Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 31; Evening, Psalm 35;

Joshua 4:19 to 5:1 and10 to 15; Romans 12:9 to 21; Matthew 26:17 to 25:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12: 21)

So why does evil exist?  Many say evil is the work of the devil; perhaps. Personally, I think it is more the product of psychosis focused on hurtful, and often hateful outcomes that lack any sense of love. It is a byproduct of free will.  I might even suggest that evil happens in the absence of love.  But love doesn’t just happen, it is taught.  It is taught, or should be taught, in the family, from birth.

Children who are loved, love others.  Children who are resented, resent others. Maybe the psychosis of evil will show some chemical imbalance in the brain as a probable cause. Whatever the cause, evil is among us.  Our response to it when we see it is to not let it cause a toxic relationship between us, but rather, use the abundance of love that we have been taught to overcome it.

In my studies I have come to believe that God is pure Goodness and Love.  Evil cannot exist by itself.  Evil cannot exist without a first Good to contrast with. From the beginning in Genesis we see first good, and then evil “happens.”  We must study the words of God to Cain in the Genesis story when God said, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it,” (Genesis 4:7).  Therefore, sin, or evil, is lurking, it has from the beginning, when life was brought into being. Creation was formed to be good. Be good  therefore, for goodness sake. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

“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

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:

O most holy and still creating Lord God, All life is brought into being from you. And thus all life is good. Help us, we pray, to stay vigilant against evil thoughts and ideas that try to tarnish your goodness. Help us, we pray also, to use our love to make the good that will overcome any and all evil, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning,  Psalm 37:1-18; Evening, Psalm 37:19-42; 

Joshua 3:14-4:7; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 26:1-16:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

I think being conformed to this world means discerning what is the mind of our peers.  With the various platforms of social media and school systems we are encouraged to be tribal, that is, only trust those who are like us, or agree with us.  The ethos is, “either you are with me or you are against me.”  There is no gray area or middle way.  God, I believe speaking through Paul, appeals to us to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that [we] may discern what is the will of God” I believe this requires a prayer that asks the question, “Dear God, what would You have me do today?”

As a Christian, I am so thankful that we had our Lord Jesus to model for us how we should live together.  Jesus could often be seen praying, and often said that he is doing the will of the Father.  This does not mean that he did not know what was the will of people also. In our Matthew reading for today we hear Jesus say exactly what the religious authorities want to do to him.  Jesus also knew those who loved him, like the woman who poured costly ointment on him, His disciples didn’t like it and complained that the money could have been given to the poor.  They were either jealous or just plain tribal. “But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”  (Matthew 26: 10 – 11)  I must add Mark’s words to this scene; “And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her,” (Mark 14:9). I don’t think the other Gospel writers have done a good job of carrying out Jesus’ instruction on this matter.  Jesus set His mind on the mind of God.  He showed his disciples that there was a way to accept the woman’s deed and not be against her.  He further tells them, and us, that we will always have the poor among us.  We honor Jesus by caring for the poor.  Every day we should ask God to show us the better way. We will always hear the way of people.  But the way of people may not be always pleasing to God.  We still have Jesus with us in spirit. It doesn’t take much to ponder about what we should inquire about.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, lead me and guide me this day that my thoughts, words and actions may be pleasing in Your sight. Thank You Lord Jesus, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 38; Evening, Psalm 119:25-48;

Joshua 3:1-13; Romans 11:25-36; Matthew 25:31-46:

“All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.” (Matthew 25: 32 – 33)

This sheep – goat metaphor gives the goats a bad look.  It seems particularly unfair to me as it makes it seem as if the simple appearance of the animal, being a sheep or a goat, is all the justification necessary. It is perhaps easy for God to look upon the human heart and make this distinction however.  God in Christ Jesus can see clearly who we are, and much of who we are seems to be determined by how we act or respond to the needs of others.  Let those who have ears hear.

