Author: John Thomas Frazier

Readings for Teresa of Avila

Psalm 42:1-7 Romans 8:22-27 Matthew 5:13-16

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Today we remember Teresa of Avila. “Teresa was one of two women declared a “Doctor of the Church” in 1970 by the Roman Catholic Church, primarily because of her two mystical contemplative works, The Way of Perfection and Interior Castle. She was a close spiritual and personal friend of St. John of the Cross.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for October 15)

Like all great mystics there is a connection to other mystics of their day. For Teresa it was St. John of the Cross whose work was not discovered until after his death.  All of us who seek God need to partner with someone as mentor and protégé to better hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.

“Teresa was born near Avila. Even in her childhood, she took much pleasure in the study of saints’ lives, and she used to delight in spending times of contemplation, repeating over and over, “For ever, for ever, for ever, for ever, they shall see God.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for October 15)

Teresa did join a Carmelite order but was not happy with their structure. “The easygoing life of the “mitigated” Carmelite rule distracted her from her customary prayer life, to which she returned. Taking recourse in two great penitents, Augustine of Hippo and Mary Magdalene, she became increasingly meditative. She began to receive visions—whether from God or the Devil she could not know—and struggled to reject them.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for October 15)

Her personal piety was much more structured than the cloister with which she belonged.  I often feel that way. I live a pious life with daily attention to the Daily Office of the Episcopal Church. I don’t think many clergy or laity devotes this same amount of dedication to our readings and journaling.  I am particularly pleased that Teresa patterned her pious life from a dedicated acetic like Augustine of Hippo and a Biblical personality like Mary Magdalene.  These are two people who lived totally for Christ even though several hundred years apart.  We all should find such mentors to emulate (one Biblical and one from Church history).  Christ now lives in each Christian as Teresa points out in one of her poems:

“Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for October 15)

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 23 Year 1

AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; PM Psalm 4, 7  Jer. 36:11-26;  1 Cor. 13:(1-3)4-13;   Matt. 10:5-15

“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

This verse is perhaps among the most famous words of Paul.  It is used at weddings and other occasions to bring joy to the event.  These words are the summation of the definition of the word love.

Just to show the relativity of love to the other important spiritual guides in our lives, faith and hope, Paul compares love.  Faith speaks of what we believe and in what or who we trust. It is now and where we are in this moment.  Faith is adjustable, can be taught, can be reshaped to fit new understanding.

Hope is what we are looking forward to. It is futuristic, not yet, but longed for. Hope works beyond faith as it tries to make sense of what should be.  Hope wants to love but can’t see completely, only in part.  Hope longs for improvement.

Love is complete and does not concern itself with what will be because love is now. It is unconditionally compassionate now and always looking forward only to deeper relationship. Love is not earned but freely given to all whether asked for or not. And most important, love is that quality about us that is eternal, it cannot be destroyed.  Love then, is energy!

 Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Eucharistic Readings or Sunday of Proper 23 Year C

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c Psalm 111 2 Timothy 2:8-15 Luke 17:11-19

“Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”” (Luke 17: 19)

This is an amazing healing story. But it is also an amazing salvation story.

We have lepers calling out while maintaining their distance so as not to contaminate others. This was the requirement in those days regarding self-regulating leper communities.  But these sick people are well aware of who Jesus is. As they see him they call out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 

It seems leprosy does not discriminate.  Like other human ills, Cancer, Ebola, HIV and AIDS, leprosy is an equal opportunity inflictor.  We don’t know how many of the ten were Samaritans but we do know that at least one was. Jesus makes sure we know that and while that that destroys persons does not discriminate; neither does the salvation of God discriminate. All are welcome into the Salvation of God.

Salvation is different from healing. According to Fred B. Craddock writing for Interpretation: A Bible Comentary: Luke, he says, “We have, then, a story of ten being healed and one being saved.”  If I had a choice and could only pick one, healing of an earthly illness, or, the being saved into eternal life, I would not consider it a choice at all.  Give me that eternal salvation please.

The Samaritan went back to Jesus out of gratitude for an earthly cure.  He got more than he bargained for.  He got salvation.  He showed gratitude.  He showed thanksgiving.  It meant a lot to Jesus.

Prayers should be like the top and bottom pieces of bread of a sandwich.  That is, we pray for something like safety during an approaching storm. We come out on the other side intact. We should then go back to prayer in thanksgiving to God for answering our prayer requests.  To not do so makes us one of the ten that Jesus asks about; “Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?”   The sandwich metaphor works as it has us to remember and be thankful for what God has done for us.  This is an attitude of gratitude. Let us not just forget God when all is safe again. Let us not take God for granted.  We need to be just as earnest in our giving thanks as we were in our asking for help.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 22 Year 1

AM Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), 144; PM Psalm 104 Jer. 35:1-19; 1 Cor. 12:27-13:3; Matt. 9:35-10:4

“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness.” (Matthew 9:35)

Jesus did many great acts in and around Israel. It was when he went south to Judea, and Jerusalem in particular,  that we have what we did to him.  Save the Sacrament of Holy Communion, which he did, his arrest and crucifixion are acts that we (humanity) did to him in Judea.  And sadly we get fixated on that. 

