Author: John Thomas Frazier

Readings for Joseph, Earthly father of Jesus

Daily Office:  AM: Psalm 132; Isaiah 63:7-16; PM: Psalm 34; 2 Chronicles 6:12-17; Ephesians 3:14-21;  Matthew 1:18-25 

Matthew

 “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)

My Pondering

Let us see Joseph through Matthew’s eyes.  Matthew is trying to make a connection between Jesus and the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures.  He shows that in the linage of Joseph there are repeating names of father and son like names of our ancient parents. “And Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.” (Matthew 1:16)  So Jacob, of Genesis, was later called Israel who had a son named Joseph (of the coat of many colors), who was sold into slavery and later became in charge of Egypt’s resources and made homes for Israel to move down to Egypt.  So this repeating of the holy names is special.

Matthew speaks of our New Testament Joseph as one who ponders (I like that word).  He pondered how he might let go of Mary after seeing that she was already pregnant.   “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)   We have no words from Joseph only obedience.  He does as he is told.  It is important to note here that he is told the child will save us from our sins!  That’s a big deal in and of itself, perhaps for another Ponder blog.

When Herod (the so-called Great) was on a baby killing spree, Joseph was told to take the baby and go to Egypt.  “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt” (Matthew 2:14).  Again, he showed unquestioning obedience for the welfare of his family.

Later, After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” (Matthew 2:19-20)  More faithful fatherhood is modeled.

As a father myself, I have some idea of what it means to care for children, whether they are biological or not.  Fatherhood is so special.  Our human existence depends on the “big brother” approach of men caring for young children.  It is not so much about being a disciplinarian but rather an example setter and coach. It is about being supportive of the mother especially when she is the one doing most or all of the leadership.  It is not about being the boss, but rather sharing in the tensions and troubles that come to the family from time to time.

There is a non-spoken presence of Joseph in Luke worthy of note.  Jesus is lost as far as Mary and Joseph are concerned.  However we only hear from his mother, “and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’”  (Luke 2:48)  Joseph again says nothing and yet, in his silent strength, he is the epitome of fatherhood.  I can see him standing in agreement with Mary yet not being overbearing.  Come on dads, let’s be like Joseph.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Cyril of Jerusalem Bishop and Theologian (18 March 836)

Readings for Cyril:

Psalm 122 Ecclesiasticus 47:8-10 Hebrews 13:14-21 Luke 24:44-48

Luke

“Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:44-48)

My Pondering

Today we remember Cyril of Jerusalem of the fourth century.  Cyril had an on again, off again, bishopric in Jersalem where he was born early in the same century.  The issue was his decision to stand by our creed as developed in Nicea, known today as our Nicene Creed.  It was the affirmation that Jesus was/is of one substance with God. I often ponder that if we love Jesus and realize there is an undisputable connection between Jesus and God, why are we getting so wrapped around the axle about that when we should be out doing the work that Jesus as set for us to do.  We should just live with the mystery.

It is a shame that we have closed our minds to doing the work of feeding the hungry that are right next to us because we are concerned about what other people think about the mystical make-up of Jesus.  As the verse says in Luke, we really need Jesus to open our minds to understand the scriptures. Jesus also told them that the people around us need consolation and peace.  We are focused on the degree of who Jesus is rather than following his instruction and caring for the lost all around us.  These are the ones we should be concerned about.  The next verse in Luke has Jesus saying, “and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah^* is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:46 – 48)

I am thankful to Cyril of Jerusalem for his steadfast insistence on our Nicene Creed.  It keeps us Trinitarian.  That’s looking up to God.  God on the other hand, asks us to look to our right and left at those less fortunate than ourselves and to be responsive to their needs. Open our minds again Lord.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Liturgical Readings for the Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 15:1-12,17-18Psalm 27Philippians 3:17-4:1Luke 13:31-35

Luke

Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” (Luke 13:31)

My Pondering

With assistance of Fred B. Craddock writing for Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching; Luke; Craddock also shows that not all Pharisees should be grouped into a Hate-Jesus group. Craddock writes, “In fact, according  to Luke, Paul himself acknowledged near the close of his ministry, not “I was a Pharisee” but “I am a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6).  (Craddock; Interpretation 1990; Luke; p. 173) Craddock goes on to say that some of the members of the early church were indeed Pharisees.

