Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 11: Year 2

Psalm 41, 52; Psalm 44; Joshua 7:1-13; Rom. 13:8-14; Matt. 26:36-4

“And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?” (Matthew 26: 39 – 40)

I often write about how regularly Jesus prays.  In this case he prays for one hour.  The selected three, Peter, John and James, whom he handpicked could not hang on, they fell asleep. Peter John and James were picked on other occasions to accompany Jesus as well, like the Transfiguration and to heal a twelve year old sick girl.  So they were special.  They were fishermen.  They were followers, believers, disciples, and in their end, they were martyrs, except for maybe John. But they were also mortals.

We too are mortals like Peter, John and James.  We fall short.  We often don’t have the endurance required to stay awake while Jesus prays.  I have been on weekend retreats where some of us are supposed to be praying for a colleague while that colleague is giving a talk.  Sometimes, when we returned to the praying person and open the door to the chapel we hear him or her say, “Amen.”  I heard one bishop explain using doubtful language, indicating he thought the person who was supposed to be praying was really asleep.

It happens. We are frail creatures. Praying, like any other intentional habit, is a discipline. It requires regular intentionality. Even when we don’t “feel” like it, we must keep the regular expectation of prayer.  God gets used to our patterns. And, Jesus expects to hear us with daily regularity to at least attempt to pray at the times we’ve selected, even if we fall asleep.  Our Lord Jesus still kept his three amigos as appointed Saints of the Church even though they fell asleep.  The same goes for you and me.  This prayer cup responsibility does not pass from us.  God’s will, not ours, be done.

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

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 11: Year A

Romans 8:12-25  Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

“Jesus put before the crowd another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.” (Matthew 13: 24 – 26)

We are not able to tell the weeds from the wheat until we see the grain.  How do we know the weeds? By the waste or sin produced. We can see such acts as identity theft and robbery as sinful but it is sinful with a self-serving purpose. This doesn’t make it acceptable or in any way tolerable.

But there is also a senseless, and even more shameful kind of weed that is just evil for evil’s sake.  There is the mild sort of evil like computer hacking without a buyback, where no one profits from the frustration encountered.  I have heard of acts like taping razor blades to gas pump handles just to cause random injury to unknown victims. Acts like poisoning produce at a store or market so unknown persons fall victim to this evil. These are weeds sown within the wheat.  These are purely evil acts against our neighbors for the sole purpose of harming just for the purpose of harming.  There may be some psychological psychosis at work. By psychosis I mean fixation, neurosis, phobia or obsession particularly aimed at antisocial behavior.

So why does evil exist?  Some say evil is the work of the devil; perhaps. Personally, I think it is more the product of a psychosis focused on hurtful, and often, hateful outcomes that lack any sense of love.  I might even suggest that evil happens in the absence of love.  But love doesn’t just happen, my beloved of the Lord, it is taught.

People, who are loved, tend to love others.  People, who are resented, sadly, tend to resent others. This does not happen all the time, but it happens enough to cause senseless harm.  Maybe the psychosis of evil will show some chemical imbalance as a probable cause. In such cases, a medicinal approach may help resolve the antisocial behavior. Whatever the cause, evil acts are among us. So when the plants came up and bore grain, “then the weeds appeared as well.”  We can’t deny it. Nor should we want to.   Our response to such acts, when we see them, is to not let them cause a retaliatory, evil for evil.  But rather, use the abundance of love that we have been taught, to overcome such acts. Augustine of Hippo once said, (and I’m paraphrasing), “Do not think that God makes no use of evil.  Evil has one of two purposes. One, that it might lure you to itself.  The second is that you might bring an evil person into the light of love and goodness.”  Be steadfast therefore my beloved, in doing good, and resist evil in any of its manifestations.

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 10: Year 2

 Psalm 30, 32; Psalm 42, 43 Joshua 6:1-14; Rom. 13:1-7; Matt. 26:26-35

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.  Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. ” (Romans 13: 1 – 5)

Poor Paul, while I am in agreement with Paul on many of his insights that I believe are from God, this part of the letter to the Church in Rome gives me pause.  This exception is especially true as I look at the history of our Washington   D.C. government. In our past, our Government has condoned slavery until a civil war ensued.  And after the war the re-united government still allowed some citizens to be unjustly treated having to ride in the back of public transportation, no voting rights; little to no education and the list goes on even to include community genocides . We imprisoned innocent Japanese Americans out of fear of the possible connection to Japan.  No Paul, resisting such a government is not resisting God, but resisting an ungodly government.

