Author: John Thomas Frazier

Part 1

Daily Office Readings for Sunday of Proper 16: Year 2

 Psalms 146, 147,  111, 112, 113; Job 4:1-6,12-21; Rev. 4:1-11; Mark 6:1-6a

“On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him.” (Mark 6: 2 and 3) 

I just talked about this yesterday from the Gospel of Matthew, about “Who God will use. And so I will just repeat my closing from yesterday’s blog:  

Yes, our Lord Jesus was, and is, the primary host for God participating in our human life.  And while it is our life, it is God’s world.  And God is working his purposes out.  And God can, and will, do this work with, or without you; around you, or through you.

Anytime we say that because we know him or her (or ourselves), and in our opinion, God would not use him or her (or me), what we are really saying is that we know what God will do, or who God will use.  And that’s just not true.  We, nobody, knows what God will do, or who God will use.  God uses who God chooses. And yes, this includes you. Let’s just be blessed and thankful.

Part 2

Eucahristic Gospel for Sunday of Proper 16: Year A  Matthew 16:13-20

“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?””  (Matthew 16:15)

As Christians, we should be saying who Jesus is by the way in which we conduct ourselves.  We should be emulating what we know of our Lord Jesus.  We are not to return evil for evil. We should do all we can to heal the sick and feed the hungry; and every now and then, finding a quiet place to pray.

Any non Christian historian can write and publish about who he or she thinks Jesus was.  But we, as Christians, must answer the all important question of who we say Jesus is, (not was), by our belief in Jesus, not just what we have studied about him, but also benefiting from revelation of the Holy Spirit.  We say what we believe and understand by living out the two Commandments he gave us: to love God and to love our neighbor; understanding that all people are our neighbors.

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 Proper 15: Year 2

Psalms 137:1-6(7-9), 144,  104;  Job 3:1-26; Acts 9:10-19a; John 6:41-51

“They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?” (John 6: 42)

If we are to really be people of faith, faith in a God who can do all things, with anything or anybody, then we ought to be looking for such a God at work in all aspects of life, and all people, all the time.

The leaders of Jesus’ old community decided that because that knew Jesus and his earthly parents, there was no way he could be the bread, come down from heaven as he purports to be.  They never considered what God might be doing in their midst.  They never considered that God might be acting in human form, regardless of what they thought they knew about Jesus.

This is also demonstrated in our Acts reading for today.  The Risen Lord reveals the plan for Saul or Paul to Ananias.   Ananias knew of Saul and wanted nothing to do with him.  But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).  I believe this is another characteristic of God.  When God sends us to someone, God is with us, and with that someone we are sent to, in order that they might be open to receive the message.

Yes, our Lord Jesus was, and is, the primary host for God participating in our human life.  And while it is our life, it is God’s world.  And God is working his purposes out.  And God can, and will, do this work with, or without you; around you, or through you.

Anytime we say that because we know him or her (or ourselves), and in our opinion, God would not use him or her (or me), what we are really saying is that we know what God will do, or who God will use.  And that’s just not true.  We, nobody, knows what God will do, or who God will use.  God uses who God chooses. And yes, this includes you. Let’s just be blessed and thankful.

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 Proper 15, Year 2

 Psalms 140, 142, 141, 143:1-11(12);  Job 2:1-13; Acts 9:1-9; John 6:27-40 

“Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips; let not my heart incline to any evil thing.” (Psalm 141:3)

So many times in my life I have wished that I had a guard at the door of my lips.  Such an idea gives the term “lip lock,” normally indicating a long and passionate kiss, a new meaning. So many times I wish I had filtered what I was going to say before I hit the “send” button of my mouth. Just yesterday there was yet another fired sports caster who used a homophobic slur. Our mouths get us in trouble.  But it doesn’t start with our mouths.

The Psalmist also says, “let not my heart incline to any evil thing.”  Our heart and mind is where it all begins. And in most cases, we can’t fix our hearts by ourselves. We must seek help.  If we ask God to first fix our hearts, (and God will), the mouth and hands will fall in, and follow the heart as it always does.