This is the idea I quickly came to as I read the opening of this passage. These Pharisee were not trying to trick Jesus.  They were trying to warn him.  Herod Antipas of Galilee had already beheaded John the Baptist and there was talk that Jesus was a reconstituted John.  Herod now wanted to be done with this once and for all.  But Jesus knew that in spite of Herod’s yearning, prophets are killed in Jerusalem and nowhere else.   Jesus even taunts him sending the message that he will be in his territory for three more days and then on to Jerusalem. So there, Herod.

This lesson about the Pharisees is like the one about “The Jews” as written especially in the Gospel of John where the term is used as if to say that all Jews were instrumental in the death of Jesus.  The term “The Jews” is pointing to the Temple authorities only.  And, perhaps not even all of them.  This leads to the focus of this pondering.  We need to own the deep level of understanding God has given us to look deep into people and the groups to which they belong.

Today we tend to be as divisive as we can be. Sometimes this happens only for the sake of being against the other group or team. We do this most effectively with labels. We label the others progressive, conservative, liberal, literal, fundamentalist, democrat, and republican, Baptist, Episcopalian, Catholic, Muslim and back to Jews again. On these labeling platforms we initiate polarization, and too often, tribal hate for those not on “our team.” 

We need to be open to being loving friends with those who belong to groups that we don’t feel comfortable being a part of. Jesus went to dinners with the Pharisees. But he never became a Pharisee.  If we look, and we can, there is some good in all groups that attract loving community.  This is true because some aspect of God is present in that loving community too. And this too is true because God is love. We can’t, and shouldn’t, just be done with them once and for all.  So there, Herod.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Daily Office Readings for Year One: Saturday of week one of Lent.

AM Psalm 55; PM Psalm 138, 139:1-17(18-23) Deut. 11:18-28; Heb. 5:1-10; John 4:1-26

From the Gospel of John

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

My Pondering

This again reminds me of when I was in undergraduate school at East Carolina University and taking chemistry with a lab and Intro to philosophy.  At the time I was an enlisted Marine working on my college degree with not much thought of divine things.  However, I was a church going person and did ponder about God every now and again.

So, as I studied the elemental chart and saw that the simplest of atomic structures was that of the hydrogen atom (a proton and a electron). I asked myself, was it a random act that the combining and restructuring of atoms and proteins caused life and eventually us?  Or, was there a master thought actually thinking these things (and us) into being from the very beginning? Philosophically, I read René Descartes and his pondering of “I think therefore I am.” And even without being any kind of a churchy person I reasoned that life was not random.  It was a loving plan from the start, from one who is Spirit.  This is One who I like to call the Principle Ponderer.
So it is the Unseen Spirit that brings the seen into visibility, into being, into discernment, not the other way around.

We are connected to the Almighty in Spirit and in Truth. And as Jesus tells the woman at the well, we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth.  We cannot get away from the presence of God as is proclaimed by the Psalmist, “Where can I go then from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.” (Psalm 139:6 – 7)

We are brought into life as spiritual beings learning  and struggling to be the created creatures God has equipped us to be.  We should not be so fascinated with the diversity of our physical make-up that we forget that we are all one Spirit in God.  And as Christians, we make that spiritual connection through Jesus who is the Christ, our Emanuel, God with us.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

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Readings for St Vincent de Paul: Helper of the poor (27 September 1660)

Psalm 37:19-42 1 Samuel 2:2–10Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.”  (Matthew 25:31)

My Pondering

In Matthew’s Gospel this chapter and verse starts the beginning of the separation of the sheep from the goats.  The sheep are placed on the right hand side and the goats on the left.  The sheep are remembered for seeing Jesus in the poor and down trodden and responding with loving care.  The goats are remembered for not seeing Jesus in the same and being oblivious to their situation. The lesson of course, is that we should strive to see Jesus in the down trodden and respond to their needs as best we can.

