Author: John Thomas Frazier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 3^rd Week in Advent Year 2

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

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

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

No human salesperson knocks on your door, or calls you on the phone, or advertizes on your computer for your complete happiness as their number one priority.  They want your money.  They are in it for themselves. Most of them will say that the quality, or your safety, is their first priority. However, if they didn’t make a profit they wouldn’t have a business at all. So profit is really their first priority.  

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

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

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 3^rd Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 41 and  52; Evening, Psalm 44;  Zechariah,  1:7 to 17; Revelation 3:7 to13; Matthew 24:15 to 31

“Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.  I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.  If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.  Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3:10 – 13)

Let us remember that the Book of Revelation is a Revelation from the Risen Jesus Christ to his apostle John.  This Revelation speaks of a patient endurance that will keep us from the hour of trial and that we will have new names and live in a New Jerusalem. 

I am reminded that in Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “And do not bring us to the time of trial.” (Luke 11:4)  I once got a traffic ticket for running a stop sign, (I earned it), but through many apologies, agreeing to attend a Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) safety course, and a friend in the court system, I was excused.  My friend told me that my name is no longer on the docket.  Full disclosure, I went on the appointed day anyway only to see that in fact my name was never called.  It is nice to have someone who can excuse you from judgment. 

Our apologies are our repentance, our church groups  are our DMV safety courses and Jesus is our friend who removes our names from the docket and “keeps us from the hour of trial.”  However, we must keep the lesson of patient endurance in order for this to happen. Patient endurance is something we can achieve and become pillars in the temple of God. This is just another way of saying joyful waiting.  Believe me, there is joy in knowing you have been “excused” from judgment.

Jesus also reveals to John that we will have new names, holy names. This is not new, Jesus often gives us new names as God did with Abram to Abraham and Jesus did with Simon to Peter.  Some names stick however as did Mary’s and others.  I guess the other big thing I will be looking for is that we will have a better Jerusalem, a New Jerusalem. Our current Jerusalem is built on an arid mountain.  I often wonder how water was provided in the old days.  Maybe a New Jerusalem in a valley would be better, a land flowing with milk and honey.  I’m just pondering here, joyfully pondering.

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

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the Third Sunday of Advent: Year B

John 1:6-8 and 19-28:

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.” (John 1: 6 to 8)

These verses kind of break through in the prolog of the Gospel according to John. This Gospel account was speaking about Jesus, the actual word of God when this introduction of John the Baptist just bursts in.  However, I find it to be another layer of the “In the Beginning,” voice. John dedicates himself to be the connection between the Hebrew and Christian Testament. The voice of Isaiah, which is indirectly the Voice of God, speaks through him. John the Baptist breaches the distinction between prophet and saint. He becomes both.

When they, the priests and Levites, asked John, “What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said,; (John 1:22 and 23).

In the beginning of our Bible we have the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, Let there be light”; and there was light;(Genesis 1:1 to 3.)  To me, this our prayer from God bringing about our creation. So, Isaiah, and John the Baptist echo our historic creation in order that these Holy words might take root in our souls.

As we come to realize that we didn’t have to be, we should become humbled creatures of creation giving thanks to God that we even exist.  And more than that, through our Lord Jesus we, all humanity, are presented an invitation to pass from mortality to immortality through the same Jesus Christ by making straight our lives in order that that same Holy Spirit of God that passed over the waters in the beginning, might also be our bridge to eternal life. Most bridges (not all) are straight structures that connect two bodies of land. Even those that are curved do the same. The word for us today is to clear the path for God to act in our lives. We clear this path by prayer and repentance.

Today, this Third Sunday of Advent, is marked as a day of joyful thanksgiving for the opportunity accept the invitation from God to receive our Lord Jesus into our lives that we might repent and rebuild our lives as a welcome place to the coming of our Lord.  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

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

Morning, Psalm 31; Evening, Psalm 35;

 Haggai 1:1-15; Revelation 2:18-29; Matthew 23:27-39:

“Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, saying, I am with you, says the Lord.  And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” (Haggai 1:13 and 14)

Today it still takes the Spirit of God to work in people in order that they might honor their houses of worship.  All places of human assembly require due vigilance in order that they are properly maintained.  The Church is the sure sign of how important God is in the lives of the community.

I have read stories where people in some neighborhoods will occasionally help out with various projects in and around a Church even when they themselves do not attend it. Often it is because they recognize the need for the food pantries or social events that lift the self esteem of people and they want to be a part of it.   

This care for houses of worship is God’s doing.  And “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders’ labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).  We are moved then by the hand of God to support the efforts of those who want to respect and honor God.  This power of God is not concerned with denomination or a particular faith.  It is concerned with people admitting that God exist and that God is good,  (All the time).

King Darius was not of the Hebrew people, he was Persian. But he went to great lengths to ensure the house of God was properly rebuilt.  So too, in all of our neighborhoods, any of us can, and should, support godly works as we recognize them to be such. None of us can claim God for ourselves only.  God only is God and loves ALL people.  As long as the faith tradition is not hostile or preaching hate but rather doing good works in the community, we should listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in terms of what they might need. And then do it as we are able. 

“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 second week of Advent: Year 2

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

Amos 9:1 to 10; Revelation 2:8 to 17; Matthew 23:13 to 26:

‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,so that the outside also may become clean.” (Matthew 23:25 – 26)

In this session of warnings Jesus tells those of us, who will listen, that if we clean the inside of our selves the outside will become clean as well.

