Author: John Thomas Frazier

AM Psalm 30, 32;  PM Psalm 42, 43Deut. 7:17-26;  Titus 3:1-15;  John 1:43-51

“Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’” (John 1: 49)

My Pondering:

When I think of the people called by Jesus to follow him I have missed Philip.  I remember James and John; and Simon Peter and Andrew; and I remember Levi being called from the tax booth.  But I somehow missed Philip.  Then Philip goes and invites Nathanael.  So when I miss Philip, I also miss Nathanael.

We know from verses just before this one that Nathanael and Jesus pondered about one another.  Nathanael pondered if any good could come out of Nazareth. And Jesus pondered about Nathanael being a man in whom there is no deceit.  So we know that in spite of Nazareth being the Sodom and Gomorrah of their day, Jesus, who is God incarnate, comes to them from there.  And we know that Nathanael is a good man because Jesus has said so. He is a man without deceit. So what is it about Nathanael?

I ponder about what Nathanael was experiencing when he was under the fig tree before Philip called him.  The moment that Jesus mentioned that he saw him before Philip called him; that he was with him under the fig tree. It must have been something special. It was so life-changing that Nathanael said to Jesus ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! What was going on with Nathanael?  Was he crying? Was he contemplating suicide?  Was he visited by God with great joy?  We don’t know.  What we do know is that Nathanael experienced a life-change of some sort. And because Jesus knows what was going on in his (our) life he sees Jesus not just as Rabbi, but as Son of God, as King of Israel.

Where are these experiences in our lives, our secrete lives, under our own fig trees that Jesus sees us and then lets us know that we have been seen as he did Nathanael?  How do we become as appreciated by Jesus as Nathanael was? I believe we already are.

I believe that when Jesus/God sends us to someone, God also prepares that same someone to receive us.  And not always does the person we are sent to, or who is sent to us, made aware of it.  Many times God speaks to us through us. So we need to be careful.  Who was the Philip that God sent to you about Jesus?  What was the holy time and place (fig tree) of your life?  Name the person. Name the place. Name the time. To do so is healing. These fig tree moments are more important than first realized. I have had several. I was under a fig tree in Basic Training at Parris Island South Carolina. I was under another fig tree at The Episcopal Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia.  And I’m pondering that God is not done with me yet.  We all have those Nathanael, fig tree moments.  It doesn’t mean that we are pure, but it does mean that Jesus sees us at those life-changing moments and only you (Jesus and you) know what’s going on.

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.

AM Psalm 95* & 31;   PM Psalm 35Deut. 7:12-16; Titus 2:1-15; John 1:35-42

John:

“When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” (John 1:38 – 39)

My Pondering:

I don’t know if the writer of John was intentionally making this connection but he has Jesus going back to where he was staying and inviting his new “potential” followers to “come and see.”  Moreover, we are given a time reference of four o’clock in the afternoon, when Andrew goes to get his brother and return, to end this introduction of a call to follow Jesus.

We understand that Jesus was crucified on what we call Good Friday at noon.  We think he died at three in the afternoon.  I ponder then that Jesus’ engagement with Andrew and the other follower of John the Baptist, was during these hours and a foreshadowing of Jesus coming to us and dragging those of us, who are curious enough, to follow him back to his heavenly kingdom.

The key question however comes to us from Jesus as he asks, “What are you looking for?”  I wish we had them to answer the question.  But they don’t.  They respond to the question with a question, “Where are you staying?”  Let us respond to Jesus.  What are we looking for?  More personally, what are you looking for?

I think curiosity and searching is a part of our human make-up.  I think we are born to search.  God made us that way on purpose.  However we get to choose “What” or “Who” we will search for.  We have searched to the ends of the earth just to see if it had an end (flat).  We are searching the outer most reaches of space and the depths of the seas. Archeologists dig without knowing what they will find; they just search and try to make sense of what they find.  We are searching for cures to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  We look now at our own genetic make-up so that we can search further into who we are.  Search, search, search, it’s what we do. So when Andrew and the other disciple looked into the eyes of “All Answers” they could only ask, “Where are you staying?”

Interestingly, when these searchers found Jesus, Jesus often re-identified some of them.  Jesus changed Simon to Peter and later Saul to Paul, new names for a new search.  So you get to fill in the blank of “I am in search of _________________.  Who will this search cause you to be or become?  In many ways I am like the archeologists; I just ponder and try to make sense of what I find.  But for all of us, we only have to follow Jesus and look into the eyes of “All Answers” and ask “Where are you staying?”

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.

Psalm 124 Hebrews 10:32-39 Matthew 24:9-14

“But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.”   (Hebrews 10:32,33)

I strongly suggest that you read all of Hebrews 10: 32 – 39.  It is so fitting for Perpetua and for us today as we profess our Christian faith.

