Author: John Thomas Frazier

Gospel Reading for Sunday of Proper 5: Year B

 Mark 3:20 to 35

“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

I consider biological family to be like culture; we are born into it without choice. However, as we live, grow, love and learn, we can modify, add to, adapt and transform both family and culture.

As I have served in the military for 30 years I have become a part of the U.S. military culture and many of my retired military friends are family to me. So too, the members of the Episcopal Church are family to me. This new found family of mine also includes my brothers in freemasonry. We are family because we are God-fearing men who live to do the will of God. This in no way means that I reject my biological family. It simply means that the family and culture of my choosing is as dear to me as those I was born into without choice.

I think a house divided happens when someone close to us decides not to do the will of God. This is sad regardless of blood or oaths. Sometimes our own country could be looked at as a house divided with all the political rhetoric going. Family or nation, we must put God first and stay this way regardless of small differences.

As I write these words my biological brother is here visiting with me. My time with him is wonderful and I am thankful to God for him. My brother and I disagree about some things but we love each other and will not let seeing things differently pull us apart.  We can have it both ways. We can have our birth families and we can also have our “grown-into” families. Thank You Lord Jesus.

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 Brother Lord Jesus, we give you thanks for connecting us to our eternal Father and true Parent. We pray that you bring to all of us as we live, grow, love and learn, a clearer understanding of what real family means, that is, those who do the will of the Father. Amen

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 4: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalms 138 and 139 ;

Ecclesiastes 5:8 to 20; Galatians 3:23 to 4:11; Matthew 15:1 to 20:

“But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,heirs according to the promise.”  (Galatians 3: 25 – 29)

For me, having no longer a disciplinarian means that being baptized in Christ, I become my own disciplinarian.  It means that I should know well what it means to err on the side of love and compassion. Jesus is my plumb line. Jesus is the straight line, I am the crooked line struggling to be straight as I align myself with my Lord Jesus.

Paul gets rid of the human descriptors of ethnicity be it Jew or Greek.  Along with these we can add black and white.  We are no longer black or white.  It is so hard to get us to realize this – on both sides. We have the biblical story of Paul’s letter to Philemon about Onesimus and accepting him as a brother and no longer a slave.  We also have the post biblical account of Perpetua and her raising of Felicitas from being her slave to being her sister in Christ.  This is what it means to be “no longer” slave.  It is important to note here that the slave has no vote in this freedom.  No, it has to come from the conscience of the one who considers himself free – free to do the right thing.

All of this equally goes for male and female freedoms as well.  God resides in both sexes.  And we need what God has given us in both sexes.  Male and female we are made in God’s Image. (Gen. 1:27)

From here we go back to Abraham, again, not genetically, but faithfully.  Paul says, and I believe, we Christians are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.  It must be remembered also that being Christian does not mean that we are better than non-Christians.  It is the non-Christian that we serve and support and love as well as ourselves. Ours is a humble walk as was Abraham’s and as was the walk of our Lord Jesus.

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 Lord God, Creator, Sustainer and Lover of all creation, be in us who profess Christ Jesus and work through us to be co-creators with you in caring for creation and those who do not have the same understanding that we do. Allow us to be humble participants of peace and love and unity, ridding ourselves of all human separations for Christ’s sake, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 4: Year 2

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

Ecclesiastes 5:1 to 7; Galatians 3:15 to 22; Matthew 14:22 to 36:

“But when he noticed the strong wind,he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  (Matthew 14: 30)

In the midst of danger don’t take your eyes off the Savior.  While we try to stay focused on our Lord always, we often drift away. But when we are lured away from God by some troubling force, we are especially vulnerable.

We have now gone to a sad place where we actually want to look at the news and social media only to cringe in fear.  Like Peter we move our eyes off of our Lord Jesus, who invites us out to walk with him in love, and we stare into the destructive winds of hate and evil in the midst of our nation and the world. And we too cry out, “Lord, save us!” And he does. The ones who call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.

When we take our focus off of our Lord Jesus we set ourselves up for fear and misunderstanding.  Jesus is all about love.  We are all invited to step out of the boat floating in the sea of fear and hatred. And as long as we maintain our focus on our Lord Jesus, we walk with Him through troubled waters.  But if we turn our attention to worldly fears and concerns, we sink into the sludge of sadness and despair.  Therefore, in the midst of danger don’t take your eyes off the Savior.