St Vincent is remembered for being a caring sheep as depicted in this chapter.  He dedicated himself to helping the poor and needy. “Out of his Confraternity of Charity there arose an order of nuns called the Daughters (or Sisters) of Charity, devoted to nursing those who were sick and poor. He said of them, “Their convent is the sick-room, their chapel the parish church, their cloister the streets of the city.” “(Taken from an article by James Kiefer)

In my formative years, first through fourth grades, I attended St Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Nashville, Tennessee.  I would not learn of its significance in my life until years later.  The sisters there instructed us in manners, how to eat, that is, to drink only after finishing our meals, about reading, writing and arithmetic, and about God.  I am now convinced that they baptized me.  I did not know it at the time.  It was when I sent for my transcript for college that I read the transcript from St Vincent where it answered the question, “How is child identified?” The answer: “Baptismal Certificate.”  So I pondered that these good sisters made it their responsibility to see to it that these poor children got into heaven.  God Bless them for that.

Not everything was good at St Vincent.  There was a secular lay teacher there that was mean to me.  I remember that.  She is probably among the goats now.  But my take-away is very good.  That school, which is no longer in operation, shaped my spiritual life for the rest of my life.

I was given a choice in life, to be a sheep or a goat.  I’m spending my life looking for Jesus in every person I meet.  I don’t care what the person believes or even if they believe.  My calling is to be good to people.  Jesus is easy to spot.  You can see him in men or women, black or white and all shades in between, gay or straight, rich or poor, free or incarcerated, democrat or republican. You get the idea, everybody.  Come sheep with me.  Let’s go on a Jesus hunt.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

The Lessons Appointed for Use on Thursday in the First Week of Lent

Esther (Apocrypha) 14:1–6,12–14Psalm 138Matthew 7:7–12

Matthew:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”   (Matt. 7:7 – 8)

My Ponderings

Jesus is still teaching in Galilee to a large crowd that began in chapter 3 of Matthew.  As it becomes apparent to them that they have much to learn he begins to show them how to obtain greater understanding.   He now tells them that to have a deeper relationship with God and one another they must ask, seek and knock. He goes on to give the example that if we know how to care for our loved ones, how much more does God know how to care for us, but we must ask. We must seek.  We must knock.  Jesus ends with the golden rule of “do to others what you would want them to do to you.” ( Matt. 7:12)

Asking for anything really comes hard for some people.  This is especially true if they have to ask a friend or a neighbor for help.  But necessity happens.  We must remember that God exist in our neighbors also.  And in most cases God has already prepared our neighbors to help us and sometimes they are completely unawares.  But we must humble ourselves and ask for help. We are not afforded the life wherein we can say “I never have to ask for anything.”  Sometimes we must. Asking is God’s plan. It is the social network God wants us to enjoy.

Curiosity too brings about innovation in our work and in our everyday lives.  It is the old “what if” question.  If we search for answers we will find them. Even finding out what does not work is an answer.  This is what Jesus says. Seek and we shall find.   For me it is all about “Pondering.”  I just let my mind ponder around whatever primary idea comes to me. But to do this, I need you. Help me please.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Readings for James Theodore Holly Bishop of Haiti and Dominican Republic (13 March 1911)

Psalm 86:11-17 Deuteronomy 6:20-25  Acts 8:26-39 John 4:31-38

Acts of the Apostles:

Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The Eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37)

Acts 8:37 may not be found in many English translations. I have taken up the position of baptizing at the drop of a hat based on this Acts reading about Philip and the Eunuch for a long time.  I have especially liked the part where the Eunuch sees water and asked what is to prevent him from being baptized?