My Pondering of Perpetua:

Today we remember Perpetua, who with Felicity her former slave but later sister in Christ and others, who were slaughtered in an arena in Carthage, North Africa, on 7 March 202. There are many details in her story but there are three pieces that I want to share with you in this pondering.

First, she was the 22 year old mother of an infant and hoping to be baptized soon. She already assumed the title Christian which is why she was on the death row of her day.  Even with her old grey haired father coming to her in her prison and on his knees begging her to just say she was not a Christian, she would not deny being a follower of Jesus.  How many of us would do that?

Second, in the account of her torture and death she handed off her journal to a person who continued to record her ordeal.  This is how we have it today.  It is thought by many that this person was Tertullian, Christian Theologian and writer.  My fascination here is that Perpetua had the forethought of ensuring her story was told even when she knew she would not be able to tell it. How many of us today would do that?

Third and last, as Perpetua and Felicity were being slaughtered, and after Perpetua had already been injured and thrown by what she called a wild cow and having her clothing ripped away, she quickly gather herself together and then attended to Felicity, comforting her and telling her to “maintain her dignity even if we are attacked by that wild cow or whatever it is.”  I can imagine the look on Felicity’s face realizing that Perpetua is forgetting that they have already been attacked.  Further, Perpetua’s attention to decency and comfort to Felicity quieted the jeering crowd.  They wanted to see people screaming and running for their lives. What they saw was a woman who stared down her oncoming slaughter.  I can imagine her thoughts being that she might be killed but she will not be entertaining. Finally, when they were ordered to be killed by the sword, a bumbling young soldier could only kill Perpetua with her own hand guiding him. How many of us would do that?

This 22 year old young mother is one of my most favorite heroes.  She chose Jesus over family; she told her Christian story and passed it on to be told for future generations; and she respected the dignity of all human beings including her own.  How many of us will do that?

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 Ash Wednesday 6 March 5, 2019

Joel 2:1-2,12-17 Psalm 103 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

Matthew:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

My Pondering

This statement is so true.  But it’s a little misleading.  It almost implies that the treasure comes before the heart.  But it’s the other way around.  You see our money and resources follow our desires. Our heart is already there.  When we get money or something of value we use it to navigate to where our desires, our hearts lead us,.  And here’s the thing, we get to say what our heart’s desire is. We also get the opportunity to adjust it, to say what we want to like or love.

Often we cannot follow our hearts desire because we don’t have the resources to do so.  Years back in our Diocese, we wanted to increase the money in our retired clergy fund.  We wanted to ensure that our retired clergy had enough to live on.  At that time giving was low but our desire to do this was strong.  I remember being at an Executive Council Meeting where I said, “Our hearts have taken us places that our checkbooks can’t follow.”  Our Diocesan Treasurer remembered my words and as I have spoken to her recently, she still reminds me of that time.

This same thing still happens to us today.  And sometimes it is a good thing.  I am often pleased that I didn’t have the money to buy a boat years ago.  I have come to realize that it was not something that I really wanted, or needed.  As I get older the distance between my wants and needs shrinks. I am closer to wanting only what I truly need.  I’m not completely there yet. I’m still a work in progress but I can see where I’m headed.  The Lenten season can help me get a clearer perspective on wants and needs by practicing needs first.

Finally, I have come to understand that I cannot adjust my own heart’s desire.  I need help. I need God to step in and gently move my desires to that that is pleasing to God.  It is taking me a long time to realize that God will send me that that will be pleasing both to God and to me.  This is made manifest in the people put in my path as well as vocational adjustments in community.  This adjustment is a cleansing from God.  And it takes God to do it but we first have to want it, while not knowing what “it” is.  I am so glad to pray our Collect for Purity every Sunday and it is only fitting that I recall those words now.  “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid:  Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.” (1979 BCP p. 355)

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 Tuesday 5 March 5, 2019

AM Psalm 26, 28; PM Psalm 36, 39 Deut. 6:16-25; Heb 2:1-10; John 1:19-28

Hebrews:

“Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”  (Hebrews 2:1)

My Pondering

Hearing the Word is so important to living faithful lives.  We are blessed in our church to weekly hear lessons from the Hebrew Testament, a Psalm or part of a Psalm, a New Testament reading and Words from the Gospel of Jesus.  We also hear a reflection on the words heard in a homily.

But our hearing is more than just this opening of our service.  We hear each other together as we pronounce what we believe in the words of the Creed.  In the same way we hear our collective selves pray to God for the welfare of our families, our church and clergy, our nation, for the sick and those who have passed. We hear all of our voices coming together and going to God in hope.