“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:

Dear Lord Christ, who saves us daily, give us that determination to always focus on your presence with us and most especially in our trying times.  Help us to avoid looking at the threatening winds that are trying to distract us, and please extend to us your saving hand when we need it. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 4: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 50; Evening, Psalms  8 and 84

Ecclesiastes 3:16 to 4:3; Galatians 3:1 to 14; Matthew 14:13 to 21:

“Just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:6 – 7)

Above all identifiers of who I am, I consider myself first and foremost a believing descendant of Abraham.  Biologically, Abraham (son of Terah of Ur: Genesis 11: 26 – 32) was from what we now call Iraq.  I claim no genetic relationship to him in that way. This faith-based believing relationship is more important to me than being African American or any descriptor of human identification. What I claim is a spiritual and believing relationship to Abraham in the Holy Spirit of God.  We underestimate the power of faith and in particular the power of believing.

Believing is everything to me.  This doesn’t mean that I never drift off course.  Sadly, I do.  But even in my waywardness I believe.  It’s funny how different Bible verses over the years take on more importance as one grows stronger in the faith.  I am going through some sadness now regarding the political unrest in America.  So what stands out for me now is John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.” These are comforting words.  Abraham too had stressful days but he always believed in God. Paul’s letter to the Galatians reminds us that as believing descendants of Abraham we have a most important heritage.

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: (Using 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 Wednesday of Proper 3: Year 2

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

Ecclesiastes 3:1 to 15;  Galatians 2:11 to 21; Matthew 14:1to 12:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵ a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; ⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.  (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 8)

Personally I don’t believe there is ever a time to hate. I could probably deal with the rest of the verses. Having said that, I believe I could even engage in war for a just cause and yet, not hate the people I am fighting.

I am still in the process of writing a short book about human stations in life.  I have developed an acronym for it.  It is SPERC (sounds like “SPERK”) It stands for Study, Practice, Exercise, Rest and Chores.  At no time during the day can I be found not existing in one of these states of being. As I am doing this writing I am in study.  Study also includes prayer and all pondering.  Practice includes those activities that I do with my hands like playing music, practicing golf and other games.  Exercise is about my daily exercises that I believe most people don’t do.  I find that by doing regular exercises I maintain my ability to fulfill other parts of my SPERC program.  Rest includes all peaceful states of being and most especially sleep.  And lastly there are Chores.  Chores are those activities necessary to maintain personal and environmental upkeep like cooking, driving, cleaning the house, cutting the grass and all other necessary actions for healthy living.

I am retired now, but I have plenty to keep me busy.  Writing (Study) is one of those states of my SPERC being.  There is never a moment in my day that I am not in one part or another of my SPERC self.  The writer of Ecclesiastes is correct; there is a time for every matter under heaven.

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, who brought us into being and is with each of us every moment of our lives, comfort us we pray, to be aware of your precious presence with us and make us both aware of you, and thankful to you, for all that you are doing for us, both the known, and the unknown. And then lead us into right pathways for your Name’s sake.  Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 4: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 45; Evening, Psalms 47 and 48;

Ecclesiastes. 2:16 to 26; Galatians 1:18 to 2:10; Matthew 13:53 to 58:

“And when James (the brother of Jesus) and Cephas [Simon Peter] and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.  They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do,” (Galatians 2: 9 and 10)

In my studies I have found that our response to the poor changes as money comes into the world.  In the earliest days people who owned farmland were instructed by God to leave something for the needy and not to go back and take up the last of everything.

However, with money, we now have “the poor.” With money we have the haves and the have-nots. With the haves, we create scarcity for the have-nots.. Scarcity ranges over time: it can be the coins of currency in antiquity to even toilet paper today during the midst of our Covid pandemic. The greed of one person creates the need of another.  But no matter what the need, we are instructed, as was Paul was, to remember the poor.  And with that remembrance also comes our response. This is an issue of real faith.

James reminds us that our response is so important.  He writes, “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith;” (James 2:18).  So remembering the poor really is about responding to their need.  It is the one thing that the early followers of our Lord Jesus asks of us still today.  Are we, like Paul, actually eager to do so?

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 Lord Jesus, you have blessed us who believe in you in order that we might be a blessing to those who have yet come to believe.  As we bask in your blessing keep us ever mindful of all in need, not only of money, but also with companionship, or just someone to listen to them. Teach us to respect the dignity of every human being Oh Lord by the way we live in community. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 4: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 41 and 52; Evening, Psalm 44;
Ecclesiastes. 2:1 to 15; Galatians 1:1 to 17; Matthew 13:44 to 52;

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

This is the first of three “The kingdom of heaven is like:” parables from Jesus in this Matthew passage. At least one point is that when we see or feel the kingdom of heaven, we must let go of what we have to obtain it. Likewise, we must let go of this body to enter the new one prepared for us in the next life.