The bottom line here is that there is a judgment day.  There is a resurrection for the goats and the sheep among us where there will be accountability and apparently some kind of separation.  The good news is that unlike real goats and sheep, we have a choice.  We can live the lives of the sheep by stretching out our hearts in such a way that we feel the pain and neglect of those who are hungry, those who are sick, and those who are incarcerated.

I think the real difference between the sheep and the goats is the concern, (or lack of concern), we might have for our neighbor.  This is about compassion versus self-serving. Some acts of self-serving can even be seen as hostile to those who are in need, whom we choose to ignore.   Can we not all help one another at least to just be okay?  Our Lord Jesus wants us to be his sheep in this metaphor.  We can choose to be sheep in so far as it means being kind to others.  Not ba a a a ad, huh?

Please note that the sheep and goats were not separated based on what they professed with their lips, but rather, what they did with their time, hearts, hands and steps.  They were separated based on how they responded, or not responded, to the needs of others, without regard to their professed belief or non-belief of themselves or others.

Today our Episcopal Church remembers William White, one of the founding Bishops of our Episcopal Church. His very telling bio can be found at William White (satucket.com),

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:                                                   

O Lord God Almighty, make us more and more aware of your presence in our lives and then fill us with loving compassion for one another so that we will always be responsive to those in need, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 26 and 28; Evening, Psalms 36 and 39;

Joshua 2:15 to 24; Romans 11:13 to 24; Matthew 25: 14 to 30:

“Do not vaunt yourselves over the branches. If you do vaunt yourselves, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.  You will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.  For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.  Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity towards those who have fallen, but God’s kindness towards you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.”  (Romans 11: 18 – 22)

I can remember telling a priest who is a dear friend of mine, that I identify myself by the Church to which I belong.  I told him long ago that I don’t care about being black, or male, or straight, or American.  I am Anglican!  It has been a long process but one that redefined me for who I truly am in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s metaphor of the root, the trunk or a tree and its branches, natural and grafted, really clarify for me my own “grafted” status.  I was not really brought up in any particular religious faith tradition. I did attend a Catholic school which formed a deep spirituality in me.  Little did I know in the mid 1950’s that the Episcopal Church would pick up where the grade school of St Vincent DePaul left off some twenty years later and graft me into its Anglicanism.  Paul is so correct when he says; “it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.”

The Spiritual tree of God has many grafted-in branches and many that have always been connected. All are good paths to, and nurtured by, God. God is the root of all faith.

Today we remember the Righteous Gentiles of World War II. They are inspirational to read about and can be found at “The Righteous Gentiles” (satucket.com).

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:                                                                      

O almighty God, the Root of all life, who is also the air and water and Son-rays that nourish life; we give you thanks for our being, those of us who are natural, and those of us who are grafted in. Continue, O Lord, your handiwork as it pleases you and sustains us in this life (grafted or natural), and then receive us, we pray, into your eternal, supernatural realm when our time comes, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 10: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 25; Evening, Psalms  9 and 15;

Joshua 2:1-14; Rom. 11:1-12;  Matt. 25:1-13

“But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.  And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them.’  She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.”  (Joshua 2: 4 – 6)

Is it ever ok to lie?  As I study our ancient writings, I have to say, yes!  And it is not just in this case.  In chapter 27 of Genesis, Jacob, (who later became Israel), was blessed based on a lie!  Jacob, participating with his mother Rebecca, fooled Isaac with a lie into believing that Jacob was Esau, who was technically the first born son. Therefore, it seems, all of Israel was based on a lie. But this was a lie that God sanctioned. 

It seems that God reads the human heart.  If the heart is good and loving, God will pardon a multitude of sins.  So I ponder about the six social laws of our ten commandments. The first four are about honoring God; have no other God, don’t use God’s Name in vain, make no image of God and remember the Sabbath.  The last six however have to do with how we relate with one another. To be a false witness is just another way to say lie. But God is merciful and pardons.

