Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 4^th Week in Lent: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 89:1-18; Evening, Psalm 89:19-52 ;  
Jeremiah 16:10 to 21; Romans 7:1 to 12; John 6:1 to 15;

“Our ancestors have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.” (Jeremiah 16:19)

I feel very strongly that some of our Biblical teachings, even Christian teachings, have been tainted to suit those teachers whose purpose is to shape their respective communities into beliefs that would support racist and misogynistic codes of  community conduct. Such biblical teaching taught that slaves should obey their masters, and that wives should be subservient to their husbands.

I believe there should be no slaves at all, and that marriage is an equal partnership where either partner may lead in family the life depending on the individual strengths, not their gender or sex. God says through Jeremiah, “I am now sending for many fishermen, says the Lord, and they shall catch them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.” (Jeremiah 16:16)

This is perhaps the first time that the use of fishermen and hunters are used to go do the Lord’s work. Of course, we hear of fishermen called into the service of the Lord on the shores of Capernaum in the Gospels. These callings are very different. The fishermen and hunters of Jeremiah are called to find and bring in those who, through their iniquity and promotion of idols, are an abomination to God.

The fishermen of Capernaum, and Paul, the hunter of the faithful, are those sent to evangelize the world in the way of God through our Lord Jesus. John and James, Peter and Andrew as well as Paul are among the first saints who speak to us about the truth of who Jesus is and about what God wants for us.  However, even with some of the letters supposedly from Paul, we must be careful.

Too much of the Bible story has been twisted to suit the bigotry and misogynistic rhetoric of self-serving and racist males to suit their own narcissist desires. These are worthless things in which there is no spiritual profit. John, James, Peter and Andrew along with Matthew, Mark and Luke tell the Gospel truth. When the Gospel is read in Church, the whole congregation re-orients itself in turning to face the words therein. The Gospel then changes us in ways that point us to the inclusive truth about God. This is done through living a life of love and listening to the loving saints of God. Love is most important.

Today we remember John Donne, Priest, Poet, and Preacher (March 31, 1631) and his information may be found at: John Donne

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:                                                                                                    

O Almighty God, Creator, Lover and Sustainer of all souls and creation, sit with us in our studies from scripture and help us to discern the loving truths in the words we read. Only You dear Lord can open our minds to that which is loving and that which is not. Open, we pray, our minds to the loving truth that You want for all of us today; in Your loving Name we pray: Amen.

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the 4^th Sunday in Lent: Year C

Luke 15:1 to 3 and 11b-32:

 “But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!”  (Luke 15:17)

This is a very popular parable in the New Testament and unique to Luke.  I like to call chapter 15 of Luke the lost chapter.  This is not that the chapter is lost but that it is about lost possessions.  First a sheep is lost.  Next a coin is lost.  And lastly, we have the lost son.

Within the Lost Son (or Prodigal Son) parable, there are several points that can be preached on, for example the two sons can represent God’s promise to Israel in the older son; the older son’s attitude is yet another topic.  Another is the Father welcoming back the wayward son.  But my focus is on the younger son “coming to himself.”

I have an adult child who suffers from addiction.  I have suffered greatly with the trials and tribulations she and I went through wanting her to live a sober life.  I wanted it for her (and just maybe for me too).  It was not until she decided that enough was enough that she got help and turned her life around.  I thank Jesus for her continued recovery.  I also let her know all the time how proud I am of her.  However it was not until she “came to herself” that she was able to say to herself “I will go and get help and stop this tragic life I’m living.”  And she was received with open arms by her support group and by her mother and me.

In life, most of us will get out of sync with how God has made us. It’s like  a car being out of timing.   Sometimes I think it’s a matter of moving faster or slower than the natural pace which God has timed us with.  And sometimes it’s a matter of the bad influences of addiction or wayward people or both.  In any case, we fall out of sync. We fall away from our natural rhythms and need to be tuned up.  We often can’t do it ourselves but just knowing we need adjustment is a good beginning.  The self-talk that the lost son did is a good example of acknowledging we are going in the wrong direction and need to turn around and go home, or to a recognized place of safety.  It’s a personal thing but each of us needs to ponder anew what we are doing.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: A Collect for Sundays (BCP p. 98)

O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday, of the 3^rd Week of Lent: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 87 and  90; Evening, Psalm 136;  
Jeremiah 13:1 to 11; Romans 6:12 to 23; John 8:47 to 59 

“Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:57 to 59)

Our Lord Jesus has always said that He is God’s Presence among us. We interpret that as Son of God. We are truly limited in our language. Incarnate literally means, personified or in material form. From the Gospel of Saint John we learn the God is Spirit, (John 4:24). God being Spirit means that God has always been. God was with Abraham and called him from Err. God was with Moses at the burning bush where God declared God’s name to be “I AM.” This is what God in Christ Jesus said to those who challenged him. He said, as God said to Moses at the burning bush, “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14)

This is the same “I AM,” that speaks to his challengers in our Gospel reading of John for today, who then try to stone him.  What a shame. Couldn’t they just believe? Can’t we today, just believe?

