Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Saturday after the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 75, 76; Psalm 23, 27; Lev. 23:23-44; 2 Thess. 3:1-18; Matt. 7:13-21

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.  For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (Matthew 7:13- 14)

I often remind my congregation that Christianity is not for the faint of heart.  It’s hard work.  If you have ever been in line to get through a narrow door, or even in heavy traffic where one lane is closed and drivers must merge into a single lane, you have some idea about the need for patience.  Also, the road is difficult.  Christians must undergo some uncomfortable experiences.

We are being downsized as we assemble due to COVID 19.  Many Christians of “Mega” churches don’t like it. Full disclosure, neither do I.  However in the beginning of the Jesus Movement, we assembled in the homes of believers.  We were small groups around a table. We may be back to that now.  Those who brought the Word, themselves worked jobs only to show that they were not trying to profit from the Gospel, rather, they were prophets of the Gospel.

In our 2^nd  Thessalonians reading for today we read, “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you,  and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate.  For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.”  (2 Thessalonians 3: 7 – 10)

I am one of those clergy who truly believes that I should have a regular job as I study and prepare to preach the Gospel.  Not a lot of Clergy agree with me, and that’s fine.  In my way of understanding the clergy role it should be the bishop whose sole focus should be his or her diocese. The argument will be raised, “who wants to go to three years o seminary only to work part-time.”  Our  Gospel reading says, “For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Over the years I have learned that all believers are theologians at some level. First we believe. As we believe, we try to respond in prayer and study.  Some people say that they are “Spiritual” and not religious.  And there are some who say they are “Religious” who live alone and live the monastic life.  Sometimes labels are just a method of splitting hairs.  Our life as believers comes down to believing, praying and following God’s lead even through the narrow door, over the hard roads, while supporting ourselves and others.

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 106:1-18; Psalm 106:19-48;Lev. 23:1-22  2 Thess. 2:1-17; Matt. 7:1-12

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” (Matthew 7:7)

I believe the most significant lessons of our lives come as a result of the questions we ask. We live in a wonderful time.   With our phones we literally have world libraries in our pockets.  We can ask anything in the world.  This does not come without a caution however.  The old saying is true, “garbage in; garbage out.”  Readers beware.  And again, advice from a friend of mine, “ask a question and question the answer.”

When it comes to Godly concerns, we can read the Bible but I don’t recommend it to be done in isolation.  Find a priest or trusted theologian to consult with or at least a recommended commentary.  There are also Bible Study classes that can be taken to help you. And with this I recommend such classes to open and close in prayer.  It is also necessary when asking such questions to go beyond the Bible to the saints of old and the saints new.

Many of the saints who have gone before us have answers to our questions. But let’s place this passage where it belongs; our Lord Jesus is talking about judgment, specifically, not judging others. He uses examples of the speck in our neighbor’s eye and the log in ours.  And then he goes into how we treat our children whom we love as God loves us.  The point here is that we want what is best for those we love remembering that God loves us all.  Sometimes we really don’t know what is best given that we bring our own baggage (or log in our eye) into the situation.  So we must ask God for what is best, knowing that God’s response may be uncomfortable at times.  From one of our saints who has gone before us we have a prayer in our Book of Common Prayer that I think addresses what we should ask for;

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (BCP 833)

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm [70], 71;  Psalm 74; Lev. 19:26-37;  2 Thess. 1:1-12; Matt. 6:25-34

“And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)

I am a champion worrier.  And I realize that the worrying itself often does more harm than the issue I am worrying about. I think worrying is somehow related to fear. They must be cousins.  I heard in a movie once that basically fear is a deep concern about some event that has not happened yet, and may not happen at all. And yet here we are, ready to give up or worse yet, do something regrettable.

Our Lord Jesus makes the point that worrying really can’t help us, only hurt us.  Our Lord Jesus tells us regarding things we worry about that, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6: 32 – 33)

I also ponder about the next verse and how God’s time might apply here.  Our Lord Jesus says, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34)  So tomorrow!  Is that this life or the next?  I fear, I worry still.

