Author: John Thomas Frazier

This is the Sixth Day of Christmas

Daily Office Readings for December 30^th: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 20 and 21:1to 7; Evening, Psalms 23 and  27;

1^st Kings 17:17 to 24; 3^rd Letter of John 1 to 15; John 4:46 to 54:

Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” (John 4:50)

Going to our Lord Jesus is the most powerful act we can perform for someone. It is more important than money. The Scripture in today’s Gospel reading says that the man believed and started back home. However, he did inquire about the time the boy was healed, and scripture says he believed (again).   Regardless of when he really believed, he obeyed Jesus and started for home.  Jesus is everywhere. He didn’t have to be standing above the child to heal him. He healed him across space and time.

Our Lord Jesus is still doing this today for those who ask, across time and space. The catch is, we must believe. Believing is about going to Jesus in prayer, but it is also about following Jesus’ teachings regarding forgiveness. Few of us, even if we struggled with all medical learning could not come close to the healing that Jesus can do,  But, if we learned to forgive like Jesus does, all of us could achieve His merciful likeness.

Prayer, with forgiveness, is the greatest of gifts we can ever give to anyone, for Christmas, or anytime. Jesus is everywhere.  Merry Christmas: Day 6

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

This is the 5^th Day of Christmas.

Daily Office Readings for December 29: Year 2:

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

2^nd Samuel 23: 13 to 17; 2^nd John 1 to 13; John 2:1 to 11:

“His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)

I agree with the Late Verna Dozier in her book, “The Dream of God,” that we, as Christians should be more concerned with following (obeying), our Lord Jesus than worshiping him. I also hold these words of the Mother of Jesus as one of two most powerful (although shortest) sermons in the Christian Testament; “Do whatever he tells you.” She is talking to the servants. Jesus gives them instructions about what to do, and they do it.

Jesus also gives us, his servants, instructions about what we are to do. Will we do them?

As followers of the Christ of Christmas, we should do whatever he tells us.  Merry Christmas: Day 5.

Today our Church remembers Thomas Becket. “On December 29, we remember Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, slain in his own cathedral in 1170, for his defiance of King Henry II. The death of Thomas reminds us that a Christian, even when safe from pagans, can be in danger from his fellow-Christians. It also reminds us that one can be martyred in a cause where the merits of the particular issue at hand are not obvious to all men of good will.” Taken from Thomas a Becket (satucket.com) and can be further read at this site.

“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

This is the Fourth Day of Christmas

Eucharistic Readings for Holy Innocence

Jeremiah 31:15 to 17;  Psalm 124;  Revelation 21:1 to 7;  Matthew 2:13 to 18:

“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”  (Jeremiah 31:15 and Matthew 2:18)

The writer of the Gospel according to Matthew repeats words written in the journal of Jeremiah. He adds to them as one builds on a previous foundation.  I think we all should do this.  I will do so here.

I know a Rachel who has no children and yet she is a perfect mother. She is kind and gentle, very smart and nurturing.  Children, when we are blessed with them, are a gift from God. And because they are precious in God’s sight, they should be precious in our sight as well.  After all, we are made in the Image of God. We should all be Rachel; we should all be Saint Nicolas (Santa Claus).

 The first Herod who ruled Judah around birth of our Lord Jesus was not great as a compassionate, yet appointed, ruler. He was an evil monster and baby killer as recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew. He felt threatened by a New Born King.  This is sad.

Is there a biblical foundation that inspires you to build on?  Please do it, we need it.

We are never to hurt or harm children, only love them, teach them, save and help them. Children are what Christmas is all about. Merry Christmas: Day 4

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

This is the Third Day of Christmas

Eucharistic Readings for St John the Evangelist

Exodus 33:18 to 23; Psalm 92; 1^st John 1:1  to  9: John 21: 19 to  24:

“This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.”  (John 21:24)

John is one of at least five Apostles that the Gospel shows evidence of being handpicked by Jesus.  Oh the Gospel says he had 12 but some were just joiners I guess.  John and James, Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and later Matthew (Levi; Matthew 9:9), were actually invited with the words, “follow me,” and they accepted.  There was also the rich young man but he declined the invitation of our Lord, (Matthew 19:21).  His name could have been among the 12 (or five), He was invited but his many possessions had control of him. There is a lesson in this for you and me.

John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1: 1 to 3). We have a beginning from One who has no beginning.

We must recognize the testimony of John as a divine revelation and message. All of his words, from the Gospel according to John, his pastoral letters, and the Divine Revelation from our Lord Jesus, are God’s doing and it is for our benefit. Thank You Lord Jesus.

I have come to recognize and appreciate that our Church, has been built on the written words from past experiences of people, and primarily from the Bible.  Perhaps the greatest contribution we could do for those who come after us is to also write something of our own experiences.  In this way we give back, even if just a little, as a token of our appreciation for what has been given to us.

The testimony of John the apostle about our Lord Jesus is true; Believe.  Merry Christmas: Day 3

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

This is the Second Day of Christmas

Eucharistic Readings for St. Stephens

Jeremiah 26:1-9,12-15;  Psalm 31;  Acts 6:8-7:2a,51c-60;  Matthew 23:34-39:

“Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.” (Acts 7:60)

As a priest retired, but still considered a servant of our Lord Jesus, I am not in total agreement with how our first deacons were formed.  As I understand it deacons were formed in order to excuse priests from the responsibility of feeding those who were hungry, (Acts 6), which is in contrast with what Jesus did at every opportunity he could. In fact he said to the apostles, “You feed them,”  (Matthew 14:16).  However, more than that, and in keeping with today’s focus, Deacon Stephen’s devotion to God through the examples of Jesus is most remarkable.

Stephen knows his faith history and relates it to those who falsely judge him.  He has every right to be angry about how they are treating him, however, he lets love prevail. Psalm 31:13 – 16 may hold comforting words for Stephen and for all of us who are held in contempt.  For it reads:

13. For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; fear is all around; they put their heads together against me; they plot to take my life.

14. But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. I have said, “You are my God.

15. My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

16. Make your face to shine upon your servant, and in your loving-kindness save me.” (Psalm 31:13 -16)

I believe Stephen was saved, not from mortal death but form eternal death. And as he goes, he shares with us a very important lesson. Let us not take our hate or ill-will for another with us to our mortal death. Let us forgive, ask God to forgive, and then move on.  Merry Christmas: Day 2

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

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 his Resurrection from the dead.  Merry Christmas

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

Today is Christmas Eve!  So I have decided (as is my custom) to break from the normal readings, even this Fourth Sunday of Advent, in order to again share my poem written in 2006.  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, lying 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 Mary, Joseph 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)

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 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 believe only but by their active compassion generated by their faith, 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.

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 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 the relative effects 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 two, and finally he, the third servant, gets only one. The only way this could have possibly been worse is if the order of giving the gifts was reversed; that is, the servant receiving one talent then the saw the other two getting two and five 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 four or two or just one like our servant above. 

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 the lack 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 Sabbath rest.

“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 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 we should, 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 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 encounter with one? Don’t expect wings; thank you artists, but scripture doesn’t support wings.

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