I think what we really should look deeper into is his teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness that he did in the north, in Israel.

Jesus came to us from God Almighty, as God Almighty.  He came to preach peace among all people, and for that he was killed. But now you and I have the opportunity to study carefully the acts he did and the words he shared about the kingdom.  His three year ministry took place in an area half the size of New Jersey.  He walked everywhere in Israel to do this work.  What have we done to spread the word of the good news of the kingdom of heaven? You and I don’t have to worry about ending up on a cross.  All we have to do is let people know that there is a loving God who wants us all to join the heavenly realm.  This is truly good news but we keep it hidden.  Jesus walked. We have cars and public transportation.  What’s stopping us?

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Readings For Philip: Deacon and Evanelist

Psalm 67 Acts 8:26-40 Matthew 28:18-20

“As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ (Acts 8: 26 – 27)

I love this verse.  Mostly I use Philip as my baptismal mentor.  “Have water, will baptize.”  But now I want to step into the eunuch’s shoes. 

While he was a defiled man without certain opportunities regarding human pleasure, he none the less found gratitude in being accepted into the fold of Christ.  I’m thinking that although he went to the Temple to worship, he may not have been allowed to enter given that he was disfigured. He was rejected perhaps because of things done to him without his permission. But he is fully accepted into the fold of Jesus through baptism.  Yay!  And as with Zacchaeus (Luke 19) Jesus connects us with Abraham. 

There may be things that happen to us either through our own doing or through the violence of some other person or persons but that does not exclude us from the loving arms of Jesus.  It is absolutely wonderful to come to the realization of our full potential through someone who listens to us and works with us in order that we might achieve what we never thought possible.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Daily Office Readings for Thursday, of Proper 22 Year 1

AM Psalm 131, 132, [133]; PM Psalm 134, 135 2 Kings 23:4-25; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Matt. 9:18-26

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”  (1 Corinthians 12:7)

As sure as there is a living and loving God, so too are these words of Paul true.  God made us dependent on each other. God works through the spirit world.  Imbedded in each of us is the gift of spirit that provides a need for the rest of us. The need or gift may seem unimportant to some but deemed important by God.  Gifts of art like music or literature are the communications of the Divine.  Gifts of craftsmanship serve as ways to create civilizations and make dwellings for our habitation. Even gifts of athleticism have their purpose in causing us to build up our physical bodies in sport and games for recreation and enjoyment.

We have the manifestation of the Spirit working in us but let us not forget that such manifestation is for our “common” good.  We should honor the gifts God has given to others as we also want others to honor our own God-given gifts.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Readings for Vida Dutton Scudder (December 15, 1861- October 9, 1954)

Psalm 25:1-14 Isaiah 11:1-10 John 6:37-51

“It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.”  (John 6:45)

“In 1911, Scudder founded the Episcopal Church Socialist League, and formally joined the Socialist party. Her support of striking textile workers in the Lawrence, Massachusetts strike in 1912 drew a great deal of criticism and threatened her teaching position. Though she initially supported World War I, she joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation in 1923, and by the 1930s she was a pacifist. Throughout her life Scudder’s primary relationships and support network were women; her closest companion was Florence Converse, who shared in her religious faith and political ideals. After retirement, Scudder authored sixteen books on religious and political subjects, combining her intense activism with and an equally vibrant spirituality. She was the first woman published in the Anglican Theological Review.” 

from the Episcopal Women’s History Project

I have preached about Vida Dutton Scudder for years on Wednesday evening healing services. While her day is tomorrow I will speak of her today as I will be out of town and not have the opportunity to preach tonight.  It is not necessary for me to agree with her on all issues to admire how she follows God where God leads her. She was articulate, determined, compassionate and responsive to needs where she saw them.   She allowed herself to be changed where, and when, change was necessary.  She sought out those whom she could trust and was a faithful and devoted friend.

Even when her position was viewed as controversial she maintained her path.  Jesus says, “It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.”  Scudder maintained her Episcopal path of faith throughout her life and participated in its development. She examples what it means to live one’s faith no matter what.  Thank You Jesus

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 22 Year 1

AM Psalm [120], 121, 122, 123; PM Psalm 124, 125, 126, [127] 2 Kings 22:1-13; 1 Cor. 11:2,17-22; Matt. 9:1-8

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1^st Corinthians 11: 23-24)

While all the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) report the Lord’s Supper, the actual words we use are found in this above passage in 1^st Corinthians.  The words are given within the context of an admonishment rather than as a narrative as with the Gospel.  This meal is serious.  It is the one way Jesus asks us to remember him.