This is why I always refer to our Collect for Purity as found in our Book of Common Prayer.  It prays; “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.” (p.355)

This prayer is nice but if one does not really want to be better, praying it would be a waste of time.  We have to first want to be better people.  After the desire to be better is realized, then we must seek help from God.  With God all things are possible.  If the ugliness is not in our hearts it cannot come through our mouths or hands.  We won’t even accidently say anything wrong or hurtful.  “Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips; let not my heart incline to any evil thing.” (Psalm 141:3)  Please ponder and pray on 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 Thursday of Proper 15: Year 2

 Psalms 131, 132, [133],  134, 135;  Job 1:1-22; Acts 8:26-40; John 6:16-27

“Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.”  (Acts 8:29)

There are three characters in the reading; there is Philip, the treasurer of Candice who happens to be a eunuch, and of course the angel or Spirit of God. The eunuch is returning from the Temple in Jerusalem where he was probably not welcomed due to his bodily defilement.  But he is a faithful student of scripture and studies. 

I wish we had the name of Candice’s treasurer; I don’t like referring to him as the eunuch.   We learn that, like most of us, he needs assistance in understanding what the scripture is really saying. I like the way Philip obeys the Spirit and also how he assists this treasurer. He doesn’t go back to Adam and Eve, or Abraham or even Moses.  No, he starts with Isaiah, he starts from where the person is in his reading. Sometimes we try to give a person too much information.  The Spirit did not say go over to the chariot and rule it. The Spirit said, “Go over to this chariot and join it.”

Another part of our story that I really like is that after the explanation of the scriptures, which must have also talked about our Lord Jesus and the importance of Baptism, they come upon some water.  Then “the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.” (Acts 8: 36 and 38) As a priest I have used this model by Philip to baptize people who ask for it as soon as possible, normally at a Sunday worship service.

Beyond the lesson about how to coach or teach and of baptism, there is the listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We today should not think that the Holy Spirit of God does not speak to us today, it still happens.  At the end of this session both men go their separate ways: the eunuch, back to Ethiopia rejoicing; and Philip, again following the Spirit and proclaiming the Good News!

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 Proper 15: Year 2

Psalms 119:145-176,  128, 129, 130; Judges 18:16-31; Acts 8:14-25; John 6:1-15

“Simon answered, ‘Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.” (Acts 8:24)

This is Simon the magician who is trying to learn new tricks in order to make money.  He has money and therefore believes he can buy this new form of trickery.  But he finds out that God is not for sale.  “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  (Acts 8: 18 to 19)

As a clergy person, and in particular as rector of a parish, I refused to accept money for any special church service, especially outside the Sunday service like funerals or weddings.  I thought it sinful to use what God has bestowed on me as a means of financial gain.

Simon, on the other hand, thought it okay to buy this ability. “But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!  You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God.  Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.  For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.”  (Acts 8: 20 to 23)

And repent he did.  “Simon answered, ‘Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me” (Acts 8:24).  We don’t know much more about this Simon.  Perhaps the most important lesson is that once he realized that his heart was sailing in the wrong direction he requested a course change.  So should we, or at least ask our friends to pray for us.  God really likes intercessory prayer.

As I have said before, money is a necessary and a smart way to obtain the provisions we need in life.  But it can also be used to deny people, or groups of people, their needed food, shelter, clothing, transportation and communications. If we are not careful money will alter the course of our hearts and have us sailing in a non-loving direction.  Let us always remember that at any time, any of us, could find ourselves down and out.  We must both, help others when we see the need and are able, and, we must accept help when offered.  This mutual aid is God’s plan.  We can’t buy a gift of God, but by God, we can be a gift.

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 Proper 15: Year 2

 Psalms [120], 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, [127]
Judges 18:1-15; Acts 8:1-13; John 5:30-47

“Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves”

(Psalm 126: 6 and 7)

It seems that the way of life is that we must undergo some suffering before things get better.  But we work and suffer in hope, hope that God will watch us and ensure that those who sow, shall also reap.  Hope is about the harvest.

I practice music.  It is monotonous work.  But it is well worth it when I play “Praise to the Lord,” and it sounds right, and I celebrate in knowing that I played that. 