I also like the fact that Philip picked up where the Eunuch was rather than starting from the beginning of Genesis and giving the Eunuch more than he either asked for or could handle.  This was brotherly love truly demonstrated wherein Philip had compassion for one who was probably refused entrance into the Temple he traveled so far to because of his mutilated condition.

Verse 37 of Acts 8 with its requirement to believe that Jesus is the Son of God is so important to being a Christian.  If one does not there is no point in being baptized.  In just the same way men wanting to be a Free Mason must proclaim a belief in God (even if not Christian) or there is no point in taking an obligation to be a Mason.  Masonry is not a religion, but a man must believe in God, in some way, to be accepted into the fraternity.

James Theodore Holly was the First African American Bishop in the Episcopal Church and Bishop of Haiti. “As an experienced Masonic leader and scholar, Holly visited the Masonic temples and made friends among their members. He was also willing to perform Masonic burial services.” ( adapted from St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church, Buffalo, NY (reprinted with permission))

No matter what we do in life or what fraternity or sorority we join, if we are professed Christians we must believe in God as made manifest in Christ Jesus and this must be first in our lives. It was the teachings of Jesus that guided Philip to the pastoral care of the Eunuch.  The teachings of Jesus will also guide us today to the pastoral care of all who Jesus puts in our path. We are to go up to their chariot and explain the story of Jesus only as much as they can bear.  One does not baptize one’s self, it takes community.

Fraternity, sorority or parish, find a community of faithful believers and be “taken” by the Holy Spirit to do good works.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Liturgical Readings for Tuesday in the First Week of Lent

Isaiah 55:6–11 Psalm 34:15–22 Matthew 6:7–15

Isaiah:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.”   (Isaiah 55:8)

My Pondering

What would it be like to have thoughts like God’s thoughts?  It seems from this verse that God’s thoughts lead to God’s ways and therefore, since our thoughts are not like God’s thoughts our ways are not like God’s ways.

I am reminded of our old “Think and Do” books in private school when I was in first or second grade.  I can’t remember the content so much but I have never forgotten the title, “Think and Do.”  Think and Do parallels thoughts and ways.  So if I want my ways to be more godly then my godly thoughts must come first.  While we will never be able to achieve the mind of God I think at least trying to move in that direction is a good first step to a more godly path and way.

There may not be a big difference between thought and love for God. For that matter, for God, think and love may, in some way, be the same thing.  If God thinks in love, how do I copy that?  I too must think in terms of love.  This means that whenever something bad happens I should immediately go into recovery mode, into make-whole-again mode. There is always a scene in an adventure movie where a loved one has been hurt by a villain and the villain runs off.  The hero then has to decide whether to give chase or take care of the victim.  In almost all cases, the hero attends first to the victim.  This is the right and loving way. The same is true for whatever attacks someone we love.  The most import thing, the most godly thing to do is provide comfort to our loved ones.  The attacker could be another person or persons, a disease, a job loss, or an accident that caused harm.  The first step is always to stop the bleeding!  This love-action (thought-way) Godly Way is what we want to be and do.

Revenge or retaliation is never a godly way. It is certainly not a loving way.  We must learn to turn our hurt and hate into help and healing – searching for another way. If we let ourselves become obsessed with negative relationship we are no longer able to love-act, thought-way, think and do. With retaliation and/or revenge we could get ourselves into a place that would prevent us from being able to help our loved ones in the future.

We can, and should try to get a little closer to God’s Way of thinking and the Way God loves us.  Then our thoughts will be at least closer to God’s thoughts, and our ways closer to God’s Ways.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Eucharistic Readings for Monday in the First Week of Lent

Leviticus 19:1–2,11–18Psalm 19:7–14Matthew 25:31–46

Psalm 19

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” (Psalm 91:14)

My Pondering:

I use a modified version of this verse after reading the Gospel at the service of Holy Eucharist. My version is first person plural in the second half of it. “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of “our” hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.”