Perhaps the best way to make a government the ideal that God wants it to be is not to abandon it, but to participate in the corrective action that will make the government more godly.  As a writer of contemporary America I can’t ignore the racial unrest being made manifest today.  There is a huge Black Lives Matter movement underway.  People are pulling down statues of Civil War veterans and others believed to have condoned slavery or racial bias.  We have banned the Confederate Battle flag at all public events and Mississippi is removing the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag, the last Southern State to do so.  Sticking with our national government is truly the way to make us “a more perfect union.”  Truly, All Lives Matter.

There are actions that people are doing that I don’t approve of.  I don’t approve of rioting and vandalizing done to businesses.  Protesting is ok but evil is wrong be it the government or mobs.  I don’t like kneeling for the National Anthem. I am a thirty year U.S. Marine and proud of it. And, I am a so-called black man, (I really don’t believe in race), who really enjoys having a beer while watching John Wayne westerns.  I pondered about this a lot before sharing it but I needed to get this off my chest.  I pray there is a godly message in this and that we all strive  to make our government the government Paul speaks of.

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 10: Year 2

Psalm 31; Psalm 35 Joshua 4:19-5:1,10-15; Rom. 12:9-21; Matt. 26:17-25

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12: 21)

As I write this blog for today, Friday, July 17, I am preparing a sermon for Sunday, July 19.  The sermon will be about evil and comes from the Gospel of Matthew about weeds planted among the wheat.  Evil does exist, sadly.  I will probably use some of the material here as part of my sermon as it deals with evil as it comes among us.

So why does evil exist?  Some say evil is the work of the devil; perhaps. Personally, I think it is more the product of psychosis focused on hurtful and often hateful outcomes that lack any sense of love.  I might even suggest that evil happens in the absence of love.  But love doesn’t just happen, it is taught.

People who are loved, love others.  People who are resented, resent others. Maybe the psychosis of evil will show some chemical imbalance as a probable cause. Whatever the cause, evil is among us.  Our response to it, when we see it, is to not let it cause a like retaliation in us, but rather, use the abundance of love that we have been taught to overcome it. As Paul says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12: 21)

Today we also remember William White, First Presiding Bishop of the newly formed Episcopal Church.

Bishop White was the chief architect of the Constitution of the American Episcopal Church and the wise overseer of its life during the first generation of its history. He was the Presiding Bishop at its organizing General Convention in 1789 and again from 1795 until his death in Philadelphia, on July 17, 1836. (Great Cloud of Witnesses July 17)

White showed courage when he set out to England to be consecrated a Bishop by a nation that our new nation just defeated. “No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who walk with integrity.” (Psalm 84:11)

One other point I would like to share about Bishop White is his ordaining Absalom Jones to the priesthood.  Jones was a former slave and the first African American Priest of the Episcopal Church.  While Jones was ordained by White to serve an African American parish, he was nonetheless officially ordained using the same words and Bishop (and hands) as any other priest of this Church. 

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 10: Year 2

 Psalm 37:1-18; Psalm 37:19-42  Joshua 3:14-4:7; Rom. 12:1-8; Matt. 26:1-16

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

I think being conformed to this world means discerning what is the mind of our peers.  With the various platforms of social media we are encouraged to be tribal.  The ethos is, “either you are with me or you are against me.”  There is no gray area or middle way.

God, I believe speaking through Paul, appeals to us to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that [we] may discern what is the will of God.” I believe this requires a prayer that asks the question, “Dear God, what would you have me do today?”

As a Christian, I am so thankful that we had our Lord Jesus to model for us how we should live together.  Jesus could often be seen praying and often said that he is doing the will of the Father.  This does not mean that he did not know what the will of people were. In our Matthew reading for today we hear Jesus say exactly what the religious authorities want to do to him.  Jesus also knew those who loved him like the woman who poured costly of ointment on him. His disciples didn’t like it and complained that the money could have been given to the poor.  They were either jealous or just plain tribal.

“But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”  (Matthew 26: 10 – 11)  Jesus set his mind on the mind of God.  He showed his disciples that there was a way to accept the woman’s deed and not be against her.  He further tells them, and us, that we will always have the poor among us.  We can honor Jesus and remember the poor. 