We also hear ourselves confess that we have done some wrong things and left some good works undone.  All of us have done this or not done this.  We say it together, and we hear it together.

It is important to remember what the writer to the Hebrews says, “we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”  And while not everyone can hear, the deaf live with us who can hear. They benefit and learn from us who can hear as we behave accordingly.  What we hear in our church service must be practiced in our everyday lives, at home and away, Monday back to Sunday again.  Weekly listening leads to loving lives. To drift away is to lose the hope of holding on to the life God wants for us.

God speaks to us through us.  God has one mouth, Jesus, we have two ears so that we can double hear what God is saying as the Psalmist says, “Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.” (Psalm 62:11 NRSV)

So Lent is the time in the Church year for people who have fallen away from the sound of the Word to come back within earshot of the Word. But like the Hebrews preacher says, for those of us who have been regular listeners to not just let what we’ve been hearing to become mundane but rather, “we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

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 Monday 4 March 2019

AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15;  Deut. 6:10-15; Heb 1:1-14;  John 1:1-18

John

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

My Pondering:

This is the opening of the Gospel of John.  It is Trinitarian in that it is Word, with God, is God!  But what we must take away from this is that it is “Word” not book (Bible)!  In the beginning is the Word, not the Bible.  There is a difference.

The experiences of our relationship with God and God Incarnate was just that, Godly experiences. It was word of mouth about the Word of God.  Later we would put these experiences down in writing.  Perhaps first for Christians in Aramaic, the spoken language of Jesus and later in Greek the language of an occupied Middle East.  But in all translated recordings there are gaps, misrepresentations and mistakes due to languages that do not have words that fit the exact meanings.

Later, the Greek was translated into Latin, and sometime later the Latin into our early English.  And now, into our American tongue and even that into various understandings, New International Version, King James, New Revised Standard Version, The Message and many, many others. And all of these are English translations, English translations that even the word smiths don’t agree on.

Many people hold to every word of the Bible.  But the Bible has flaws due to mistranslations, mistakes and bias of the translator. Having said this I still believe the Bible contains all things necessary for our salvation.  However, not everything in it is necessary for our salvation.  There is a difference.

All Biblically based faiths do a certain amount of picking and choosing about what words of the Bible they hold most sacred. This is especially true for New Testament or Christian faiths.  No exception.  We have to because of the contradictions therein contained.

What we can take real comfort in is that the Bible is only a written reflection of an interpretation of the Word that was with God and was God, and is God today.  The reading of the Bible must always be accompanied by loving prayer.  In this way we can truly hear what the Holy Spirit is really saying to God’s people. Loving prayer is our personal translator.

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 3 March 2019

Exodus 34:29-35Psalm 99;   2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2;Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a]

“Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.” (Luke 9: 30)

It has been explained to me that Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the prophets.  Therefore, to Jesus, comes the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

This scene is further testified to by Peter to others in his second letter. (2 Peter 1:16-17)  As Moses and Elijah appeared before the time of Jesus on earth, it is now made evident before Peter, James and John, (and us) the resurrection of those who came before Jesus, making Jesus the first fruits of creation.

So how did Peter, James and John even know who the Moses and Elijah were?  There were no emails, or pictures that could have been shared. Perhaps this was another one of those examples where the Holy Spirit is filling in the gap of the unknown.

This radiance of Jesus is the last holy light we will see for while.  Ash Wednesday is fast approaching.  You won’t hear about it in the news or in the shopping centers.  The secular world goes from the hearts of Valentine’s Day to the chocolate rabbits of Easter.  No money to be made with people reflecting on who God is calling them to be, or the reconciliation of relationships, or repentance.

Moses obeyed God and went back to Egypt to lead God’s chosen out of bondage. Elijah and the prophets prophesied about the wrath to come if people didn’t change their ways.  Both were called to do dangerous work.  Both appeared before Jesus and were witnessed by the new followers, Peter, James and John, also called to do dangerous work. As you are Christian, you too are called to step out of your comfort zone and follow God’s call for the benefit of others.

We at St Paul’s in the Pines will switch to Rite I during Lent for both Sunday Services during Lent.  This is the Church in its purest form.  It is not about the market or sales or the latest thing.  It is about the cloud of unknowing filling in gaps of understanding providing reconciliation and opportunities for repentance.

Just a few sentences down in Luke’s Gospel we will be informed by that cloud that Jesus is God’s beloved son and that we are to listen to him. And listening means obeying. And Jesus says “Follow Him.”

