Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the Fifth Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm  146; Evening,  Psalms 85 and 86;
Genesis 27:30 to 45; Romans 12:9 to 21; John 8:21 to 32:

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free:” (John 8: 31 and 32).

The reality is that we can change the word “Jews,” to “those” who believed in him. Because all of us who believe in our Lord Jesus and continue in His word are truly His disciples. The person of Jesus was more than just another human being. He was, and is, God almighty. He came among us to model what it means to live out our lives as God’s loving creation. To follow in Jesus’ word means to love God back and to love each other. It ain’t easy folks but we can do it, God has equipped us to love all if we but try.

To know the truth is to know about the reality of God among us in Spirit and truth. When we move beyond just believing, to knowing, we live differently. We don’t succumb to small temporal things and ideas. As we come to know the truth about God among us, we are free to live eternally even now in this life where our earthly death will not hold us, but is overcome by our Lord Jesus who has defeated death for us. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Today our Church remembers Bakhita, monastic (1947); click on her name and read her story.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:97 to 120; Evening,  Psalms 81 and 82;
Genesis 27:1 to 29; Romans 12:1 to 8; John 8:12 to 20:

“Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you.  Go to the flock, and get me two choice kids, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; and you shall take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” (Genesis 27:8 to 10) 

These are Rebecca’s words to her son Jacob after overhearing Isaac talking with Esau. I think most of us today would judge Rebecca as untruthful and deceptive.  However, God is pleased to have Jacob rather than Esau as the keeper of the Promise  and to become Father Israel from whom the twelve tribes will come.  We can never guess what God will approve of.

I will say this about my observation of the scriptural writers about God, God preferred Able over Cain, that is the younger over the elder brother.  And God will prefer Joseph over his older brothers born of Jacob. God will also choose the youngest son of Jesse, David, over his older brothers. Does God favor those who have bad examples to proceed them as a lesson in right behavior? That is to say, “don’t do as my elder did.”  I don’t know.  All I know is that God often favors the only child, or the last child. This is not good news for me as I am the older son of my mother.  However I must admit that Joseph was not the last son of his mother, Benjamin was.  None the less, God will select who God will select. God will judge us, we will not be our own final judge.

Our job is to live the best life we can regardless of which child we are knowing that we will one day stand in God’s judgment.  The only consolation we have is in knowing that God is loving and merciful. This love and mercy is not to be taken for granted, but rather it is to be humbly received, even now in this life, and then shared by us on those we are with everyday. I pray that we too may be as Rebecca, that is, that the outward looking untruthful and deceptive acts that we do may be what God wants. But this only happens if we are listening to the Holy Spirit of God.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 78:1 to 39; Evening, Psalm 78:40 to 72;

Genesis 26:1 to 6 and 12 to 33; Hebrews 13:17 to 25; John 7:53 to 8:11:

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.” (Hebrews 13: 17)

I believe we all are led by another person or persons.  From our president down to the least followed person on the planet.  Sometimes our leaders are a group of people as in a council or a cabinet, or vestry or board of directors. The reason we have this body of leadership is because in, and of themselves individually, leaders often can’t figure out the next best move. And, not many leaders today are concerned about our souls.

As we care about the spiritual and physical health of our leaders we should keep them in prayer, asking God to aid and assist them in good thoughts and right actions for the welfare of their charge.  Whether our leaders are one person or a group, they are not outside the influence of God.  Even if we don’t like our leader, it would be all the more reason to pray to God for them.  God will make them who they need to be in order that they “keep watch over our souls.”

God can, and will, also have our leadership be joyful in doing the good works pleasing in God’s sight.  As one who served in the Marines for thirty years under all kinds of leaders, and now being led by a faithful bishop and a loving parish vestry, I know firsthand that prayer for leaders work.

Leaders (including myself) are often conflicted about how priorities should be set, but prayer to God for right judgment always helps.  I can say to you honestly that praying for leaders makes a good and positive difference.  The big thing to overcome is that we must really “want” leadership to be better, to do good works for the people they serve.  We can’t hold grudges or wish ill upon them.  But rather, work with God for their improvement. If we didn’t have societies we wouldn’t need leaders.  So it is really for the people that we are praying. And when (not if), the leader improves, relish in the pride of working with God that changed him or her. And you know what?  They didn’t even see it coming. Bless their hearts.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 5^th Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 80; Evening, Psalm 77;

Genesis 25:19 to 34; Hebrews 13:1 to 16; John 7:37 to 52:

“Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”  (John 7:50 – 52)

So this is Nicodemus who first went out to Jesus in darkness (Chapter 3 of this Gospel according to John), perhaps so as not to be seen.  But the darkness could also be used to describe the darkness of ignorance.  Albeit, he now pushes for some level of fairness for Jesus. And what happens?  His colleagues immediately turn on him.  They have that mentality that says if you are not with me, then you are against me.

