a tube that I purchased when I visited Jerusalem, Israel.  And they are to be placed on my front door.  I have not done this yet. I want it to be placed on the front door of the house that I think is going to be my last house. I’m not sure this house is it at this writing.

These words in a tube are of the utmost importance.  We are to love our unseen God and at the same time inform our children about God.  This means having “teaching time,” at home.  God is real and God loves us.  This is also the message of our Lord Jesus.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings for the Last Week of Epiphany: Year B

2nd Kings 2:1to12;  Psalm 50:1to6;  2nd Corinthians 4:3to6;   Mark 9:2to9

“Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.” (Mark 9: 2 and 3)

Jesus invites Peter, James and John to see his inner light.  We, all true believers, have within us this little light.  I like singing the hymn, “This little light of mine.” It shares the potential all Christians have to be a beacon to the world. This is important as we approach the Season of Lent. Lent is a dark time of reflection.  Epiphany is a season of light that transitions into Lent, a season of darkness. Therefore we must light our internal lamps and keep them lit in order that they will guide us through weeks of reflection in this dark, and pandemic ridden, politically polarized, world.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 5^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalms 87 and 90; PM Psalm 136;
Isaiah 61:10 to 62:5; 2^nd Timothy 4:1to8; Mark 10:46to52

“For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.”  (2^nd Timothy 4:3 and 4)

I think the time that Paul is telling Timothy about is here and has been here for some time.  It is somewhat ironic that congregations who want to know more will hire an educated person but only if such a person tells them what they want to hear.  Why bother educating ministers if we are not going to learn from them and be guided by their informed leadership?

I have met many people who already have their minds fixed about the Bible and about church.  Perhaps the most informative program in the Episcopal Church is Education for Ministry (EfM).  This program managed out of The School of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. It is a four year program wherein the first year is the Hebrew Testament, the second year is the Christian Testament, the third year is Church History, and the fourth year is the development of one’s personal theology.  It is a comprehensive program that encourages and challenges believers, clergy and lay, to strengthen their faith.  EfM presents the truth and sound doctrine as Paul says.

When we want to learn something we must seek out instruction from someone who has the knowledge and skill that we desire.  We must trust such teachers and follow their guidance.  We must listen without itching ears.  If we knew everything about what is going to be taught, we shouldn’t be in the class. But as it is, we are students. We must listen and learn. And who knows? Perhaps one day you may be the teacher.

Today we also remember Absalom Jones Episcopal Priest (1818).  Jones was the first person of African descent to be ordained an Episcopal Priest. He was ordained by The Most Reverend William White who was the first Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in America.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily office Readings for Friday of the 5^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 88; PM Psalms 91 and 92;
Isaiah  61:1to 9; 2^nd Timothy 3:1to17; Mark 10:32to45

“You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them!” (2^nd Timothy 3:1 to 5

Are we now in those distressing times  that Paul was telling Timothy about in his 2^nd letter?  It sure sounds like it.  There are plenty of self-loving boasters everywhere. People have now spread their abusive, unholy and reckless ways even through social media and other forms of modern communications.

Some let this sad side of themselves be made manifest because of some feeling of anonymity. We forget that God, and the court of heaven, the saints who have gone before us are standing beside us always. Angels don’t come to us. With God’s permission, they reveal themselves to us.  Many times in scripture we read that “an angel appeared.”  The angel didn’t arrive, but rather, became visible. In our own last days we will see the court of heaven.

I have been with people during their last days of earthly life and caught them looking at something in the hospital room that I, nor anyone else could see; often the look on their face was one of amazement. Paul was perhaps talking about something on a universal scale that he thought was coming very soon during his day. But Paul himself is a witness that our Lord Jesus “appeared” to him while he was traveling to Damascus and this manifestation changed him forever.

My beloved of the Lord, we are never alone. We are being watched always. And judgment will come. Each of us should try to articulate at least a simple statement of belief to live by.  I have. I will share it now: “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 don’t think we are alone as we live out our lives. I don’t believe we are judged harshly for the thoughts that we may have from time to time.  However, we are judged by the words and acts that come from us because of such thoughts.  I use the DUST reminder to help me stay disciplined. DUST stands for Don’t Unnecessarily Share Thoughts. We might have unholy thoughts from time to time but we should strive to keep them quiet.  And maybe with prayer and practice we might get to a place where we won’t have such thoughts at all. Praise Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 5^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm [83] or Psalms146 and 147; PM Psalms 85and 86;
Isaiah 60:1to17; 2^nd Timothy 2:14to26; Mark 10:17to31

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

There are a couple of concerns here. First, the Greek New Testament lacks the article “the,” when it is written, “Give (the) money to the poor.”   This could be interpreted to mean to give “some” money to the poor.  Jesus and his followers were in constant need of provision.  Not accepting any money from this prospective benefactor would reasonably have been unthinkable. We should give for the provision of those in need, but if we give all we have we will be unable to help in the future. Moreover, we too then become “those in need.”