What makes itself manifest on the outside, particularly in behavior and actions, starts in the heart and mind of the person.  As I occasionally conduct pre-marital counseling, I have the engaged couple raise many questions about the other.  I don’t want to know the results that they come up with (unless of course the wedding is off).  I just want to know that they have addressed certain issues. So I have them to have conversations around money and what it means; around education; around concerns of faith (particularly if they are of different faith backgrounds); around children (natural or adopted). I have them discuss concerns of sex and intimacy; and lately I ask about social media and each other’s friends in general.  Sometimes I think I’m unconsciously trying to get them to rethink getting married at all.

The reality is, I am trying to get them to see what’s inside of the other. Is the other’s cup clean on the inside? Is your cup clean on the inside?  This question goes further than just marriage proposals.  We need to ponder these questions with all whom we hold close, family, business, Church, fraternity, sorority or whatever. We need to take it home and ask ourselves these types of questions.  But there is hope.  Our Lord Jesus says that if we clean the inside of our cup the outside will become clean as well.

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 Week 2 of Advent: Year 2

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

Amos 8:1 to 14; Revelation 1:17 to 2:7; Matthew 23:1 to 12

“All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

After pondering on these words of Matthew for a while I get the sense that exaltation is the goal for both, it’s just two different routes to being exalted. While we are kind of led to the latter, that is, to humble ourselves now in order to be exalted later (in the next life), it seems to me that we are being humble for the reward of being exalted.  That doesn’t work for me. 

I think if I train myself to really get into, and be comfortable with humility, I will never want or desire exaltation for myself.  I’ve always told my congregation that being humble can be a fleeting thing.  Once you boast about your humility, it’s gone. 

I have had lapses in humility.  I played guitar with another guitarist and when he was thanked for coming and playing and I was not, I brought it to the attention of the group that I was there also. Shame on me.  It was after that incident that I coined the phrase “the humility of invisibility.”  Unfortunately humility was not my comfort zone. But I want it to be.  So I have put into practice the words of C.S. Lewis who said, “Humility is not so much about thinking less of yourself, but rather, thinking of yourself less.”

So now I ponder about all the times I was not seen or remembered, while at the same time I was very present, at various events. I am learning to enjoy “the humility of invisibility,” not so that I might be exalted later, but just for the inherent quiet and unassuming nature of it. 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

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

Morning, Psalms 26 and 28; Evening,  Psalms 36 and 39;
Amos 7:10 to 17; Revelation 1:9 to 16; Matthew 22:34 to 46:

“Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.” (Amos 7: 14 and 15)

Amos reminds me of me. He was a blue collar preacher. He was dedicated to a life of sycamore trees and sheep.  He was probably poor even by that day’s standard of wealth. But like John the Baptist and others, he was an empty cup that God could use, even though it required him to traverse to Israel.

I retired from the Marine Corps and followed my then priest’s instruction to inquire if God has a call on my life. God did. And I am so thankful. While Amos was a dresser of sycamore trees and a herdsman, I was an aircraft maintenance manager for East coast Marine war planes, fixed and rotor wing. I was, and am, so blue collar, like Amos. But God has made use of my emptiness.

 As you read this blog, please understand, God is not done with you. It matters not if you are blue collar, a business professional, or health care professional like Luke from whom we have a Gospel report; if you are open to God and not full of yourself, God wants to partner with you for holy work. There is plenty of work yet to be done. It is the Lord’s Work; and therefore, it is holy work. Are you in? 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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the Second Week of Advent: Year 2

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

Amos 7:1 to 9; Revelation 1:1 to 8; Matthew 22:23 to 33:

“This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb-line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘See, I am setting a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass them by.” (Amos 7:7 – 8)

This plumb-line that the lord is setting in the midst of us is the perfect upright angle with which we are to judge our own moral character.  A friend of mine once said to a congregation that it was hard for him to achieve something he has not seen.  But once he as seen someone do, and be, the better person, then, he too could aim for that, knowing it is possible.

We don’t all have the same level of good judgment at the same time. But I believe the ability to make better and better decisions is an evolving skill.  I believe patience with our understanding helps us to be better decision makers.  We must first want to do the right thing; the right thing has to be more important than “my” thing.  Getting even is not the right thing and it is against the Lord’s plumb-line; it clearly shows us to be off kilter.  Also, we should not try to make ourselves look good by pointing out the faults of others.  It would be better to point out how we have challenges that we are aware of and are working on, than to point to the short comings of others. 

Our Lord Jesus is the perfect Plumb-line.  We can’t be Him but we can continue to work towards perfection. In trying to perfect our character we become that plumb-line for someone else to emulate. Remember however, we are not doing it to be copied (even though that would make the world a better place).  We are working towards that never ending road to perfection from which we will not regress or return from. We will just keep comparing ourselves to His Perfection, that Plumb-line, that some may not know even exist.

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 Gospel Reading for the Second Sunday of Advent: Year B

 Mark 1:1-8

“John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Mark 1: 4 and 5)

In our Mark reading there are three points made. We have the notification of the coming of Jesus, we have the repentance of sins with baptism, and we have preparing the way for the arrival of Jesus.

In February of 2018 I was baptized in the River Jordan.  We were all Christian clergy.  I can remember that when it came to be my time to be among the baptizing ministers, there were more clergy in my line than the others and so my line was the longest line.  When I inquired as to why, the response was, that these clergy folk wanted to be able to say that they were baptized in the River Jordan by “John.” 

While I truly believe in one baptism for the remission of sins, This ceremonial baptism in Israel was something I couldn’t pass up.  I enjoyed walking the Holy Land.  But more important was re-living the life that our Lord Jesus experienced.  The God in man who had no sin, was baptized for the remission of sins, our sins. We are so blessed because of Him.  He has planted in us the seed of redemption and will soon come again to harvest his vineyard.

John lived on the fringes of the gathered communities. He was not swayed by money or human power or authority. He dressed rough and ate wilderness food. He was an empty cup made available to God for God to fill, as we should be today.

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