Full disclosure, I am more moved by a teaching and healing Jesus than a Jerusalem crucified Jesus. Having been to the Holy Land, I was really fascinated with the walk of Jesus in Israel, northern Israel, the Galilee area.  It was in Galilee that our Lord Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, changed water into wine, raised the dead in Nain, taught the Beatitudes, walked on the waters of Lake Galilee, and called his disciples to follow him. And, Galilee is where our Lord Jesus arranged to meet them after His Resurrection. (Matthew 28:6)   Galilee is also where we Christians received the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:19 and 20)

We are still in Galilee, and our Lord Jesus is still calling you to service. Our Lord Jesus, the Great I AM, is calling you through the scriptures, and through your prayers, and through the Saints of God.

Today we remember John Keble, Priest, Poet, Re-newer of the Church (March 29, 1866) and his information may be found at: John Keble

Let us pray: (The Collect for Saturdays BCP p. 99)                                 

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 3^rd Week of Lent: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 95 and 88; Evening, Psalms 91 and 92;
Jeremiah 11:1 to 8 and 14 to 20; Romans 6:1 to 11; John 8:33 to 47;

I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word.” (John 8:37)

I consider myself a spiritual descendant of Abraham. My prayer is that I do indeed have a space in my heart and mind for the Word of our Lord Jesus. Jesus preached the love of God  in order that we might all be the children of God and in fact call on God as Abba, Father. In this way we may recognize ourselves as children of God and spiritual children to Abraham. Abraham was a strong man of faith who would even destroy his own biological son in his spiritual obedience to God. However, Jesus said to his critics, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did;” (John 8:39 and 40). Abraham had a place in him for God’s Word.

Abraham left his father’s home and followed the voice of God and believed the promises of God about who he would become. He was blessed, and in this blessing he blessed the nations, and he blesses us today. The blessings we receive are not all for us. We too are blessed only in order to bless others. We bless others with some of our money, some of our time and some of our counsel. We should not take what God has blessed us with and hoard it for ourselves. God has given us that that belongs to those who are out there, some of whom, do not believe in the love of God. But God loves them anyway, and God loves them through you.  Keep, and maintain a place for the Word of God in you, and then, go and be a blessing.

Today we remember James Solomon Russell, Priest (1935) and his information may be found at: James Solomon Russell

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom. 

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (BCP p. 289)

O God, whose wonderful deeds of old shine forth even to our own day, you once delivered by the power of your mighty arm your chosen people from slavery under Pharaoh, to be a sign for us of the salvation of all nations by the water of Baptism: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may be numbered among the offspring of Abraham, and rejoice in the inheritance of Israel; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 3^rd Week of Lent: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 42 and 43; Evening, Psalms 85 and 86;   
Jeremiah 10:11 to 24; Romans 5:12 to 21; John 8:21 to 32

“Everyone is stupid and without knowledge; goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols; for their images are false, and there is no breath in them.  They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.” (Jeremiah 10:14 and 15)

To me, the words of Jeremiah which says, “Everyone is stupid and without knowledge,” simply means that few of us are pondering about God and real life. We are often enslaved by the imaginations of artists.  Artists have given angels a pair of wings but nowhere in the Bible, when it speaks of angels specifically, do they have wings.  Leonardo DaVinci has the apostles seated at a long table in such a way that we can see our Lord Jesus centered, and all the apostle’s faces can be seen, as in a photo op.

Jeremiah reports that goldsmiths have poisoned the minds of the community with their craft of golden gods made with human hands that have no power at all. They are a work of delusion. To buy into the imaginations of craftsmen is to not use our own, individual skills of reason which God has given to us all.  We do have knowledge, we are not without knowledge. We are not really stupid, but we don’t use our God-given reasoning ability to prayerfully examine Biblical text. If we did, we would not let the imaginations of a few, lead us down roads that are not validated by the ancient stories handed down to us from before Christ, and since Christ.

I love art. I love technological achievements that make life nice. However, I keep a clear distinction between what is nice and what is necessary. God, and worship of God, happens to be both for me, nice and very necessary. I can do without phones, devices and even this laptop that I am typing this on right now. I cannot however do without reaching out to God through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Daily pondering in prayer and meditation is a matter of holy habit now.  I don’t believe we are really stupid and without knowledge as Jeremiah reports. I think we don’t take the time to sit quietly in a room alone. This is the recommendation of Pascal, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in aroom alone,” Blaise Pascal. Each of us has the responsibility to form for ourselves the pattern of life we want. We get to decide how, and when, art and technology participate in our lives. We decide the habits we have. We are the habits we keep, good or bad. What holy habits do you keep?  What holy habits would you like to start? Find a quiet space and ponder this.