Secondly, Jesus extends the invitation, “Come, follow me,” to this rich man.  There were maybe only 7 others recorded in scripture who received this coveted invitation to “follow me:” Simon (Peter) and Andrew – Matthew 4:18 – 20; John and James – Matthew 4: 21 – 22; Matthew (Levi)  Matthew 9:9; Philip – John 1:43; and, maybe Nathaniel – John 1: 50 – 51, as we have Jesus addressing him as Nathaniel approached Jesus.  But the actual words of “follow me” also go to this rich man. I don’t think he had many possessions as scripture tells us. No, I think many possessions possessed him.  Just think, we could have had his name as a disciple and maybe even an apostle.

This reading is about money and the Christian use of it.  We, as Christians, are truly called to care for those in need as we are able to do so. We are also called to take care of ourselves so that we are able to continue life in a charitable way.  And, while we are counting our dollars, let us not let our dollars count us as one of its slaves. We cannot serve both money and God. Our lord Jesus is asking you to now, “Follow Him!”  What say yee?

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 5^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 119:97to120; PM Psalms 81 and 82;
Isaiah 59:15b to21; 2nd Timothy 1:15to2:13; Mark 10:1to16

“Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.” (2^nd Timothy 2: 3 to 7)

Paul uses three ancient examples in society from among many that still exist today to show that being dedicated to a venture or vocation means some degree of sacrifice. He uses the military (something I can resonate with), and sports participants (like the penalties at the Super Bowl), and farming (that love of growing things). All require endurance and dedication to the end.  There are more ventures and vocations that require this kind of dedication, and most especially, Christianity. I think this is the point that Paul was trying to make.

Maybe when we embark upon a vocation we should first consider the costs of discipleship. Every venture brings its own drawbacks and risks. This might be a good time to consider the “pros and cons” of what we are considering.  Whatever path of Christianity we follow, Paul says “the Lord will give you understanding in all things.” 

The military could bring about the end of one’s life on earth.  The athlete could play for many years and never reach the pinnacle of achievement for his or her chosen sport. Farmers could put in a lot of blood, sweat, tears and toil and then suffer a dry season with little or no rain, losing everything. Christianity, however, brings with it Eternal Life for all participants!  For me, nothing can beat that. And guess what?  There is room for all who join. If I never get to meet you here, I’ll see you there!

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 5^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 78:1to39; PM Psalm 78:40to72;
Isaiah 59:1to15a; 2 Timothy 1:1to14; Mark 9:42to50

“Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.” (2^nd Timothy 1:14)

Yes, the Holy Spirit is truly living in us. However, the Holy Spirit is like many of the TV stations we pay for, but never tune into.  There is so much valuable leadership, coaching and guidance within the Holy Spirit if we would just listen to, and heed it.  But no, too many of us would rather tune into the rhetoric of social media and the often les than honorable inclinations of the world.  How sad.

We truly have a hidden treasure entrusted in us. We are invited to be “children” of our Creator. And there is a piece of the Creator within each of us. With our piece of the Creator we can stop our fighting and bickering with each other and live in harmony with one another as God intends for us.

As we go forward let us find ways to calm one another down. As we are able, let us not take statements personally, (even when they are). It may be that it is the role of The Christian Church to turn the world into a more hospitable place, despite our sad history of violence. In this way our Church would go through a conversion as Paul himself did. Remember, he turned from one who persecuted the Church to one who grew the Church through evangelism outside of Israel.

We have that treasured Holy Spirit in ourselves. Being a calming presence is contagious. Try it. Try permitting silence to happen when in a group. Take notice of the nervousness people have when no one is speaking. Don’t be led to believe that you have to be the same. “Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 5^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77;
Isaiah 58:1to12; Galatians 6:11to18; Mark 9:30to41

“John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’  But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him.”  (Mark 9:38 and 39a)

No Christian community holds a patent on the Name of our Lord Jesus. There are perhaps more and different Christian fellowships than any other faith tradition.  It seems that as time moves on we tend to splinter more and more.  We add names to our denominational names like, “New,” “Reformed,” “Protestant,” “Catholic,”  “Seventh-Day,” and even Non-Denominational,” to mention a few. And while all have some good teachings, none may claim the absolute authority of our Lord Jesus.

Our Church history is replete with shameful acts. We have burned people at the stake, enslaved people, persecuted people, went to war against others (Christian and non-Christian alike). All of this we did in the Name of our Lord Jesus who would never do these kinds of things.  What were we thinking?