I workout daily.  Often when I wake I don’t really feel like working out.  It becomes boring and I play mind games about whether or not working out is really necessary or what I want to do. But I put such thoughts away. On the reward side, I am losing weight and feeling better and now better able to do things with less effort.

I make regular visits to the golf driving range.  I think my skill is truly lacking.  But when I manage to actually play with some of my friends, they, (and I), are amazed at how well I played.

With more serious suffering, it seems sometimes we must undergo some degree of patient suffering in order to accomplish happiness.  The same is true with raising children and wading through pandemics.  Parents must allow children to make a few mistakes, not dangerous ones, but enough to let them know that they are vulnerable.  Because of this pandemic parents are now asked to be more participatory in the education of their children. The education of children is among the greatest of rewards.

This pandemic virus is causing severe suffering in many segments of life.  It is causing suffering in jobs and therefore finances; in education (and the education of our children impacts the jobs of parents); in hospitalization and most tragically, the death of loved ones. We are all hoping to get through this COVID 19 virus of 2020.  And we will.  We might have a new normal on the other side of this. But we will evolve.  We plant the seed of hope.   “Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.  Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves” (Psalm 126: 6 and 7).  Hope is about the harvest. Plant carefully.

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 Proper 15: Year 2

Psalm 106; Judges 17:1-13; Acts 7:44-8:1a; John 5:19-29

“Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”  (John 5:28 and 29)

We Christians believe that Jesus will be the judgment of God for all humanity as our Lord Jesus was God participating in human existence.  No matter what, there is a resurrection for each and every human being.  The outcome of our resurrection is determined by both what we believe and by how we conduct ourselves commensurate with that belief.  That is, that we believe in the love of God and live out that love in our relationships with our neighbors.

This resurrection belief  and accountability is made manifest in the last part of my personal creed which says.  “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.”  The part that says “and to whom we must give an account” reflects the resurrection piece. 

My beloved in the Lord, we all will come before the judgment seat at the end of our days.  There is no getting around this fact.  Just as sure as death is to come for all people, so too is the resurrection to the afterlife.  I believe that on this side of creation some of us believe in Jesus as Lord.  On the resurrection side, all will more than just believe, we will all know that Jesus is Lord of both the living and the dead. 

But our Lord Jesus is also the Lord of love and mercy.  Where we mortals often want to hold a grudge against people who differ from us, our Lord Jesus just wants to love us, all of us. We do not belong to ourselves, we are the Lord’s.  How we live out our lives in relation to our fellow persons is crucial. If you take nothing away from this post but one thing, let it be this; Love God and one another no matter what.  This does not mean to let others walk all over you, it simply means for us to recognize and respect their humanity and to refrain from judgment. Struggle to find love. It’s who we are created to be.  Love, don’t judge. Your name will be called on the other side and you will find yourself before the throne.  “Lord, do not bring us to the time of trial.” ( Luke 11;4)

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

Track 2 Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 15: Year A

Isaiah 56:1,6-8;  Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-2

“She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” (Matthew 15: 27 and 28)

Prior to this incident (and part of our Gospel Reading for today) Jesus had just explained about what defiles a person.  He said it is not what goes into a person (certain foods considered unclean) but rather it is what comes out of a person, sinful acts and words that defile a person.  I know for myself, when I have said of done something revengeful or retaliatory, I feel bad about it.  I am still a work in progress.  Pray for me please.

And then we have this Canaanite woman with words of requests for her daughter’s cure coming out of her mouth.  This is intercessory prayer. This is coming to our Lord Jesus of whom she did not know but needed anyway.  This is about Jesus himself learning truly who he is. (The Gospel of Matthew is only concerned with the people of Israel.) But here we are shown the world-wide intention of God’s Salvation.  God loves, and wants all people to be saved.

Today I am baptizing an infant into the household of God in our Christian tradition as our Lord Jesus instructed us to do.  The very nature of God is inclusiveness, all people; period.  I know that all people are not baptized.  But we, who follow our Lord Jesus, continue to insist on this soul saving practice of grace. There is no exclusion from the love of God.  Canaanite or Israelite, black or white, rich or poor, democrat or republican, boy or girl, bald or with curls, Jesus loves the little children of the world. All are precious in his sight.