Every day we should ask God to show us the better way. We will always hear the way of people.  But the way of people may not be pleasing to God.  We still have Jesus with us in spirit. It doesn’t take much to ponder “Lord Jesus lead me and guide me this day that my thoughts, words and actions, may be pleasing in your sight. 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 for Wednesday of Proper 10: Year 2

 Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48; Joshua 3:1-13; Rom. 11:25-36; Matt. 25:31-46

“All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.” (Matthew 25: 32 – 33)

 This sheep – goat metaphor gives the goats a bad look.  It is particularly unfair as it makes it seem as if the simple appearance of the animal being a sheep or a goat is all the justification necessary. It is perhaps easy for God to look upon the human heart and make the distinction however.  God in Christ Jesus can see clearly who we are, and much of who we are seems to be determined by how we have acted or responded to the needs of others.  Let those who have ears hear.

The bottom line here is that there is a judgment day.  There is a resurrection for the goats and the sheep among us where there will be accountability and apparently some kind of separation.  The good news is that unlike real goats and sheep, we have a choice.  We can live the lives of the sheep by stretching out our hearts in such a way that we feel the pain and neglect of those who are hungry, those who are sick, and those who are incarcerated.

I think the real difference between the sheep and the goats is the concern, (or lack or concern), we might have for our neighbor.  This is about compassion versus self serving. Some acts of being self serving can even be seen as hostile to those who are in need, whom we choose to ignore.   Can we not all help one another at least to just be okay?  Our Lord Jesus wants us to be his sheep.  We can choose to be sheep in so far as it means being kind to others.  Not ba a a a ad, huh?

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 10: Year 2

Psalm 26, 28; Psalm 36, 39; Joshua 2:15 – 24; Romans 11:13 – 24; Matthew 25: 14 – 30

“Do not vaunt yourselves over the branches. If you do vaunt yourselves, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.  You will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.  For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.  Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity towards those who have fallen, but God’s kindness towards you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.”  (Romans 11: 18 – 22)

I can remember telling a priest who was, and is, a dear friend of mine, that I identify myself by the Church to which I belong.  I told him, and still maintain, that I don’t care about being black, or male, or straight, or American.  I am Anglican!  It has been a long process but one that redefined me for who I truly am in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s metaphor of the root, the trunk or a tree and its branches, natural and grafted, really clarify for me my own “grafted” status.  I was not really brought up in any particular religious faith tradition. I did attend a Catholic school which formed a deep spirituality in me.  Little did I know in the mid 1950’s that the Episcopal Church would pick up where St Vincent left off and graft me into its organic system.  Paul is so correct when he says; “it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.”

Perhaps some of us are who we were brought up to be, not me.  I am who God, through those who God put in my path, is making me to be.  I have been grafted into the Episcopal Church.  And I am so thankful.  So I don’t identify as black or male or straight or American (unless any of these are mandatory for some kind of registration, of which, I have no choice).  It is good for me to not place importance on such surface identities, and I am comfortable in my own skin no matter it’s color.

It is also good to know that I should be eternally grateful for being grafted, by the grace of God, into a faith that was also grafted into the historic Israelite tradition which had its birth in Abraham. I, we, then, are a thankful people, or we should be.  God is always making all things new. Halleluiah.

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 10: Year 2

Psalm 25; Psalm 9, 15; Joshua 2:1-14; Rom. 11:1-12;  Matt. 25:1-13

“But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.  And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them.’  She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.”  (Joshua 2: 4 – 6)

Is it ever ok to lie?  As I ponder our ancient writings, I have to say, yes!  And it is not just in this case.  In chapter 27 of Genesis, Jacob, (who later became Israel), was blessed based on a lie!  Jacob, participating with his mother Rebecca, fooled Isaac with a lie into believing that Jacob was Esau, who was technically the first born son. Therefore all of Israel is based on a lie. But this was a lie that God sanctioned.  

It seems that God reads the human heart.  If the heart is good and loving, God will pardon a multitude of sins.  Rahab, from our Joshua reading, was desperate to save her family but at the same time, she heard of the stories about God Almighty and she believed in the love of God and so she said to Joshua’s spies, “Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” (Joshua 2: 12 – 13)  And of course, the men agreed.