I have also heard stories about not giving up Jews hiding in the homes of Germans during the Hitler regime when Nazis were demanding that they be turned over to them.  Yes, lies told for the safety of people are pardoned by God.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:                                                            

Almighty God, the Absolute Truth, be merciful with us as we fall short of being as truthful as you are. But we pray, continue with us to be ever striving to be more truthful as we journey to you, to live forever in your eternal love, truth and mercy. Amen.

Gospel Reading for Sunday of Proper 10: Year B

 Mark 6:14-29

“The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb:” (Mark 6: 26 to 29).

The king really liked listening to John. He was impressed if not inspired by his words.  This king would not listen to the beginning of the love that was developing in him for John. So what influenced his decision to have John killed?  Was it too much booze combined with an immoral lust for his stepdaughter? Then, did he put himself in a bind by publically promising something foolish, (giving her up to half of his kingdom)?  She could have taken half his kingdom and waged war with him. So did he keep his word so as to maintain some kind of respect in front of his guest? Was keeping his word a political move? Was his oath well thought out before he hit the “send” button of his lips? I’m just pondering here folks.  This was a sad birthday for Herod. Maybe keeping oaths for the sake of keeping oaths does not really make good sense. Maybe one should consult with a few trusted advisors before crafting an oath in the first place. What do you think?   What do you ponder?

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:

O God, whose promise of eternal life for all who trust in you, this promise that we live for, we pray you keep your word of Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and enable us, created in your Image, to also keep promises which we make to you and to our neighbors. And dear Lord God, where we fail, forgive us, and keep us we pray, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 9:Year 2

Morning, Psalms 20 and 21:1-7; Evening, Psalm 110:1-5 and Psalms 116 and 117;

Deuteronomy,  34:1-12; Romans 10:14-21; Matthew 24:32-51

 ^“But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.”  (Romans 10:14 – 17)

Paul really narrows it down in his words to the Church in Rome as he moves through the logic of reason to drive home the point of “hearing the word.”  This Word is something we believers are supposed to articulate to the world in, deed more than word, in order that more people might believe.  Paul repeats the word of the Prophet Isaiah as Isaiah the Prophet declares, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”  (Isaiah 52:7)  We have a Cursillo song that goes, “Our God Reigns.”  And God really does reign, indeed.

Today we remember Conrad Weiser (November 2, 1696 – July 13, 1760). His information can be found at Conrad Weiser (satucket.com)

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:                                                                      

O Lord God Almighty, who in the Word came to us to proclaim love and truth in word to our ears, be among us still as we repeat the word of love and truth to one another. Help us to live out your word and speak your word of love to all whom we come in contact with everyday, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of proper 9: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 16 and 17; Evening, Psalm 22;

Deuteronomy 31:7-13 and 24 to 32:4; Rom 10:1 to13; Matthew 24:15-31:              

“Brothers and sisters,my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened.  For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”  (Romans 10: 1 – 4)

Let me just cut to the chase right now.  This is about letting go and letting God.  Paul, in this Letter to the Church in Rome, speaks from firsthand experience.  He knows about zeal and being ignorant of the righteousness of God.  Remember, he was on the road to Damascus when he had his encounter with our Lord Jesus who redirected his zeal and informed his ignorance.

Today many of us still put God in our own small box where we personally decide what God wants.  We have falsely declared that God created some people inferior to others.  We have falsely declared that God does not like gay people.  We have falsely declared that God intends for men to rule over women.  The small box that some of us have put God in, favors the box holder and prevents the box holder from seeing the real God. Such folk “have not submitted to God’s righteousness.”

Jesus was, and is, all about doing what he sees the Father doing. As he says in the Gospel of John, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me,” (John 5:30).  All of the real leaders of faith put themselves out of the way so that God could do the real work of healing and reconciling.  From Moses leading the Israelites, to John the Baptist baptizing and announcing the coming of the Messiah, they let go and let God.  It was their getting out of the way so that God could do the Holy Work that was needed that made them distinguished .

With what apostolic success is God trying to accomplish through you?  Can you, like Moses, and John the Baptist, and Paul, get out of the way and let your zeal do what God wants, that is to be used for the righteousness of God?