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 72; Psalm 119:73-96; Lev. 19:1-18; 1 Thess. 5:12-28; Matt. 6:19-24

Today we remember Frances Perkins: Public Servant and Prophetic Witness, 1965

“Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve a President of the United States as a member of the Cabinet.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 13)

“As a young adult, she discovered The Episcopal Church and was confirmed at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, Illinois, on June 11, 1905, and she remained a faithful and active Episcopalian for the remainder of her life.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 13)

“President Roosevelt appointed her to a Cabinet post as Secretary of Labor, a position she would hold for twelve years. As Secretary of Labor, Perkins would have a major role in shaping the New Deal legislation signed into law by President Roosevelt, most notably the establishment of the Social Security program.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 13)

“During her years of public service, Frances Perkins depended upon her faith, her life of prayer, and the guidance of her church for the support she needed to assist the United States and its leadership to face the enormous problems of the time. During her time as Secretary of Labor, she would take time away from her duties on a monthly basis and make a retreat with the All Saints Sisters of the Poor in nearby Catonsville, Maryland. She spoke publicly of how the Incarnation informed her conviction that humans ought to work with God to create a just Christian social order.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 13)

All of the above comes from The Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 13. I decided to just dedicate today to her in my pondering for today.  I am very impressed with the dedicated devotion of Frances Perkins. Many of us have busy lives.  Perkins too had a very busy life but she made time monthly to refresh herself by taking a retreat.  We could all learn from her example.  We become more effective when we carve out some time to be with God in an intentional way.   Thank you Frances

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 61, 62; Psalm 68:1-20(21-23)24-36 Lev. 16:20-34; 1 Thess. 5:1-11; Matt. 6:7-15

 “For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Matthew 6:7 – 9)

I like thinking of myself mostly as a day creature (maybe).  I rise before the sun comes up and go to bed shortly after it sets.  However, as I take a distant look of the solar system through space cameras and art I realize that during the day, wherever we are standing, the earth is facing inward toward the sun.

But at night, our view is toward the universe, the vast expanse of interstellar space.  Hey, I’m “pondering” here ok.  Our night time view is one of taking in the stars and planets, and the universe that God created. I have become familiar with the “Big Dipper” and “Orion’s Belt” the occasional visitation of Venus and Mars and other planets and constellations as they make their journeys in their God-given paths.

So for me, night is more than just a time for sleep, it is also a time of wonder. I agree with Kallistos Ware as he says, “It is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery.  God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of our wonder.”

Therefore, in pondering reflection, I think we are both day and night creatures.  And as Matthew says, we are on our own God-given path to salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 56, 57, [58]: Psalm 64, 65; Lev. 16:1-19; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 6:1-6,16-18

“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.  I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (Psalm 57:1)

The Psalmist speaks of trust in God.  God is love. God is the only sure trust we can count on. All over the earth we have been hiding from the Coronavirus.  But it has still taken its toll.  Many have died as a result of this pandemic.

At some point in our lives we must admit that we are God’s own.  We belong to God. God will do what God will do.  We go to God for protection and wellbeing. We are seeing that we can’t always trust politicians (either side of the isle) or the military or any human construct when it comes to the unimaginable challenges that we face. It is only God’s mercy that can we trust completely. 

And when we come out on the other side of this (here or in heaven) we must give thanks in praise to God in word and song.  In this same Psalm we read, “My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast;  I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.” (Psalm 57:7 – 8)  We must learn to put as much effort in giving thanks to God after God has helped as we put in the asking God for help in the beginning.

So we must always trust in God and then praise God always. We are now trying to come out of our tight isolations all over the planet.  Stores are opening back up.  We are looking to see what our new normal will be like. But God is the same yesterday, today and forever.   God is here in this world and in the heavenly world after death.  Therefore, it is God in whom we must take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings until the disaster has passed, or we have passed it.

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

Eucharistic Readings for the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year A

Acts 7:55-60  Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16  1 Peter 2:2-10  John 14:1-14

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  (John 14:2 – 3)

There are few things that can compare with a well thought-out plan. One of the lessons I am still learning is to have a place for things before I get them. It is really upsetting to order and have delivered a new gym apparatus and no where to put it in an already crowded garage.   I’ve gotten to the point that when I am asked to move something for someone, I ask where do you want me to move it to?  If there is something already occupying that space, then the question becomes, where does that item then go? and on and on.

For our eternal home, this work has already been done by our Lord Jesus. Jesus says he has gone to prepare a place for us. This preparing that Jesus speaks of may even be to “create” a space for us. The good news is that there is a space, a dwelling for us. You have heard that there should be a place for everything, and everything in its place, right?  We are co-creating a space in our eternal home right now as we go about believing in, and following out Lord Jesus.