I have also heard stories about not giving up Jews hiding in the homes of Germans during the Hitler regime when Nazis were demanding that they be turned over to them.  Yes, lies told for the safety of people are sanctioned by God.

It needs to be remembered here that Rahab is thought to have been a prostitute while, Jacob will continue in God’s promise to be the father of many nations, that is, Israel. Both told lies that were pardoned.  But also let us remember that God shows no partiality.  We are all God’s children.  If we are acting in a loving way for those we love, even an occasional miss-leading lie will be sanctioned by our Loving God. God is not insistent on absolutes knowing that we have flaws, but at the same time, God knows that we can be loving, and neither should we be insistent on absolutes.  From time to time we all fall short, and sometimes, God uses our weakness for divine purposes.

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

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 10: Year A

Romans 8:1-11  Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”  (Matthew 13: 23)

So, we are to be the “Treated” good soil.  Let me explain.  First, it took me a while just to understand that we are to be good soil (dirt).  You and I are not a part of the hundred, sixty or thirty yield of produce.  No, we are what brings forth the produce.  Took me a while to realize that our Lord Jesus was talking about us being the catalyst of what is desired, the prizes of heaven.

Now, let’s get to what I call the “treated” part.   As one who occasionally gardens, I know that there are certain additives we can add to beginning plants once they have sprouted.  Such pesticides or weed killers that specifically seek out the undesirable bugs and plantlife like weeds so that all the nutrient of the soil goes to the harvest we are looking for.  In antiquity there was no such science available.  However, in people terms today, we can call it “Baptism.” 

Our fresh, rich, soul, soil that has been protected over the years by the careful replacement of rich soils, even from foreign lands, and ingested with carefully saved compost from ancient gardens and meals, gives forth new growth.  But these new sprouts need rain.  And they need the sprinkling of special weeding agents that will protect them. Baptism then takes what has come into the world and strengthens it for the work of producing a hundred, or sixty or thirty yields.  This does not mean however, that we won’t get caught up in the distractions of the world and lose sight of why we are here.  We must continue to germinate. We must continue to help others to take root.

Just as some plant eating bugs will find a way to maneuver around a pesticide, so too will evil try to steer some away from their baptismal covenant.  Our Church community is the composter of maintaining rich soil.  Church community is what is necessary to do the work of producing the harvest that God is looking for.  Somebody say Amen.

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 9:Year 2

Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117; Deut. 34:1-12; Rom. 10:14-21; Matt. 24:32-51

 ^“But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.”  (Romans 10:14 – 17)

Paul really narrows it down as he moves through the logic of reason to drive home the point of “hearing the word.”  This Word is something we believers are supposed to articulate to the world in order that more people might believe.  Paul repeats the word of the Prophet Isaiah as the former Prophet declares, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”  (Isaiah 52:7)  We have a Cursillo song that goes “Our God Reigns.”  And you know, God really does indeed.

Today I believe we have those beautiful feet that cary the Good News (Gospel). 

Today we remember Benedict of Nursia Abbot of Monte Casino, c. 540

“Benedict is generally accounted the father of western monasticism. He was born about 480, at Nursia in central Italy, and was educated at Rome. The style of life he found there disgusted him. Rome at this time was overrun by various barbarian tribes; the period was one of considerable political instability, a breakdown of western society, and the beginnings of barbarian kingdoms. Benedict’s disapproval of the manners and morals of Rome led him to a vocation of monastic seclusion. He withdrew to a hillside cave above Lake Subiaco, about forty miles west of Rome, where there was already at least one other monk. Gradually, a community grew up around Benedict. Sometime between 525 and 530, he moved south with some of his disciples to Monte Cassino, midway between Rome and Naples, where he established another community, and, about 540, composed his monastic Rule. He does not appear to have been ordained or to have contemplated the founding of an “order.” He died sometime between 540 and 550 and was buried in the same grave as his sister, Scholastica.” (from Great Cloud of Witnesses for July 11)

Is there a theological connection between Paul’s lesson of hearing the Word and Benedict’s lesson of adhearng to a rule of life? I think so. Benedict’s monastic order required a vow. At profession, the new monk takes vows of stability, amendment of life, and obedience.  So, we have from Paul the responsibility of carrying out the Word, and from Benedict an amendment of life and obedience.  Is it possible to do both? Absolutely.  You have beautiful feet.  Get moving people!

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