onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 5^th Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 75 and 76; Evening, Psalms 23 and 27;
Wisdom 19:1 to 8 and18 to 22; Romans 15:1 to 13; Luke 9:1 to 17:

“For there were about five thousand men.  And he said to his disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled.” (Luke 9: 14 to 17)

 I can remember asking my bishop, when I was about to graduate from seminary, to consider me for a small parish.  I felt most comfortable in small parishes. My sending parish, St. Christopher’s, Havelock, North Carolina, was such a small parish. It is easier to get to know all the members if it’s not a “mega” church, (five thousand members).  Of course, the financing is more challenging, especially with the Episcopal Church’s compensation package.  None the less, the five loaves and two fish of the small parish were sufficient to pass on to other groups of fifty. And, there were leftovers.

My supervisor during my field education while at seminary had a picture of the Lord’s Supper with a room full of people. Yes, the apostles were there, but so were other people also, other men, women and children. It was both solemn and celebratory.  I would love to have that painting or one like it. It suggests that while the apostles were present, they were not the only ones there, some disciples were present also. You and I were there also. For me, this painting doesn’t dispute the Bible, it tells the greater truth.

Our Lord Jesus teaches us to not look at the greatness of the five thousand or the littleness of the five loaves, but rather, to focus on the groups of fifty. We will get to the five thousand, fifty at a time. We will take them, bless them and dismiss them back into the outer community to further spread the word of the Kingdom of God.  Herein lies the fourfold points of Communion.  Our Lord Jesus Took, Blessed, Broke, and Gave to us the different pieces of blessings.  For us to be whole and holy, we must come together again and again, reuniting what is blessed in the hands of our Lord.

This distribution and making whole and holy is much easier done in smaller groups, say fifty or so.  We should come together weekly in remembrance of our Lord Jesus asking us to be seated in groups of about fifty. When we see members of our “family of fifty” outside of the parish, we know them, and are glad to see them.  We don’t worry about how little we have; we celebrate how much we love.  What a great parish.  What a great plan. What a great Lord and Leader.

Today we remember Frances Perkins:

Frances Perkins (April 10, 1880– May 14, 1965) was the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, and the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet. As a loyal supporter of her friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt, she helped pull the labor movement into the New Deal coalition. She and Interior Secretary Harold Ickes were the only original members of the Roosevelt cabinet who remained in offices for his entire presidency. During her term as Secretary of Labor, she was largely responsible for the U.S. adoption of social security, unemployment insurance, federal laws regulating child labor, and adoption of the federal minimum wage. (Taken from;

http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/frances_perkins.htm)

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan, Israel, 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 5^th Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 106:1 to 18; Evening, Psalm 106:19 to 48;
Wisdom 16:15 to17:1; Romans 14:13 to 23; Luke 8:40 to 56:

“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”  (Luke 8:48)

While Jesus was on his way to help Jairus’ daughter, he was touch by a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years.  This was an unintended healing. But more than that, this was an unexpected opportunity. I struggle with this term, “unexpected opportunity.”  If I didn’t see it coming, and it wasn’t planned for, how can it be an opportunity? Well, Jesus teaches me how to handle unexpected opportunities.

It was an opportunity for Jesus to show that we already have it within ourselves, to heal ourselves. It is our faith.  Jesus tells her (and us), that our faith makes us well. But we must realize that this woman “acted” on her faith. She got past those who were guarding Jesus; she let go of norms about touching a man she doesn’t know. She followed her faith against all odds to find healing.

I now realize that not only did Jesus show me how to deal with unexpected opportunities, The woman did also. What an unexpected opportunity to have our Lord Jesus come by when all other healings have failed.  Now she, and we, have to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity and do something. She did, and we should.  First, we must realize that our Lord Jesus is near us in our prayers.  It is through the faith that is implanted in us that our prayers go forth and touch Jesus. We must drop any, and all thoughts that inhibit our faith impulse to pray.  The faith that is in us will heal us.

Now is the time to expect the unexpected. Now is the time to make ourselves aware of the presence of our Savior and get close enough to touch him. As we approach our Sabbath downtime today, let us ponder about the healing faith that is in us. Let us reflect on the approach of Jesus in our lives and then be bold enough to prayerfully reach out to Him. Then, we too may “go in peace.”

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Sudan, South Sudan 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 the 5^th Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 71; Evening, Psalm 74;
Wisdom 14:27 to 15:3; Romans 14:1 to 12; Luke 8:26 to 39;

“But you, our God, are kind and true, patient, and ruling all things in mercy.  For even if we sin we are yours, knowing your power; but we will not sin, because we know that you acknowledge us as yours.” (Wisdom 15: 1 and 2)

We are the Lord’s; living or dead, we are the Lords. This writer brings out some points that I am thankful for, and at least one point that I am not so sure about.

I believe that God is kind and true, patient, and ruling all things in mercy.  In fact, I am counting on it; especially the mercy part.  I know that when the Bible writers say “all things,” it means all people.  The two words that really stand out for me are “kind,” and “mercy.”  I think the words are related. One who is kind is perhaps also merciful. I hope so.  Maybe in our being created in God’s Image, we too have the capacity to be kind and merciful?

The one point that I am not so sure about of our reading for today is, “we will not sin, because we know that you acknowledge us as yours.”  I will try hard not to sin. But I can’t guarantee that I will not sin.  I am however glad that God acknowledges us as God’s own.  This theme is shared in our Roman’s reading for today; “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”  (Romans 14: 7 and 8)  Yes, we are the Lord’s.  Thank You Lord Jesus.

I think our perspective about life changes once we realize that we live in the kindness and mercy of God. God is our Alfa and our Omega; our beginning and our end. But our end can be eliminated. We, all things, have an invitation to be with our Creator, in paradise, forever, in Christ Jesus. The beginning of the response to accept this invitation is to “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)  It all gets back to kindness and mercy.

We are created in love, to love. Kindness and mercy shows God the love in us that God is looking for in all people.  When is the last time that you have had a chance to show kindness and mercy?  When is the last time that you have actually done so? These are two different questions. You may not even think about the opportunities you have had to be kind and merciful.  Sin can slip in on us so easily.  Our life perspective shifts when we are attentive to the opportunities presented to us to be kind and merciful. We need to be attentive to such times.  As we watch for such times, God is watching us.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan 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 5^th Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 72; