Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 18: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 41 and 52; Evening, Psalm 44;
1st Kings 13:1 to 10; Philippians 1:1 to 11; Mark 15:40 to 47

“There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem:” (Mark 15: 40 and 41).

This passage reminds me of a Sunday Holy Eucharist of two years ago, when our COVID ravaged service count was down to 22.  There were 19 women and 3 men.  We men were all a part of the worship support, the priest (myself), the Eucharistic minister and the acolyte. The ushers (who took the count), and all in the pews were women. I’m guessing if the men had not been assigned a worship support duty, they would not have been present either. However, I would like to think that I would be present. Where are the men of persistent faith?

Women have always supported the Church and by extension, Jesus himself.  There are some denominations that believe that women should not be in Church leadership.  To this I say, Balderdash! Our Lord Jesus did all he could to make us remember that woman are as equally important in the message of the Gospel as are men.

The two greatest Christian sermons are given by women.  Mary his mother says to the servants of Jesus (that’s you and me), “Do whatever he tells you:” (John 2:5) And Mary Magdalene was commissioned to proclaim “Christ is Risen!” Our Easter message: and, that she has seen the Lord! (John 20:17 and 18).

Since the time our Lord Jesus walked among us, even when he was dragged to the cross, women, faithful women were with him.  Women are still holding our Church together.  Just as I ponder why women have such strong faith, I also ponder why so many men do not.  Perhaps faith is closely associated with the capacity to nurture as does a mother to her child. I don’t know but I do believe that love is the most important ingredient in faith.  Thank You Lord Jesus.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 18: Year A

Romans 13:8 to14:  and Matthew 18:15to20

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

Our Lord Jesus lived out this idea of 2 or 3.  His favorite three were Simon Peter, John and James.  He took only them with him to heal Jairus’ daughter; to the Mount of Transfiguration; and in the garden when he went to pray the night he was arrested.  You might say that Peter, John and James were his “executive counsel.”  They were all simple men, fishermen by trade.

Their important qualities were, and are, a good and loving heart, and a strong faith. They all had flaws. Peter was an ego-centric extrovert. John and James wanted to pre-arrange a position of glory for themselves in the kingdom. But notice that our Lord Jesus held onto them for his inner circle anyway. 

Is there a lesson in this example of two or three for us today? In the passage from our Gospel lesson for this Sunday Jesus moves from a one-on-one situation to the whole Church on one.  But in the middle he asks us to select one or two others to bear witness of the troubling situation.

There should be some backfire caution here. Those you pick may even say that you are not correct. Remember, we, like Peter, James and John, all have flaws but Jesus will love us and keep us anyway.

Can you pick two or three people from your faith community to stand by you in difficult times?  Find one or two, and there will be three or four, because Jesus will be in the midst of you.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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 Proper 17: Year 1

Morning, Psalms, 30 and 32; Evening,  Psalm 42 and 43;
1^st Kings 12:1 to 20; James 5:7 to 12 and19 to 20; Mark 15:33 to 39:

“O Lord my God, I cried out to you, and you restored me to health.” (Psalm 30:2)

One of my reflections that I have preached to my listeners for many years now, is that God’s ears hears tears. While this sentence may not be correct grammar, the message is timeless and universal.  Everywhere in our Bible narratives when someone is crying, God, or an angel of God, appears whenever tears are rolling down cheeks.  The two I most like to recall are Hagar as she pushes away her son Ishmael, son of Abraham, because she does not want to see him die; (Genesis 21: 15 to 17).  And, Mary Magdalene, as she is broken down and crying outside the tomb of Jesus, who removed seven demons from her, giving her back to herself. Jesus was all she had and he was murdered:  (John 20:10 to 15).

Crying does not depend on language, country of origin, ethnicity or any human label.  God has fixed a way to connect with us when our spirits are at their lowest. It is sadness and/or sorrow that makes us cry.  And when we cry, God wants to know.  Crying is not dependent on faith or no faith. One can be a card-carrying atheist but if he or she cries, they are praying even without knowing it. 

All crying is to God. The Psalmist continues, “I cried to you, O Lord; I pleaded with the Lord, saying, “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?  Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; O Lord, be my helper. You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.  Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.”  (Psalm 30: 9 to 13)

I love how much God loves us. It truly does make me want to dance with joy.  And who knows, maybe even make tears of joy.  I think God will feel them too and be happy for us, and with us.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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 Proper 17: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 31; Evening,  Psalm 35;
1^st  Kings 11:26 to 43; James 4:13 to 5:6; Mark 15:22 to 32:

“You do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that:” (James 4:14 and 15).

These are very interesting words from James.  We are not promised tomorrow. We must live the best life we can today.  And even today if the Lord wishes.

Our 1^st Kings reading shows once again that jealousy regarding God’s choice causes us to want to destroy one another.  It happened with Cain and Abel, it happened with Saul and David, and in our 1st King’s reading today with Solomon and Jeroboam.  If God is acting in our midst, why should we be angry with God’s choice and wish harm to the person?  God always chooses the best for the community.  If anything, we are all going to benefit from the fruit of God’s choice. Believing in God requires us to accept God’s works among us and then be comfortable with, and thankful for, what God is doing.

James is right, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. We should plan for the worst and pray for the best. But above all, we must learn to be contemplative enough to discern the presence of God at work in our lives and in our communities. Out of Covid chaos, fires and floods, God will save us as God sees fit.  There is no time for jealousy of those who seem to be favored. For we are all a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, at least in earthly form.  While we are in our earthly form, we ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.”

Friday evening is the perfect time to start to contemplate the presence of God in our lives. It is the eve of the time God has gifted us with in order that we might rest, reflect and ponder. We Christians are not excused from observing the Sabbath rest as our Lord Jesus also kept the Sabbath. Let us make it a time of ridding ourselves of all potential jealousy and prejudice. The Sabbath is a cleansing time for our souls.

Today our Church remembers The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, and celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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

 “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

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 Proper 17: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 37:1 to 18; Evening, Psalm 37:19 to 42;
1 Kings 11:1 to 13; James 3:13 to 4:12; Mark 15:12 to 21:

“Pilate asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified:” (Mark 15: 14 and 15).

There is so much senseless evil here. The clergy of the temple want to crucify one of their own, a fellow Israelite. Pilate, the Roman authority, goes along with the local majority rather than stick to his conviction that Jesus has done nothing warranting the death penalty. And even though Jesus is going to be crucified, he is made to undergo flogging first, why?.  So much evil, is there a lesson for us?

First of all, none of us should seek to take a life, and especially those of us whose vocation is to live and teach the godly life.  And second, if you are in a place of authority, you need to not yield to mob rule just to satisfy the crowd.  You need to stick to following Micah’s instructions, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8) The Hebrew and Christian Testament really does contain all things necessary for salvation but it should be approached with prayer, caution and inclusive minded believers. 

While Pilate never had the injunction to love neighbor, the temple authorities did.  They were under the Commandment to love neighbor as self, as are we also. Being tolerant and merciful is a trait of love.  We are not to judge others but rather, see in them the love of God, regardless of how they act. So I go back to how I started this reflection and make a correction; all evil is senseless. Our senses were given to us to connect us, not divide us.

We were brought into being by Love, to love. The next person that you meet, try to stretch out with your heart and sense them. Do not use words, just spiritually feel them. It is amazing what God has empowered us to do.  Harming another, outside of self defense or the protection of the weak, should never find a place in your heart. Our calling is justice, mercy and humility.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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 Proper 17: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 38; Evening, Psalm 119:25 to 48;
1^st Kings 9:24 to10:13; James 3:1 to 12;  Mark 15:1 to11:

“How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire.” (James 3:5 and6)

I live in the country in North Carolina. Occasionally a neighbor will burn their rubbish rather than take it to the dump.  My prayer in such situations is that they are watching it closely.  As James says, a small fire out of control can burn down a neighborhood. This is what they are experiencing in many places around the world: and that is, both real out of control fires as well as out of control words produced by out of control tongues.

The point that James is making is about our tongues and how left unguarded they can cause more harm than we can repair.  This is especially true today where lives are ruined because someone “posted” something said by a person years ago on a social media platform.  I have witnessed sports journalist fired because of some statement they said which was often taken out of context, or was their own entitled opinion.  The opinion a person had years ago may not be the opinion they have today.  Hopefully, we all evolve over time. What our tongues have expressed in the past may not be what we feel today. We should be asking people where they are now, not where they were then.

To the point James is making, we can’t be too careful about what we say, privately or publicly.  The line between private and public today may be blurred by re-sent or forwarded emails, and by what was thought to be fun videos.  These are what small fires look like today that can also make people lose all they have, except for the mercy of God.

James also talks about mistakes in today’s reading.  I teach. And I’m here to tell you, we teachers also make mistakes.  The real test of the tongue is in what was intended.  If love and respect and decency was the intent, then it will come to light.  This is why the tongue must be well guarded. The rule I try to keep is, if I don’t say it or do it from love, then try not to say it or do it at all. It may be better to take it to the dump rather than burn it.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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 Proper 17: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 26 and 28; Evening, Psalms 36 and 39;
1^st Kings 8:65 to 9:9; James 2:14 to 26; Mark 14:66 to 72:

“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17)

The biggest and most important word in this verse has only two letters, (i and f).  I was once told that “if” is half of l-if-e.  I know that in my life I have looked back and said, “If I had only known;” or, “If I had only done this or that, life would have been better for me.”  Faith is a word that means “belief in.”  If we believe something then, for the most part, we act on that belief or faith.  If we believe that the earth is flat, and we are sailors, then we restrict how far out we sail. If we believe in, and have faith in God, who wants the best for us, then we act on that faith also. Our actions, that is, our works are guided by our faith, that is, what we believe in.

In the English translations of the Gospel according to John the word faith is not used.  Faith is a noun. The writer of the Gospel according to John uses a verb (believe) because the writer wants “action.” Faith is “belief in action,” that is, works: hopefully, good works.

We help the homeless by assisting them, and, the organizations that help them with our money. This is one example of works following faith. So, what is faith without works?   It is merely “wishing” everything goes well.  Wishing is for fairytales. It is as James says when we see someone in distress and say to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their needs, what is the good of that? There is no good in that. It’s fairytales.  Faith is for the believer.

James uses the story of Abraham and his faith, in the almost sacrifice of his son Isaac. The point being made is that Abraham followed his faith with dedicated works, until he was stopped by God. “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, and he was called the friend of God:” (James 2: 22 and 23).

The faith of the human being is also the soul of the human being. Therefore, it is also the spirit of the human being. It is what makes us different among all God’s creation.  This is why James, the brother of our Lord Jesus says, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” (James 2:26)

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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 Proper 17: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 25; Evening, Psalms 9 and 15;
2^nd  Chronicles 6:32 to 7:7; James 2:1 to 13; Mark 14:53 to 65:

“Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none.” (Mark 14: 55 and 56)

I often ask myself, “Who witnessed the arrest of Jesus and told it, or wrote it for us to have today?  In this case, my question is answered; Peter is sitting within earshot of what is taking place. Too often we focus only on the three denials of Peter. We should pay attention also to the logistics of the Gospel and Peter’s closeness of Jesus’ interrogation. 

They held court on our Lord Jesus trying to convict him to death even knowing that to murder another human being was against God’s Law. Let this be a lesson to us to keep God’s Law at the forefront of our conduct. In their shallow testimony , “Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands;”  (Mark 14: 57 and 58).