Today we remember Charles Henry Brent, Missionary Bishop (March 27, 1929) and his information may be found at: Charles Henry Brent

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

O Lord God Almighty, You graced humanity with reason and intellect and then revealed to us Your presence to those who came before us as written in our sacred text and other writings. Be with us still Dear God and open our minds to Your revelation to us in order that we might put aside concerns that distract us from Your will for us, and for this earth, our island home. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 3^rd Week of Lent: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 119:97 to120; Evening, Psalms 81 and 82;
Jeremiah 8:18 to 9:6; Romans 5:1 to11; John 8:12 to 20

“We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5: 3 to 5)

I imagine suffering, but not dying does lead to some kind of endurance. I mean we have all been in tight spots.  Sometimes it gets down to actually watching the secondhand of a clock tick by and saying to yourself, I got through that second; after second, after second, over and over again. This is the very basics of endurance.

I suppose there is a certain amount of maturation that comes with “getting through” difficult times. Such maturation morphs into character. And somewhere in our character is hope. I know that I hope a lot. Paul will come to say that we hope for what is not seen.  We don’t know how God will act in our lives. God is always so full of surprises. The two biggest surprises that I like to recall from Scripture are the parting of the sea so that the Israelites could escape re-capture; and, the birth of our Lord Jesus, the Savior of the world. But before these surprising acts of God happened, there was a tremendous amount of hope. This hope was in a people who were oppressed, be it escaping slaves or occupied Palestinian Jews by Rome. For all of these, and like us today, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

I find it amazing that these words about God’s love being, “poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,” appear today in our reading. Our Bible Study has been moved to Wednesdays since my retirement and these words of Noon Day Prayers are always prayed at our opening service. The surprise is that these words are appointed for today, the day of the week that I will meet with our faithful group. God is still full of surprises, great and small. Thank You Lord Jesus.

I ask you who read these words, to please try and be aware of the places where God is acting, even in very small ways in your life, because, in fact God is.  I tell people all the time that I can’t always see where God is, in my life, but in reflective pondering, I can always see where God was, and has acted in my life. And I am thankful.

Today we remember Harriet Monsell, Monastic (March1883) and her information may be found at: PHarriet Monsell

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: For All Sorts and Conditions of Men (BCP p. 814/815)

O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

The Gospel Reading for the Annunciation (March 25)

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.”

Today we recall the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel informing Mary about her invitation to be the mother of our Lord Jesus. “In the first chapter of Luke we read how the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Christ, and how Mary answered, “Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me as you have said.” It is reasonable to suppose that Our Lord was conceived immediately after this. Accordingly, since we celebrate His birth on 25 December, we celebrate the Annunciation nine months earlier, on 25 March:” (From Great Cloud of Witnesses for March 25).  Note: we have only nine months till Christmas Day!

Mary sets the example of total self-sacrifice to God in her statement “Let it be to me as you have said.”  She will go on to say (to us his servants) in the Gospel according to John, to ‘Do whatever he tells you;’(John 2:5). Wiser words have never been spoken. It is from the words of Mary, according to the NRSV translation of the Gospel according to Luke that I call my blog “One who Ponders.”

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (The Annunciation BCP p. 240

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Daily Office Reading for Monday of the 3^rd Week of Lent: Year 1

 Morning, Psalm 80; Evening, Psalm 77:
Jeremiah 7:1 to15; Romans 4:1 to 12; John 7:14 to 36:

“Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.” (Psalm 80)

This verse shows up three times in Psalm 80. It asks for restoration and the light of God’s countenance.

It appears in different English verbiage depending on which Bible translation you read.  But the message is the same; we believers need restoration, but this can only be accomplished if we receive the light of God’s countenance. Such a light is revealed to us only as God wishes to do so. We can’t figure it out or achieve it. But we can show God that we believe by the way we live out our lives.  I have observed that God has blessed those who discipline themselves with the light of God’s countenance as God did with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3). God also walked with Abraham and revealed many signs to him.

“He [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.” (Romans 4: 11 and 12).  This is Paul reflecting on the importance following in faith and how important it is.  So for me, circumcision was never necessary, and therefore, God’s inclusiveness was always open to women.