Nicodemus took a risk for Jesus whom he knew in his heart was a good man and at least a prophet sent from God.  His friends want to use our Lord Jesus’ current home town as a way to say he cannot be sent from God. Now even they will admit that God can do whatever God wants to do.  And one thing is for sure; God does not depend on “the way it’s always been.” 

Neither should we use our own history as a locked-out boundary that will suppress any hope of evolving, or growing spiritually.  When writings get old, somehow they become sacred text that suggests that the people who wrote them were in some way, smarter or more holy than we are today. This kind of misguided idea, be it the Bible or our Constitution, becomes our new god.  But they are not God.  They are writings by people, all of whom had faults and misunderstandings like us of today.  While Jesus did not originate in Galilee as they thought, it really makes no difference.  God, the real God, can, and does do, whatever God wants to do.  God is always doing something new.  

How many of us today are still where we were originally from (geographically, intellectually and spiritually)?  Some of us are, but I’ll bet most of us are not. Either way, it makes no difference. God is present at our beginning, in our present and will receive us when we close. Nicodemus was right, we all deserve a hearing and God, the real God, listens.  We too should listen to one another with compassion.  Remember, listening leads to learning, which leads to loving, which can lead to outright leading others.

Today our Church remembers The Martyrs of Japan. Click on this and check it out.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

Gospel Reading for the Fifth Sunday of Epiphany: Year B

Mark 1:29 to 39

“He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”  (Mark 1:31)

We can miss so much when we don’t know the original words used to record our Lords deeds and healings as they were intended.  The mother-in-law of Simon Peter was healed and then she got up and “served” them.  The Greek word used to serve is (diakonie), or deacon for them.  We don’t hear any more about deacons until we get to Acts of the Apostles where seven deacons were ordained to feed the poor.

Having this understanding about Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law causes me to see Jesus as ordaining her as perhaps the first ever deacon.  We miss so much when we don’t have a complete understanding of the ancient words.  But sometimes we don’t get messages about how we should follow Jesus’ example when there is no misunderstanding of the words.  Jesus was found praying.

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’” (Mark 1 35 – 37)

This again reminds me that my children never disturbed me during my prayer time.  As the kids were growing up they would often come to ask me something while I was on the phone,  mowing the lawn, or watching the game; but never did they interrupt me during prayers like it seems Simon and his companions did to Jesus.  Long story short, I was never praying.  If it’s one thing I could change while raising my children it would be that I would be found praying regularly.  Kids are learners, if parents curse, their children will curse, if parents smoke, kids will smoke, it stands to reason then that if parents pray kids too will pray. 

I wish I had been found praying like Jesus was when they were searching for me. Maybe then my children would have grown up praying, and who knows, maybe they would have been called to be deacons or priests like Simon Peter’s mother-in-law.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 4^th Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 75 and 76; Evening, Psalms 23 and 27;  

Genesis 24:28 to 38 and 49 to 51; Hebrews 12:12 to 29; John 7:14 to 36:

“Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

Sometimes seeking peace is hard to do.  Some people act as if they don’t want peace.  As hard as it might be, listening is probably the one (although painful) thing we can do to soften ourselves in order that we might begin the process to establishing some sort of peace.

When we listen, we learn.  We might learn that we were right all along about the stubbornness and ignorance of the other person.  But, listening might also bring about learning the fears and misunderstandings that the other person labors under. If we are true to ourselves, we might also learn that we were ignorant and stubborn. When we listen, we learn.

Learning brings about some degree of understanding. Learning casts light on the darkness of misunderstanding. It’s hard to remain harsh to a person when we fully understand what the problems are, when we see the issue from their perspective.  When we understand, we become more tolerant.  When we become more tolerant we shift into feeling the concern of the other and a little compassion seeps in, and love for the other develops . Loving others is God’s hope for us.

Listening, learning and loving takes place in pursuit of peace.  The grace of God follows the peace of God. And it is the peace of God that our Lord Jesus graciously shares with us if we will but accept it. This truly makes us a holy people. And how do we seek holiness?  Holiness has to be freely given by God as grace.  As you read this, may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always so that with grace you may see the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

The Presentation Readings:

Psalm 84 or 24:7-10; 
Malachi 3:1 to 4; Hebrews 2:14 to 18; Luke 2:22 to 40:

“There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day.”  (Luke 2:36 and 37)

The prophet Anna is an interesting story.  Like the Judge Debra in Judges of the Hebrew Testament, they both had husbands of no importance. It seems in order to be spoken well of as a woman they had to be married according to the male writers of the day. However, she was only married for seven years. I wonder how old Anna was when she married.  She lived to reach 84!

