John Thomas Frazier

Pondering for Thursday, December 25, 2025

This is the First Day of Christmas

Eucharistic Readings for Christmas Day

Isaiah 9:2 to 7 Psalm 96 Titus 2:11 to 14 Luke 2:1-20)

“While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6 – 7)

No room at the inn, BALDERDASH! I would like to think that you or I would have given up our room for a pregnant woman, any pregnant woman or at least shared it, if we only knew about her. We are not unique in this regard. There have always been compassionate people like us in the world. But we have to know about the need of the pregnant woman. No, I think this lack of compassion rests clearly on the managers of the inn. They didn’t want to upset the paying guests, This lack of compassion is more accurately termed “inconsiderate.”

There would have been room in the inn for Herod; there would have been room for Caesar, today there would be room for the Governor, there would be room for the President. But there was a lack of compassion for this pregnant girl on the part of management.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem at the corner of Ignorance and Inconsiderate. In Dickens “A Christmas Carol” the ghost of Christmas Present shows two children whose names are “Ignorance” and “Want.” The ghost additionally says; “beware of them both but more especially of Ignorance.” I’m thinking ignorance can be fixed with some good teaching and preaching. That is what Jesus came to do, to inform the ignorant among us. This has always benefited and changed me.

Do you think that when ignorance is informed, such a one will become more considerate? There are some examples in the life of Jesus. In chapter 3 of the Gospel according to John Jesus meets Nicodemus in darkness (another word for ignorance), and explains how one must be born again from above to be saved. Later, in chapter 19 of that same Gospel, after Jesus has died and was taken down from the cross, Nicodemus brings fragrances to anoint the body. He changed from being inconsiderate to being very compassionate through being informed and taught, and was brought out of his darkness.

This baby Jesus, born this day, teaches us and brings us out of our darkness also. Jesus teaches us so that we too may be open to those who need our help, or a shared use of our room in the inn of light. In this way we are saved. Our being saved has as much to do with the birth of Jesus as it does of his Resurrection from the dead. Merry Christmas

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 Nativity of Our Lord: Christmas Day December 25 (BCP p. 212)

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Pondering for Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Today is Christmas Eve! So I have decided (as is my custom) to break from the normal readings in order to again share my poem written in 2006. This is most fitting for this evening. Ponder and enjoy:

The First Night Before Christmas

It was me and my buddies out watching our sheep,

The night was quiet, not one of them bleeped.

It was so quiet in fact, we were about to sleep,

When we noticed someone out by the sheep.

Then all at once it became very clear,

No ordinary person was visiting us here.

We were all afraid, but he said “Fear Not.”

And then there were more, and their numbers wouldn’t stop.

He said “go to Bethlehem and see the Baby,

He is the Word of God, there is no maybe.”

He said “the baby’s in Bethlehem, laying in a manger,

He can save you all, from permanent danger.”

Then they all left, praising God for this birth,

Just like they came, they were all gone from the earth.

Then I and my friends said, let’s go if we’re able,

To Bethlehem there, and straight to the stable.

And there we were on a cold winter’s night,

We saw Joseph, and Mary, and Baby, what a sight!

We told them everything right from the start,

But Mary just smiled, kept our words in her heart.

So we left there then in the thick of the night,

Asking you to thank God with all of your might.

Luke 2: 8 – 20: The Reverend John Thomas Frazier (2006)

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. 212)

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Pondering for Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 4^th Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 66 and 67; Evening, Psalm 116 and 117;
1^st Samuel 2:1b to 10; Titus 2:1 to 10; Luke 1:26 to 38:

“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.” (Luke 1:38)

The angel Gabriel approaches Mary and shares with her God’s plan for humanity. Mary is of the lower middle class of her day and place. There are people around her who look down on her. The whole land of her home is occupied and dominated by a foreign army, Rome. What God is proposing is for her to be a co-creator with God to create a space in human history and the human heart for God to be made manifest with us, Emmanuel.

Here is yet another example of the true believer emptying themselves in order to be useful for God. Mary, the human Mother of God Incarnate literally gives her body into the service of the will of God. “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” We can, and should, learn from this young, yet very wise Israelite woman whom God partnered with for the benefit of the world.