This is the long way around the elbow in order to reach my point, and that is, God finds us if we prepare a place to receive God and live our lives open to accept the hints and nudges from God, and to see the burning bush in our own lives. God even went to Saul/Paul not because Paul figured everything out; in fact Paul was wrong about what he thought  God wanted.  He thought he was doing what God wanted until God, in the Risen Lord, stepped into his life and changed him and Christians everywhere, forever.

The message is clear. The light of God’s countenance will restore us if we walk in the light of God’s countenance in prayer and love. I would also recommend studying the lives of the saints of God. We have such wonderful examples in our Church history. Such study is not “figuring it out,” but rather, creating a space, a stepping  stone for God to enter your life and change you forever.

Today we remember Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, and the Martyrs of El Salvador (March 24, 1980) and his information may be found at: Oscar Romero.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (For Guidance BCP p. 832)

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what You would have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in Your light we may see light, and in Your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the Third Sunday of Lent: Year C

Luke 13:1 to 9:

 “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” (Luke 13: 3 &5 NRSV)

These words are found only in the Gospel according to Luke. Verses 3 and 5 say the same thing about people being killed. Some were caused by human evil from Pontius Pilate, and some caused by an unexplained mishap.  In any case, bad stuff happened that caused human loss of life. We don’t know if, or when, we may fall victim to either. Repentance is vital to our eternal life in order to avoid forever perishing.

A word or two about what it means to perish, before we look into what repentance is all about.  To perish here means to cease to exist. It is not the being brought into the heavenly realm promised to those who believe and repent of sin.  To perish is the opposite of eternal life. Repentance avoids perishing. I don’t think a loving God would have us to exist in some kind of eternal hell full of suffering for all eternity. No, God brought us into being from nothingness, and to nothingness we return if we don’t accept God’s invitation into eternal life. Such an invitation is accepted by repentance of both kinds of sin.

There are sins of commission and of omission. Sins of commission are the ones most often thought about, that is, what we do wrongly to, or against our neighbor. Omission, on the other hand, is witnessing the evil or wrong, and saying, or doing nothing about it. Both trouble our conscience. We can, and should repent from all sins, known and unknown.

Denial, minimization and even retaliation, are sometimes the reasons we feel we don’t have to repent. Denial of wrongs we have done or left undone does not alleviate or lessen the wrong done or not done. It still happened.  It is what God is aware of and we have to own it. Then the process of repentance can begin.

Minimization is the act of reducing the damage done in our own minds so that we don’t feel so bad about the harm done to others.  Minimization is the act of lying to ourselves. We must empathize with the one we have impacted and get their feelings into our head.  Only when we become the victims we created will we fully understand the damage caused.

Retaliation, or eye for an eye, is no excuse for evil done to another. Judgment belongs to God, we are not God.  There is no excuse to perpetrate evil of any kind.  We are Christians, retaliation is not what we are called to do.

The point of this Luke reading is repentance, and to repent as early as possible.  Whether it’s human fault or natures fault, it makes no difference.  This very evening is not promised to us. Are their acts, words, and/or thoughts that we wish we had not committed?  The time to set it right is now. 

The tree in the story is a metaphor for us as we are given yet another chance for repentance with the help of a pastor or in prayer with Jesus. This holy helper (Jesus) will assist us in turning back to God.  Thanks be to God. Thank You Lord Jesus.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (BCP p. 218)

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 2^nd Week of Lent: Year 1

Morning Psalms 75 and 76; Evening Psalms 23 and 27;
Jeremiah 5:20 to 31; Romans 3:19 to 31; John 7:1 to13:

“For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.  Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:28 to 31)

So Paul says we are justified by faith apart from works prescribes by the law. I think one of those laws is to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. Paul does not annul the law, only says that works are apart from, separate from, but in addition to the faith requirement, and still viable. Sometimes I think Paul needs balance..

He also asks if God is concerned for people outside the “Law People?”  The answer is, “Yes.” God is very concerned for all people. Nobody is wasted. He, Paul, also points out that this faith we have is the same faith of both Jew and Gentile. There is no “them,” or “us.” We are both “and,” not “or.” God loves us all.

For us who are Christian, our Lord Jesus has summed up the Law into “Love God with all that we are,” and this is shown by both private prayers and public worship, the latter not to be confused with keeping the Sabbath; and, to love one another. This is the Law handed down to us from our Lord Jesus. So none of us should think that we can just do away with the law to love God and to love one another, and all the faith works that the Lord’s Law requires.

The saints since the time of Jesus have all had the quality of prayer, charity and journaling.  It is this last quality that informs us today about what it means to be a follower of our Lord Jesus. From Perpetua to Mother Teresa, we should all read the words of the saints of God. I think they give St Paul balance and gives us direction.

Today we remember James De Koven, Priest (March 22, 1879) and his information may be found at: James DeKoven.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (The Collect for Saturdays BCP p. 99)

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.