It says she never left the temple.  Perhaps if she did, as a woman, she could never get back in. In some way she got food and relief within the Temple walls. But she was there for a purpose. “She came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child.” (Luke 2: 38)

Every person born has a purpose. God assigns each of us some prophetic responsibility for the benefit of those around us. Such assignments may cause us to undergo hardships but it is the Lord’s work.  It doesn’t matter how we got where we are, or who we are, God knows what a community needs and you may just be the person chosen by God to bring them the Good News!

 “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.

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

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 4^th Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 71; Evening, Psalm 74;

Genesis 23:1 to 20; Hebrews 11:32 to 12:2; John 6:60 to 71:

“It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)

We have the Spirit of God in us. And our Lord Jesus says it is this God-given spirit that gives us life.  We are more than blood-pumping hearts and lungs that exchange air.  As the saying goes, we are so much more than the sum of our parts. I know and have had experience with medical doctors who place their faith well ahead of their practice. Flesh is useless when it comes to maintaining itself. it is the spirit in us that gives real life to the flesh.

The Spirit speaks to us. The spirit in us serves as a communicator that connects us with the will of God. To realize what God is saying all we have to do is be still and quiet.  Sure, our minds will wonder.  But as we regularly practice contemplative exercises by keeping times of sitting quietly we will get better at receiving God’s guidance. As we learn from the lost son in Chapter 15 verse 7 of Luke’s account of the Gospel, we will get better at coming to our senses, or to ourselves (depending on which translation you read). Times of meditation will reorient us into being who God intends for us to be.

From Blaise Pascal we learn that “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  Down time, specifically quiet time, is the medicine of the soul.  It is during such quiet times that God visits us.  This lesson runs throughout the Bible: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, Hagar, Elijah, Mary, Joseph and our Lord Jesus who was setting the example for us to follow. 

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 72; Evening, Psalm 119:73-96:
Genesis 22:1 to 18; Hebrews 11:23 to 31; John 6:52  to 59:

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;” (John 6:54)

I joined the Episcopal Church with the introduction of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Holy Communion became the liturgy for every Sunday as the weekly Feast Day of our Lord. I have heard that before the 1979 Prayer Book, Holy Communion was celebrated once or perhaps twice a month on specific Sundays. It was decided (using the same scriptures we had always used), that every Sunday was the Feast Day of our Lord. For me, Holy Communion  (Liturgy of the Table) is the most important part of the service.

While the verse from John 6:54 above sounds cannibalistic on the surface, its true meaning makes much more spiritual sense. In the Anglican view of Consubstantiation, the bread and wine are not “changed” into the body and blood of Christ, but rather, embedded with the body and blood of Christ. The material never changes, but the spiritual presence of our Lord is added to it.  The celebrant and people asks God to be in the bread and wine so that life, true life, eternal life will also dwell in us as we dwell in Him.

Maybe God knew that one day we would have streaming Church services and fixed it more than 2000 years ago with our Lord Jesus saying “ Take and eat, do this in remembrance of me.”  We can’t stream a piece of bread or a sip of wine to parishioners, nor should we want to.

Our regular attendance in Church and the receiving of Holy Communion, the taking inside us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus is life changing for all who partake of it.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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

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

Morning, Psalms 61 and 62; Evening, Psalm 68;

Genesis 21:1 to 21; Hebrews 11:13 to 22; John 6:41 to 51:

 “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.” (John 6: 44)

Maybe not everybody is called to follow our Lord Jesus Christ or even to be a Christian.  Jesus says that “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me.”  God sends certain people to our Lord Jesus.  This was evident with the star that led the (non Christian) wise men to the child Jesus in Mathew’s Gospel; it was true for Simeon who was called to the Temple when Jesus was taken there at his Presentation; it was true when people like Andrew and Philip and others brought their relatives or friends to Jesus.  In my own life, a Marine friend brought me to Jesus at St Anne’s Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee more than forty years ago.

Now having said all that, I don’t believe only Christians are saved.  I think God uses us Christians to assist in the saving action of God.  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Ruth, and David and Elijah and Elisha and others were saved and none of them were Christians. This saving includes some non-Christian, New Testament folk as well because the term Christian was not put into use until the teachings about our Lord Jesus was taught in Antioch. We read, “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:25 – 26)

We Christians are like volunteer flight attendants making passengers comfortable and safe during the flight. While flight attendants assist passengers in their travel, they do not recruit passengers to come and work for the airlines. And neither should we Christians try to force people into being Christians.  Another thing I have noticed about flight crews is that as passengers prepare to board the plane, flight attendants get a pass to go right on board.  So too, we have a pass to be raised up on the last day. God loves all people and we Christians are here to help even nonbelievers on their journey. God’s kingdom is not about us or them; it is about all of us together.  Thank You Lord Jesus.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools.

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