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 Prayer of Self-Dedication (BCP p. 832)

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pondering for Monday, December 22, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 4^th Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 61 and 62; Evening, Psalm 112 and 115;

Zephaniah 3:14 to 20; Titus 1:1 to 16; Luke 1:1 to 25:

“He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’” (Luke 1:16 – 17)

In this passage the angel Gabriel is speaking with Zechariah about things that will happen and how all this will be good news. He is telling him about a son that he will have through Elizabeth his wife and that he is to name the child John.

Gabriel tells Zechariah that this child will turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. This is amazing. These are Israelites. They are raised in the Holy Scriptures of the Lord our God from birth. Yet, this John the Baptist is going to have them love their children again, as they always should have. And he is going to shine a light on the ignorance of disobedience. This adds clearer meaning to making crooked paths straight and leveling hills and valleys.

But Zechariah questions Gabriel and as a result Gabriel makes Zechariah mute until the child is born. “Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’” (Luke 1: 18 – 20)

We know that Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist, becomes the herald or announcer of the coming of our Lord Jesus. John was a hard man who did not bend to the selfish desires of others, be they the Pharisee (Brood of vipers) or Herod the puppet king who married his brother’s wife. John told it like it was. Yes, he lost his head but he saved his soul. We can’t lose anything that God can’t put back together and even make it better than it was before. We too need to get back to loving family and seeking righteousness as we await the coming of our Lord.

Transferred from yesterday, we remember St Thomas the Apostle, (December 21 NT) and his information may be found at: St. Thomas, the Apostle

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. 828)

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who settest the solitary in families: We commend to thy continual care the homes in which thy people dwell. Put far from them, we beseech thee, every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who, in holy wedlock, have been made one flesh. Turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore be kindly affectioned one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pondering for Sunday, December 21, 2025

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the 4^th Sunday of Advent: Year A:

Matthew 1:18-25:

“But just when he had resolved to do 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 as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”” (Matthew 1: 20 – 21)

So God is preparing to walk with people on earth. And God decides to start as all humans start, as a baby. Of all the earth, and specifically, the people of the earth, Joseph and Mary become the new Adam and Eve. This is not about original sin but a new place to begin. This is not even about marriage as the scripture makes clear. This is about the best parents for raising God Incarnate regardless of whatever marital customs the community had developed for themselves.

Joseph goes to sleep with a heavy decision to make: to keep, or not to keep Mary. He decided not to keep her but even that was burdensome. This is why an angel from God came into his life and in a dream none the less. This is not the first time God visited us in this way. In the first beginnings, in Genesis, God visited Jacob as he slept (Genesis 28: 12 – 13).

For me, Joseph is the patron saint of fatherhood. He hears and obeys. He is told that he is not to back away from marriage to Mary only because he is not the biological father of the baby. Joseph is told by the angel of God that this is not about him, it is about saving all humanity from our sins, then and now. Jesus is born into humanity to save us not from disease like cancer, Covid, Aids or any other fatal illness. Jesus is born into our presence not to prevent our mortal death from horrific storms or natural disaster. Jesus didn’t even come among us to save us from the sin of personal violence and murder from our neighbors. All such deaths are temporal dangers. They have nothing to do with the eternal life promised. Our personal sins however, our hatred of our brothers and sisters, our disrespect of other human beings can hinder our relationship with God and can indeed separate us from the eternal life offered to us by God Almighty. God saw this and decided to come among us, Emanuel, in the infant of Jesus Christ to mend the breach, to redeem our Salvation.

Joseph was a silent listener and servant of God. We have no words from Joseph anywhere in scripture. Later he will be told to take the baby and mother to Egypt, and later still to bring them back to Israel. He silently obeys.

Do you believe that God, or the angels of God, really did this? If yes, do you believe God can, and still does this kind of holy work? I do. Like Joseph and Jacob, we too get so burdened with fear or conflicts of the norms and laws of our day that we need help in doing what God wants. It is during these times that God acts. God’s dreams enter our troubled and tired minds sometimes as we dream because we resist when we are awake.

This is the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God always acts for the benefit of the human race and this earth, our fragile, island home. The Holy Spirit of God continues today, preserving us in eternal life by saving us from our sins, saving us from permanent danger. And, like Joseph, we too are called to silent obedience.