This is why I switched from wearing a cross to wearing emblems of Holy Communion. The cross was the Roman death tool of that day. And yet, we have chosen to wear it as a remembrance of Jesus.  But Jesus himself asked us to remember him in the bread and wine, the Body and Blood given for our salvation.  Thank you Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 22 Year 1

AM Psalm 106:1-18; PM Psalm 106:19-48 2 Kings 21:1-18; 1 Cor. 10:14-11:1; Matt. 8:28-34

“All things are lawful’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful’, but not all things build up.” (1^st Corinthians 10:23)

Even now in our own day we have many behaviors that have no legal consequence for doing them. Everything from the way we dress to how we interact with others or how we spend our money. From the perspective of the law of the community, many things are legal for us. But are all these freedoms fitting for a moral person?

Modesty is the word I like to use in most situations especially as it applies to my personal attributes. Modest in dress means wearing having one’s own sense of appropriate attire. I know that I am more conservative than most Americans.  I don’t even own a pair of short pants. I never leave home in a shirt that doesn’t have a collar. Often I wear a sport coat when out and about but not always.  While in Israel I wore my jacket on all our tours.  My fellow companions called me Mr. Debonair.  I did it so that I always had my wallet, phone and most important passport with me at all times. But I don’t think they realized that. There are some ways of dressing that I consider either vulgar of untidy.  I am not so much judging but rather discriminating about my own preferred way of dress.  I think it is vulgar but not illegal for one’s pants to drop so low that one’s underwear is revealed.  All things are lawful’, but not all things are beneficial.

 Modesty in food means eating only what is enough.  Now this is a real challenge for me.  I like to eat.  My biggest challenge is to go to an “all you can eat” restaurant and limit myself to only what is enough and not worry about how much I am losing in terms of my “money’s worth.”  At the end of the day eating really is about a healthy body.

Modesty in language means to refrain from using vulgar expressions or profanity. This is more than just the use of bad words.  Sarcasm is never a good thing I once quipped. It is most often condescending. Our feet speak best for us. Our feet will have us to be where we feel most comfortable.  And where we are says all that needs to be said about how we feel. If we don’t like where we are or who we are with, we move. For the most part, except for fraud, free speech is legal, even profanity.  All things are lawful’, but not all things build up.

I think Paul in his first letter to the Church in Corinth makes a valid point.  What I take away from his words is a personal sense of individual responsibility with regard to my own discipline. There are community laws but I/we should have a personal limit well within the community standard that shows our own sense of modesty in all things. What do you think?

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 22 Year C Track 2

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 Psalm 37:1-10 2 Timothy 1:1-14  Luke 17:5-10

“The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”  (Luke 17: 6)

Is Jesus saying they had no faith or that the faith they have is sufficient?  I borrow heavily from Fred Craddock writing on Luke for Interpretation; a Bible Commentary.

“The Greek language has basically two types of “if” clauses; those which express a condition contrary to the fact (“if I were you”) and those which express a condition according to fact (“if Jesus is our Lord”). The conditional clause in verse 6 is of the second type; one could translate it “if you had faith (and you do).” Jesus’ response, then, is not a reprimand for an absence of faith but an affirmation of the faith they have and an invitation to live out the full possibilities of that faith.  Even the small faith they already have cancels out words such as “impossible” (a tree being uprooted) and “absurd” (planting a tree in the sea) and puts them in touch with the power of God. That Luke has “sycamine tree” (a kind of mulberry) instead of a “mountain” as in Matthew and Mark in no way alters the message: faith lays hold of God with whom nothing is impossible, and it is God who empowers the life of discipleship.” (Fred B. Craddock writing for Interpretation; A Bible Commentary: Luke: 1990 p. 200)

From this we learn that the disciples already have all the faith they need to do the work of ministry and to serve at all levels. And the work of ministry and serving is a lifelong and eternal state of being.

Again from Craddock, “There is no place or time, therefore, at which the disciple can say, “I have completed my service; now I want to be served.”  If this parable was prompted by the remark of the apostles at verse 5, then two things can be said,  First, the lesson is especially applicable to the leaders of the church who can easily forget that they are “servants of the servants of God.”  Because many people work out their relationship to God in the ways they relate to the minister, special treatment, both positive and negative, can contribute to that forgetfulness. Second, the request for increase of faith (verse 5) must not seduce the apostles or any leader to assume that with the increase comes elevation in position so that the period of serving ends.  Apostles and all leaders of the faithful come under the instructions for all disciples. In the field or in the house, a servant is a servant” (also Fred B. Craddock writing for Interpretation; A Bible Commentary: Luke: 1990 p. 200 and 201)

For me at least, this means that I should train myself to love serving to the point that it is my preferred state of being, in this life and in the next. I want to be the field hand and the house hand as well.  This earth is the field, heaven is the house. I am honored to serve in both. How about you?

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+