This “our hearts” language comes not too long after we have asked God to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts.  There is something comforting to say about a Christian spiritual community that quietly invites God to enter our heart and cleanse it and assist us with meditation. So many times we see in Scripture where God, or God’s representative, comes to people in their quiet moments.

Three of the places that I like are from Abraham from Genesis; Elijah from 1 Kings; and Mary from Luke.  In Genesis, “The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.” (Gen 18:1) In 1 Kings we have, “The Lord said [to Elijah], “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. (1Kings 19:11)  And in the Gospel of Luke we have, “The angel went to her [Mary] and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)  These are all moments where the presence of God was mingled with the mind of mortals.

This is the same, timeless, God we have today, a God who still wants to mingle with us.  I believe we are created to be a spiritual, peaceful people. We get anxious about many things. All we really need to do is just settle down and open the minds of our hearts. We who do this are few in number so we have to make room for God not only to be with us for ourselves, but to be with us for the benefit of others as well.  God was with Abraham for the benefit of the World, God was with Elijah for the benefit of the Israelites.  And God was with Mary again for the benefit of the world.

So we hear words from the Bible and hopefully we let these words sink deep into our hearts.  These same words say different things to different people.  In this way we need each other.  This is God’s plan. None of us should be alone. We need each other. We need to talk to each other so that we can perceive what God is saying. Each and every one of us is a beautiful creature of God who God uses to sustain this earth, God’s beautiful place in the universe.  I need you, you need me: God’s plan. So again to God I say; “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.” Amen.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Liturgical Readings

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13

Luke

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Luke 4:1)

My Pondering:

As very young men my brother and I would often travel with my dad on long road trips driving an 18 wheeler.  On one accession my dad and I took with us another young person I will call Boston.  Boston was under 18 years of age.

We found ourselves on a trip that would take us us through western Canada.  But we could not take Boston because he was under age with no identity as a U. S. citizen and we would not be able to get him back into the U.S.  So we bought him a bus ticket from Sweetgrass, Montana to Seattle, Washington.  My dad’s words to him (over and over) was, no matter what he was to stay at that bus station.  We knew when he would be there and we would be there the same day.  That was the plan.

Boston was tempted by neighborhood gangs, and later by a pretty girl he said, to leave the bus station and go with her.  He did not. He had my dad’s words still running through his head, “Don’t Leave the Bus Station.”  Finally, The police came to investigate him because he just hung around and didn’t seem to leave.  We were late getting into Seattle due to forest fires in western Canada.  As we were decending down a downtown street, on our left we saw two policemen talking to Boston.  My dad yelled out of the window, “He’s mine, I’m going to park and I’ll be right back.”

When we walked back to the bus station and claimed Boston I noticed that Boston had been crying.  He then shared with me the events that took place, He told me a group of young men came by and told him that he would have to leave because this was their turf.  He was afraid but had to remain at the bus station like dad said.  Next a young woman who worked there got off work and offered him her place to relax and that she would bring him back when we got there. But he stuck to my dad’s instruction to stay at the station.

He said what really broke him down was the policemen approaching and asking him for identification. He had none and the day had been long waiting for us to show up.  It was during the questioning of the police that they heard my dad’s voice say, “He’s mine, I’m going to park and I’ll be right back.”

Jesus anchored himself to the words of scripture when being tempted by evil temptation.  Three times he was tempted. Three times he remember word from scripture that kept him from straying from safety. Jesus repeated “It is written or it is said.”  Boston was tempted three times to leave the bus station. But he was anchored to my dad’s words.  All of us need words that assist us in doing what is right.  Such words may come from a hymn, or a poem or a Psalm or a Bible passage or the quote from a parent or pastor.  The main thing is that we ought to have an anchor to keep us secure during the storms and threats of life.  And when you find yourself tempted speak boldly about your conviction to stay the course.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to God’s people and “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.