In what I call my “man-cave” upstairs are many photos, plaques, and memorabilia I have collected over the years. It’s not much, it’s just me. Jesus is decorating a room for me with the good works I have done, and hopefully, will do as I await his call to my eternal home. How about you my friend?  What personal souvenirs or memorabilia is our Lord Jesus preparing your space with? The good news is, if you are reading this you still have time to forward some good works (or fruit of the spirit) to our Lord Jesus as he prepares your space. For as he says, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also” Let me be clear, this is not “works righteousness,” but rather, “living the dream.”

You can hear this homily at https://youtu.be/MhPDnoA_rE4

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers of the 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 after the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 55; Psalm 138, 139:1-17(18-23); Exod. 40:18-38; 1 Thess. 4:1-12; Matt. 5:38-48

Psalm 139 Verses 1 – 3

1. Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.

2. You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways.

3. Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

These are only the first three verses of Psalm 139.  I look at this Psalm as a meditation.  Verses 1 through 17 remind us of how well God knows us. Verses 1 through 17 are the ones most frequently treasured.  The remaining verses tend to deal with what the Psalmist wants to happen to the wicked.

I ponder how it feels to know that when I have a thought or a feeling, that God knows about it as soon as I do (maybe even before).  I am truly not alone, not even in my thoughts. I like to think that sometimes God is not so passive in my thinking. That is, God also prompts my thinking in one direction or another.  It’s like God allows me to see a “burning bush.” I, like Moses, must then decide if I am going to go check it out. 

Here’s the thing, God is a participant with all of us.  The divine hints are already with us.  But it’s up to us to check them out.  God discerns your thoughts from afar and is acquainted with all your ways.  Indeed, there is not a word on your lips, but God, O Lord, knows it altogether.  Think about this and allow yourself to follow God’s lead in your life.

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 after the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

 PsalmP40, 54  Psalm 51; Exod. 34:18-35;  1 Thess. 3:1-13; Matt. 5:27-37

Psalm 40: 1 – 3
1 I waited patiently upon the Lord; he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the Lord.

This Psalm opens with the honest confession of one opening his heart to the Lord.  He confesses that he was pretty much at his wits end.  But he also confesses that God heard his request and had mercy on him. I always say that God’s ears hears tears. It’s probably incorrect grammar but the point is made.

The Psalmist’s desolate pit, his mire and clay could be the weight of his own sin or the abuse he has suffered at the hands of others. It makes no difference. God is merciful and will respond to the cry of those who believe.

The Psalmist then goes on to be an example to others and to the world of what God can, and will, do for those who believe. He speaks of a new song in his mouth, a song of praise to his God. This Psalm continues with praise and adoration for God.

Today we need more singers of God’s mercy, love and goodness for those in need.  We need to hear more of this now in this time of quarantine due to the Coronavirus. Let us all sing praises to our Lord. Amen.  

Today we remember Dame Julian of Norwich c. 1417. “She became a recluse, an anchoress, at Norwich soon after her recovery from illness, living in a small dwelling attached to the Church of St. Julian. Even in her lifetime, she was famed as a mystic and spiritual counselor and was frequently visited by clergymen and lay persons, including the famous mystic Margery Kempe. Kempe says of Julian: “This anchoress was expert in knowledge of our Lord and could give good counsel. I spent much time with her talking of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (taken from the Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 8)

Mystics walk among us today and I hope to be one too.

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 after the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 50; Psalm [59, 60];114, 115; Exod. 34:1-17; 1 Thess. 2:13-20; Matt. 5:21-26

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:3)

We are the vessels of the Word of God! God speaks of love.  That means we, as we carry out the word of God, we present love in word and deed to all whom we encounter.  We are the cup of Christ.  This is the Baptism that brought us into the Christian faith. 

Please remember, “In the beginning was the Word.” The Word was initiated for hearing and believing. Many times I have said that we are people of stories. God is in your story no matter who you are.  You are God’s own.  Therefore, God’s self is in you.  I give thanks for you knowing and believing that you are continuing the Word of God by telling your own truths about how God has acted, and is acting, in your life.  Thank You Jesus.

Yes, we are human. But we are also God’s Word. This Word of God is at work in each of us whether we acknowledge it or not.  Just as our Lord Jesus is the Word of God, so too are we the word of God being made in the Image of God and brothers and sisters of Christ 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