St Paul will later write in his Second Letter to the Church in Corinth,  “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens:” (2^nd Corinthians 5:1).  Too often we can’t grasp the deeper meaning of the Gospel of God in Christ Jesus because we are so full of self-serving tendencies.

The not so secret mantra of God is to love each other.  This love that we are supposed to have, is to extend to those who are like us, as well as those who are different. We can disagree without disengaging. It’s not easy at first, but it is absolutely possible, and pleasing to God. We are certainly not called to devise ways to put a person to death because of disagreement. Have we evolved spiritually in the last two thousand years?  I pray that we have, and continue to become more and more like Jesus our Lord.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 17: Year A

Romans 12:9 to 21   and Matthew 16:21 to 28

“But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”  (Matthew 16:23)

Who of us can really set aside our own yearnings, even to do the will of God, that is, if we even knew the will of God?  Divine things are about the welfare and benefit of both creature and human community.  Our Lord Jesus came among us to be the moral light.  To model for us the way we can live harmoniously with one another. We first must rid ourselves of all sordid self-centeredness and look for the good of all of us. 

Looking out for the good of all of us is the Divine thing to do.  Anything short of community enhancement should be considered a stumbling block to us. At the end of the day, we need to each ask ourselves “how have I made my house, my neighborhood, my parish or the world a better place today?”

I sometimes stop and marvel at an ant colony.  The individual ant is never concerned about the individual self – only the life and wellbeing of the colony.  As fellow citizens and neighbors of the same planet, we too should be concerned about the livelihood of the whole human population and creation itself.

Our Lord Jesus has informed his followers that he is aware of what is going to happen to him but he is going to go through with it anyway. Peter wants to get Jesus to change his mind about following what God wants of him and pick a more personally glorified role of leadership. Jesus says no in a way that cast Peter in the role of the devil because it suggests that self glorification is better than saving our brothers and sisters from destruction. God in Christ Jesus wants as many as possible to have eternal life.

Who of us can really set aside our own yearnings, even to do the will of God, that is, if we even knew the will of God?

The will of God is to have believers to come and join God in eternal life.  The Peters of today would have us believe that our individual and temporal lives are more important than our communal invitation  to eternal life.  But as Jesus explains, this is not the divine plan. God’s plan is “his will done on earth as it is in heaven.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 17: Year A

Romans 12:9 to 21   and Matthew 16:21 to 28

“But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”  (Matthew 16:23)

Who of us can really set aside our own yearnings, even to do the will of God, that is, if we even knew the will of God?  Divine things are about the welfare and benefit of both creature and human community.  Our Lord Jesus came among us to be the moral light.  To model for us the way we can live harmoniously with one another. We first must rid ourselves of all sordid self-centeredness and look for the good of all of us. 

Looking out for the good of all of us is the Divine thing to do.  Anything short of community enhancement should be considered a stumbling block to us. At the end of the day, we need to each ask ourselves “how have I made my house, my neighborhood, my parish or the world a better place today?”

I sometimes stop and marvel at an ant colony.  The individual ant is never concerned about the individual self – only the life and wellbeing of the colony.  As fellow citizens and neighbors of the same planet, we too should be concerned about the livelihood of the whole human population and creation itself.

Our Lord Jesus has informed his followers that he is aware of what is going to happen to him but he is going to go through with it anyway. Peter wants to get Jesus to change his mind about following what God wants of him and pick a more personally glorified role of leadership. Jesus says no in a way that cast Peter in the role of the devil because it suggests that self glorification is better than saving our brothers and sisters from destruction. God in Christ Jesus wants as many as possible to have eternal life.

Who of us can really set aside our own yearnings, even to do the will of God, that is, if we even knew the will of God?

The will of God is to have believers to come and join God in eternal life.  The Peters of today would have us believe that our individual and temporal lives are more important than our communal invitation  to eternal life.  But as Jesus explains, this is not the divine plan. God’s plan is “his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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