Sometimes there is a greed in us that says both, and, instead of, either, or. We must choose the life we want to live.  We can’t live two lives. I think the key to living in the kingdom of heaven is simplification. The less we have, the easier life becomes. Likewise, the less we are doing, the easier life becomes. I know this to be true for I am way too busy.

The simple life might be the gateway into the kingdom of heaven. All we have to do is let go of some of what we have ; and some of what we are doing, and enjoy the kingdom. So therefore, in the end, we must let go of this body to enter the new one prepared for us in the next life, in the kingdom. Thank You Lord Jesus.

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 Jesus, please help us to let go of things unnecessary for finding the kingdom of heaven. Lead us and guide us in ways of simple pleasures already with us now. Teach us to want and need less as we seek the kingdom. Show us dear Lord Jesus that peace and tranquility which surpasses all understanding and which is the essence of the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Gospel Reading for Sunday of Proper 4: Year B

Mark 2:23-3:6 

“Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”  (Mark 2:27)

Today’s Gospel lesson seems to be all about rules and laws. For the most part, rules and laws are made by communities or a nation in order for us to live together in harmony and in safety. Therefore rules should be followed and obeyed. But like the Sabbath law provided to us by God, as Jesus points out, they come to us with the understanding that we are to use reason in observing them.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus uses reason to support the need for us to eat, even when some community-made law might say otherwise. Then he ends it with one of the laws that God gave us, to have a Sabbath time. This is a law we did not create, it was given to us by God. But even it, comes under the scrutiny our God-given reasoning. Richard Hooker, (17^th century Anglican priest) says that God gifted us with scripture, tradition, and reason. Scripture has its laws and our Church Tradition has its rules or rubrics, but our reasoning is personal for each of us making sense through our understanding of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. And with it comes mercy tempered with love.

As best we can we should have our Sabbath time together. This is what God wants of us.

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 Jesus as you yourself set the example of attending to the Sabbath, so be in our hearts today in order that we too of this day may remember the blessed gift from God to have our communal rest, and remind ourselves that this is what God wants of us, and for us. Help us to be renewed each week through coming together in your most Holy Name we pray: Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 3

Morning, Psalms 30 and 32; Evening, Psalms 42 and 43;
Proverbs 25:15 to 28; 1^st Timothy 6:6 to 21; Matthew 13:36 to 43:

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ (Matthew 13:36)

While it is interesting to follow Jesus into the house to hear the explanation of the parable about who the good seeds are, and who the gathers are, and so forth; I find it informative that the disciples knew that they needed to get Jesus off, away from the people, with only themselves. They needed some Jesus-time.

This is true for us today. Sometimes we just need to ponder alone or with a few inquisitive learners in order to more fully understand something better. I mentor or facilitate a few spiritual formation sessions during the week where we breakdown and go deeper into biblical readings and even the news of the day. These sessions are so enlightening. God feeds us through one another. We should enter such sessions with open minds, being ready to be found in error, or having a misunderstanding about a topic. It serves us no good to only share with like-minded people. We should be seasoned with different points of view. Such sessions are Jesus-time.

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 Jesus, your are the source of both love and understanding. Help us we pray, to soften our hearts and minds and pride so that we might more fully love, understand, and humble ourselves to your call on our lives. Thank You Lord Jesus. Amen.

The Eucharistic Gospel Reading for The Visitation

Luke 1:39-57

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.”  (Luke 1: 46 to 48)

Today our Church remembers the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth in Chapter 1 of the Gospel according to Luke. Mary humbles herself as did Hannah in chapter 2 of 1^st Samuel: “Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God;” (1^st Samuel 2:1).

These women set for us an example of getting out of God’s way and instead making one’s self useful for God. Half of our population can’t conceive and bear children (we are men). Not even all women can. But that does not stop us from devoting ourselves to God’s will.

 Perhaps it is the lowliness of his servant that creates the space for God to enter our souls and move our spirits. We can learn from this. We need to have more down-time in order to sit and just ponder about God, God who brought us into being with love and then rested.

“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:

Dear Lord Jesus, through whom all life is made and maintained, please be evermore present in our souls and spirits making us both aware, and eternally thankful, for your promises and guidance in our lives. Amen.