“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

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:

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. (BCP 832 and 833)

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 9: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 18:1 to 20; Evening, Psalm 18:21 to 50;

Deuteronomy 3:18  to 28; Romans 9:19 to 33; Matthew 24:1 to 14

“When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”” (Matthew 24:3)

Our Lord Jesus gives his listeners cautions about all the people and situations that will try to lead them (and us) away from righteous and faithful living. Twice our Lord Jesus uses the words “led astray” and he warns about steadfast attention to right living and inclusive loving, and not being led astray.  And he ends with, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

Enduring to the end and being saved means never giving up our personal faith habits.  We have many ways to keep our faith practices going. We have our Daily Office from our Book of Common Prayer, from which this meditational blog is based. We have the Forward Day by Day publication, and we have prayer beads and other personal prayer practices using the Bible and Christian writings to keep us steadfast in our commitment to prayer and adoration to God. Being saved means joining our Lord Jesus in eternal life.  We must never give up our personal prayer practices.

Today’s message is not about waiting for “when” to begin.  Today’s message is about NOW!  It is about staying the course no matter what.  It is about everyday prayerful living.  Yes, we might slip occasionally, being led astray, but when it happens, there is no time to lose in sulking about it.  We must get back to doing our personal worship habits. This means individual Christian study and prayer until the end of this age arrives. If this becomes our daily practice, “when” really makes no difference because when “when”  happens, we will be found praising God.

Today our Church remembers Benedict of Nursia; Founder of Western Monasticism (11 July 540) His information can be found at Benedict of Nursia (satucket.com)

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:

Most Holy and God Incarnate Lord Jesus, You modeled for us the example of regular prayer and spiritual dialogue. Keep us, we pray, steadfast in the daily habit of prayer and study and welcoming conversation about the love of God until we are joined with you without concerns about the End times, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 9: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:1-24; Evening, Psalms 12, 13 and 14;

Deuteronomy 1:1-18; Romans 9:1-18; Matthew 23:27-39:

“Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery,”  I will rise up,” says the Lord,
“and give them the help they long for.” (Psalm 12: 5)

It seems that most of our readings for today talk about the cruelty of human kind. Perhaps even the Psalms do as well. But this verse of Psalm 12, verse 5 caused me to stand back and try to take a look at us from God’s point of view.  God sees the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised.

How do you think God does the heavenly work of restoration?  My beloved of the Lord, God helps the oppressed and the poor who cry out in misery through us who believe in God.  God works through us, for us. I pray God works through us for the peace and benefit of Ukraine.

God works through people who sometimes don’t even realize that their own souls believe in God.  I have met them.  They have good hearts and are full of loving kindness.  These people give children from broken homes hope and love.  They are friends to those who are alienated from so called “normal” people.  Many agnostics are used by God without knowing it and provide success for God by providing “them the help they longed for.”  While God will sometimes work through people with little or no faith, God prefers to work through those of us with acknowledged faith.

Because of some bad preaching and some dogmatic Church doctrine, many have been turned away from the Church and what God wants them to do – that is, to make a positive and loving difference in the world.  God’s plan was revealed in the readings we have for today. Leaders picked for Moses tell the Israelites to brace themselves for what lies ahead in the reading from Deuteronomy. Paul, in Romans, reminds his listeners about their ancestry and that the blessings they have comes from the mercy of God.  And our Lord Jesus continually rebukes religious leaders in our Matthew reading with the words, “woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.”  Spiritual leaders must truly believe and walk the example of faith no matter what. Where is God today?  God is watching the poor and oppressed, and God is watching you and me.  Are we going to rise up with God and give the oppressed the help they long for?  I pray that we turn and really listen to the Holy Spirit and do the work of the Lord.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Let us pray:

Dear Lord God, Creator and Lover of all creation, please again inform all humanity of your will for us, and then keep us aware of your will so that your will, will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, Amen.