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: Fourth Sunday of Advent (BCP p. 212)

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Pondering for Saturday, December 20, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 3^rd Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalm 138 and 139:1 to 17;
Zechariah 8:9 to 17; Revelation 6:1 to 17; Matthew 25:31 to 46:

“Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139:1)

The writer of Psalm 139 assures us that God knows us, through and through. And while God can discern my thoughts from afar, I have trouble discerning my own thoughts, and they originate in me. God then knows me better than I know myself.

I just want to be a good and decent person. And I believe to be good, is to do good. In the end, I believe God will judge me by the deeds that come from my faith rather than by my thoughts which range from good to not always good. At least that’s what I get from our Gospel for today – Matthew 25, 31 to 46, about the sheep and the goats. I notice that the sheep-people are not separated by what they say they believe only, but by their active compassion generated by their belief, their care for one another.

What then does God know about me, my sitting down and my rising up? What does God know about you, your sitting down and your rising up? While I don’t like the negative goat metaphor, I understand that we should be more like the caring sheep than the careless goats. Our Lord Jesus set that example for us as he healed, taught, fed and served those who were not even of his own people. He is leading us. We should follow Him. In Verna Dozier’s book, “The Dream of God,” she points out that we are called to follow Jesus more than worship Him. Jesus always pointed to God, his Father, rather than himself. We too should follow the will of God who has searched us out and knows us. Let us ponder this, this Sabbath Day.

Today we remember Katharina Von Bora, Church Reformer, (1552) and her information may be found at: Katharina von Bora

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 Quiet Confidence (BCP p. 832)

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pondering for Friday, December 19, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 3^rd Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 40 and 54; Evening, Psalm 51;

Zechariah 7:8 to 8:8; Psalm 121; Revelation 5:6 to 14; Matthew 25:14 to 30:

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.” (Matthew 25: 14 – 15)

This is a very familiar parable. It is about using whatever gifts we have to the best of our abilities. In this parable, the one servant who gets only one talent, decides not to use it. He buries it until the return of the master. Bad move.

I ponder about what is the relative effect of this parable. The man who receives the one talent witnessed the others receiving more before he got his. One gets 5, the next gets 2, and finally he, the third servant, gets only 1. The only way this could have possibly been worse is if the order of giving the gifts was reversed, that is, servant receiving one talent then see the other two getting 2 and 5 respectively. He probably would have had an emotional fall even worse.

What I want to bring to the forefront here is the responsibility we all have to do the best we can with what God has graced us with. Whatever gift (or gifts) we have, it is what our family, or community, or the world needs. God does not waste gifts. Some of us have gifts of mathematics; some of us have gifts of voice as in singing; some of us have gifts of extraordinary compassion; some of us have gifts of agricultural cultivation and some of us are blessed with more than one; maybe two or three gifts.

I try not to focus on our feelings of a neglected state due to unexplored gifts. The saddest part for me is that we too often suffer from a false sense of worthlessness of what we should be enjoying. God does not waste gifts. Has God gifted you with something we need or want in our lives right now? Please make use of it, we need it. Remember, what the world needs, and what you enjoy doing, is where God enters our world. We are all a work in progress and we are all still being created, even after a good Sabbath rest.

Today we remember Lillian Trasher, Missionary in Egypt, (1961) and her information may be found at: Lillian Trasher

“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: For the Right Use of God’s Gifts (BCP p. 827)

Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we possess: Grant us grace that we may honor thee with our substance, and, remembering the account which we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pondering for Thursday, December 18, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 3^rd Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 50; Evening, Psalm 60;

Zechariah 4:1 to 14; Revelation 4:9 to 5:5; Matthew 25:1 to 13:

“The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as one is wakened from sleep.” (Zechariah 4:1)

Our readings from Zechariah and Revelation speak of angels and their ongoing relationship with us as they carry out God’s will. Zechariah, like Jacob and Elijah and Joseph were awakened by angels as one is wakened from sleep. It occurs to me that sleep may just be a metaphor for ignorance.

I believe God still allows angels to be made known in our lives to move us or shift us in the direction that God wants us to travel. Sometimes such angels may be two or three people away. For example, an angel may influence a friend of yours to ask you something that in turn causes you to act or respond in a way that is pleasing to God. In such a case we waste time, and God’s blessing, if we judge the message by who is bringing it. We must be attentive to what the question or message is, not the messenger. Or, maybe, it could be an angel after all!