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 Saturday 2 March 2019

AM Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), 144; PM Psalm 104Ruth 4:1-17; 2 Cor. 4:13-5:10; Matt. 6:1-6

2 Corinthians  

“So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16)

There is an existence beyond this existence. We all live in and discern this material world now.  But this is not the ultimate reality. The next existence will be an eternal existence!  We have all heard it said that as soon as we are born we begin the death process.  It sounds morbid, but there is much truth to it. These bodies are divinely designed to wear out.  I figured out in seminary that the most important work I was going to do as a priest is to conduct funerals for the faithful.  The leading theme of the Christian funeral is the Resurrection! Every funeral in the Episcopal Church is an Easter Service.  Whether he or she was remembered as good or bad they have left this existence.  What God does with them is far beyond my range of knowledge.  This truly is where we must “walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7 also part of today’s reading)

St Paul says that as our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.  But I don’t think it does it by itself.  I believe we must put forth effort to try and be better people in the here and now.  We are building our next bodies.

“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:17-18)  This is Paul again prophesying about our next life.  “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”  (2 Cor. 5:1 also part of today’s reading)  Please pardon me here Paul but there is only one small modification I would suggest here and that is the word “if.”  You see, it is not “if” these bodies are destroyed… it is “when” these bodies are destroyed or just quit living as we know it. It is then that we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. But we need to be sending the body building material on ahead of us so that that new body will be waiting for us.  We do this by living more loving and godly lives in this life every day.

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 Friday 1 March 2019

AM Psalm 140, 142; PM Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12)Ruth 3:1-18; 2 Cor. 4:1-12; Matt. 5:38-48

2^nd Corinthians

“For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2^nd Corinthians 4:6)

In Paul’s second letter to the Church in Corinth he speaks of “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4) The god of this world is truly a small “g” god.  This is a god of toxic human relations without God (big “G”) involved.  This is a god of greed, of power, of lust, of bigotry and all kinds of isms. It is a god of darkness.

But we have a loving God who says, “Let shine out of darkness.”  You and I are told to take off the blinders and see. Believing in Jesus we have in our hearts the light of knowledge of the glory of God (big “G”).  We are the light that God wants to shine in this present day world with full understanding that this world is dark.  People are walking around often in blind rage only because they can’t see a better way – you!  Be that better way.  Be that light to the nations as spoke of in Luke 2:31 – 34. “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

This light of Christ is still so very relevant today, maybe even more relevant than it was two thousand years ago.  The darkness of isms (racism, sexism, ageism, nationalism, all isms are blinding us to what God wants for us.  But God has planted us here among the blind to be that light to the nations, all nations, all races, all sexes and genders and walks of life so that the whole world might see and be saved.  God loves and wants us all, every one, no exceptions.  Be that Light no matter how dark it seems to be where you are, because no matter where you are, God is with you.

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  Anna Julia Haywood Cooper: Educator 1964

Psalm 119:33–40 Proverbs 9:1-6 Luke 4:14-21

Proverbs:

“Lay aside immaturity and live, and walk in the way of insight.” (Proverbs 9:6)

It is not my custom to copy and paste an entire biography but the Episcopal Women’s History Project did such a wonderful job of reporting on Anna Julia Haywood Cooper, with detail and brevity, that I decided to just give it all to you and end with my comment.

Anna Julia Haywood Cooper (August 10, c1859- February 27, 1964). Educator, advocate and scholar. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina to an enslaved woman and a white man, presumably her mother’s master, Anna Julia was an academically gifted child and received a scholarship to attend St. Augustine Normal School and Collegiate Institute, a school founded by the Episcopal Church to educate African-American teachers and clergy. There she began her membership in the Episcopal Church. After forcing her way into a Greek class designed for male theology students, Anna Julia later married the instructor, George A.C. Cooper, the second African-American ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in North Carolina. After her husband’s death in 1879, Cooper received degrees in mathematics from Oberlin College, and was made principal of the only African American high school in Washington D.C.. She was denied reappointment in 1906 because she refused to lower her educational standards. Throughout her career, Cooper emphasized the importance of education to the future of African Americans, and was critical of the lack of support they received from the church. An advocate for African-American women, Cooper assisted in organizing the Colored Women’s League and the first Colored Settlement House in Washington, D.C. She wrote and spoke widely on issues of race and gender, and took an active role in national and international organizations founded to advance African Americans.  At the age of fifty-five she adopted the five children of her nephew. In 1925, Cooper became the fourth African-American woman to complete a Ph.D degree, granted from the Sorbonne when she was sixty-five years old. From 1930-1942, Cooper served as president of Frelinghuysen University. (From the Episcopal Women’s History Project)

There are many take-aways here but most notable is the idea that it is never too late to continue one’s education.  This is the idea of life-long-learning.  Cooper got her PhD when she was sixty-five.  I say keep the brain alive.
“Lay aside immaturity and live, and walk in the way of insight.” Thank you Jesus.

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.