This is again, another example where Jesus informs us about the faith that is in us; the faith in the mother that was the source of her daughter’s healing.  So it is with us today.  We must believe.

I will ask you in a few minutes, “Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support this person in her life in Christ?  And you will answer; “We will.”  The “we” indicates the Church.  As the Church, will we come together as the loving community of Jesus in prayer, so that this infant girl presented here today for baptism, is cleansed of all evil and malice of thought? You and I have a part in this action of the Holy Spirit.

You will be asked, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”  You will answer with “I will, with God’s help.”  We are saying that we will respect their dignity even if they don’t.  You need to know that God is doing God’s part. But God expects us to be co-creators in this event and in the life of this child.  God works through the saints.  We are the saints.  Thank You Lord 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 of Saturday of Proper 14: Year 2

 Psalms 107:33-43, 108:1-6(7-13), 33; Judges 16:1-14; Acts 7:30-43; John 5:1-18

“Do you want to be made well?”  …”At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.”  (John 5:6 and 9)

Often one of the ways we can tell that our priorities are out of order is that we find ourselves watching others and measuring their behavior against our list of what is right and wrong.  “Now that day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”  But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”  Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.”  (John 5: 9 – 13)

Before we begin, let’s be clear, all the people in this passage are Jews.  By “the Jews,” The Evangelist simply means temple authorities.  These temple authorities either forgot, or never knew, that the Sabbath was created for people, and not the people for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)

Jesus asks the lame man if he even wanted to be made well. This is an important question and it is a universal one.  All too often we become comfortable in our weaknesses or disadvantages.  Some of  the freed Israelites came to a point when they wished they were back in Egypt as slaves rather than in the wilderness following Moses. Some people who suffer from addiction would prefer to be left alone rather than attend AA meetings.  Yes, the question of “Do you want to be made well?” is a universal one that we all must deal with.  Of course our lame man doesn’t give an immediate “Yes” to the question. Rather, he formulates excuses for why he can’t get to the healing waters.  Jesus proves to be superior to the healing waters by just saying “Take up your mat and walk.”  Our Lord Jesus is so awesome!

In his defense, the man who was made well, really didn’t know who Jesus was. But the temple authorities felt threatened. They wanted to know who it was that said to him, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ Note that they were more concerned with the newly healed man carrying his mat than the fact that he was made well.  Now these temple authorities could not have done what Jesus did on any day of the week, yet they felt their position threatened. So their response is to hunt down our Lord Jesus who is doing good works in order that they might put him to death.  This is so sad.

At some level we all could be made better. We all should look beyond the carrying of the mat (petty) to the thankfulness of being made well.  Do you want to be made well?  Are you thankful for others being made well regardless of who they are? Don’t answer too quickly. Ponder 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 Proper14: Year 2

Psalm 102 and Psalm 107:1-32;  Judges 14:20-15:20;  Acts 7:17-29;  John 4:43-54

“Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.  As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive.  So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.”  The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household.  Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.” (John 4: 50 – 54)

Once again we see that Jesus does not have to be physically where the trouble or sickness is to fix the problem or heal the sick. All our Lord Jesus has to do is say the word, and it is done.

But let me also draw your attention to the fact that the man “believed” the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.  As I have said many times before, believing is everything.  As I have studied the language and culture of antiquity, I find that the word trust is the more definitive word for what we have as the word believe. The man with the dying son trusted in our Lord Jesus. And so do I.

Notice that the word faith is not a word that any English Christian translation of the Bible uses in the Gospel of John. Faith is a noun.  Faith is the word used in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke).  John’s Gospel wants action.  Believing (or trusting) is a verb.  This again is why I crafted my own personal statement of faith.  Here it is (again):

“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.”

How would you sum up your faith, or just your outlook about life?  Try to write a simple sentence that says what you believe, or trust in.  My own creed does not replace our Prayer Book Nicene Creed or Apostle’s Creed.  It is just a quick explanation of what I believe that can be said while standing on one foot, or on an elevator.  My faith statement has evolved as I have pondered over the years.  So might yours also, as you ponder anew what life means to you.

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