There are several places in the Bible where the one who is helpful is not named but makes all the difference in the outcome. I will share two, both from Second Kings where we read, “Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy,”” (2 Kings 5: 2 – 3). And again, “Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” (2 Kings 5: 13). In both cases unnamed persons intervene to assist in curing Naaman of his leprosy. Are they angels? Only God knows.

In the reading from Revelation today we have an angel asking the question. “And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2) Angels always seem to be connecting with us in our thin places, that is, as we are in prayer, or dreaming, or otherwise letting go of earthly business. The angel in the Revelation that John received speaks for the “One sitting on the throne.” Angels are both messengers, and when necessary, correctors of the human experience as may be best for us and is pleasing to God. Angels don’t arrive, they appear. They are already here! Do you know whether or not you have had an angelic experience? Don’t expect wings; thank you artists, but scripture doesn’t support wings.

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 God Almighty, sender of angels for our benefit to lead us and guide us, let Your Holy Spirit be in us as well in order that we might discern and receive Your holy messengers and continue in ways that are pleasing in Your sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pondering for Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 3^rd Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:49 to 72; Evening, Psalm 49;

Zechariah 3:1 to 10; Revelation 4:1 to 8; Matthew 24:45 to 51:

“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.” (Matthew 24: 45 – 47)

I think the first thing to do is to clarify the word slave, or in the Biblical Greek, “δοῦλος.” In English it is pronounced “Dulas” and it means servant as well as slave. Personally, I prefer the term servant as we Americans know it today.

So now let’s go back and listen to what is being asked. “Who is the faithful and wise servant?” Hmm, makes me ponder. Can we find wisdom and servitude in the same person? Sometimes we “wise” our way right out of serving anybody, including God. Once, when I was young, and not very bright at all, I worked at a major hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. I saw a coworker filling an ice chest. I had just worked my way up to a less physical requirement at the hospital and I arrogantly lied to that young man saying, “I wouldn’t do that for anybody.” To which he quickly responded, “Would you do it for yourself?” As you can see, I never forgot that important lesson. I don’t like sharing these details about myself but it helps me to see how far I have come. I still have a long way to go.

In our Matthew passage we are reminded that the reward for hard work is more hard work. When the faithful servant does all that is expected, that servant is given even greater responsibility. But I think the wisdom lies in the training of one’s self to enjoy holding things together. We too can learn to enjoy making sure that people receive their allowance of food, or education, or transportation, or medication, or anything they need at the proper time. The good news is that when we learn to enjoy filling the ice chest for whoever needs it, we will be blessed when our Lord Jesus arrives. “Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.”

Today we remember Dorothy Sayers, Apologist and Spiritual , and her information may be found at: Dorothy Sayers.

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. 827)

Pondering for Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 3^rd Week in Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 45; Evening, Psalms 47 and 48; Zechariah 2:1 to 13; Revelation 3:14 to 22; Matthew 24:32 to 44

“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3: 20 – 22)

This painting of Jesus knocking at a door is well known in the Christian world, that of our Lord Jesus knocking at our door. There are many paintings of it. It is a reminder that it is our Lord Jesus who is seeking us well before we even thought about trying to find him. Many people will say after they have turned their lives around for the better that they “found Jesus.” It would be perhaps more correct to say that they finally began to follow Jesus after He found them.

No human salesperson knocks on your door, or calls you on the phone, or advertises on your computer for your “complete happiness” as their number one priority. They want your money. They are, first of all, in it for themselves. Most of them will say that the quality of their product, or your safety, is their first priority. However, if they do not make a profit they wouldn’t have a business at all. So, unless it is an organized house of faith or other charitable organization, profit is really their first priority.

Our Lord Jesus is truly looking for you for your benefit. He will never abandon you when life challenges you. He may not make whatever is happening to you go away, but he will stay with you through it. And it may be that whatever hell you are going through will end this life, and if so, our Lord Jesus will accompany you and continue to lead you on the other side. We must never give up.

This is what it means to conquer. And “To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

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 God, help us to be more open and welcoming to Jesus as He knocks on the doors of our hearts. Help us to not only let Him in, but also to listen and obey Him as He leads us to our eternal home with You in that heavenly realm where we may live in joy and felicity forever and ever. Amen