It continues to be my prayer that we study and pray our way into reversing the trend to fracture.  I pray that we may one day begin some sort of consolidation.  There is one faith, one Baptism, and One Lord, Jesus Christ. I am on the Episcopal path of the Jesus movement. But I am willing to be in a conversation about a merging path with another community who is also casting out demons in the Name of Jesus.  Jesus says that if we are doing good works in His name we are to be left alone. I never want to be so caught up in my “brand” that I lose sight of which way Jesus went.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Part 1 of 2

Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the 5^th Sunday after the Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalms 93 and 96; PM Psalm 34;
Isaiah 57:14to21; Hebrews 12:1to6; John 7:37to46

“As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”  (John 7:38 and 39)

You and I are living in the post-glorification of our Lord and therefore have received the Holy Spirit. Jesus has ascended into heaven and sent us the Holy Spirit which came to us 40 days after his ascension. We are the believers from whose hearts flow the rivers of living water.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings for the 5^th Sunday after the Epiphany: Year B

Isaiah 40:21to31;  Psalm 147:1to12 and 21c;  1^st Corinthians 9:16-23: Mark 1:29to39;

“When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” (Mark 1:37)

I so wish everyone was searching for our Lord Jesus.  Finding Jesus is not about going to a secret place. It is about being in a state of prayer. Finding Jesus is about being faithful in prayer and service.  Finding Jesus is about being of service to those who need it.

Jesus has just healed Peter’s mother-in-law. And then healed many others and cast out demons and made those demons be silent about who Jesus is.  From this point Jesus prays and proclaims that he must go on and continue in the ministry of proclaiming the Good News.

It seems that the proclamation of the Gospel is our Lord Jesus’ main effort.  Healing and casting out demons are by-products of his ministry. We of today might focus too much on the by-products of his ministry and not the very important work of his message of the Good News.

While we can’t always heal, and even less cast out demons, all of us who live into the Good News are able to proclaim that Good News to the communities in which we live. Our Lord Jesus has set us the example of what we are able to do, and should be doing. The Good News of the Gospel is that all people are loved by God and we are called to love one another as God Loves us. Also, there is eternal life; this life is not the end. This Good News is the most important of all.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 4^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalms 75and 76; PM Psalms 23and 27;
Isaiah 57:3to13; Galatians 5:25to 6:10; Mark 9:14to29

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:25 and 26)

We need to ponder about the Spirit of God and live our lives accordingly. We are all infused with the Spirit of our Creator. This Spirit that is in each of us also recognizes that same Spirit in every person we see.  We may not act in the spirit of truth with our fellow brothers and sisters, but the holiness of God connects well ahead of us. Too often we want to compete against another rather than work with them.

I like sports games in which we compete against the lay of the land, and not directly against one another, (football being the exception but I’m still a work in progress and the Super Bowl is tomorrow!).  I like bowling, horseshoes and golf because in these sports we compare our scores at the finish rather than trying to dominate the other face to face. We probably would have gotten the same score in these sports even if the other had not been present.

I think our attitudes about sports have caused us to look at every facet of our lives in terms of whether we “outdo” the other. This paradigm is taught to us in school sports, not intentionally I don’t believe, but taught non-the less.  Too often we want to “win,” no matter what. I think Paul got it right. We must live by the Spirit and in so living, be guided by that same Spirit. Everything in life is not about competing or beating the other. As we are with people, listening and compassion should be the priority of our being together. Since Paul, all of our saints have said this.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 4^th Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 69:1to25 and 31 to38; PM Psalm 73;
Isaiah 56:1to8; Galatians 5:16to24; Mark 9:2to13

“Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil.” (Isaiah 56:2 to5)

I share with you today a heavy dose of our Isaiah reading for today.  It is all about the inclusiveness of God and the invitation to all people to enjoy a Sabbath time now as a preparation for that eternal Sabbath yet to come eternal in the heavens.

I don’t believe this is about making all people Jewish, at least as we (of this day and time), have come to understand what it means to be Jewish.  But I will say this for myself; I would rather be Jewish and have eternal life than be outside that gathering and cease to exist. From Ruth to the Magi of Matthew’s Gospel, many have put their own ethnicity aside to see what God is doing in the midst of the descendents of Abraham. Me too. 

These are the words written in the name of the Prophet Isaiah and are often used by our Lord Jesus as he performed many of his signs and wonders for those outside Israel.  Isaiah says, “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.   Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.^” (Isaiah 56: 6 to 8) My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, this is as inclusive as it gets.

Today, in Christianity, we remember the Martyrs of Japan: the most remarkable thing for me is that when Christian worship was outlawed, it stayed secret and underground in Japan for 250 years, (from 1630 to 1880). True Christianity is a powerful and undefeatable presence.

Today is Friday, for this evening: Shabbat Shalom.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John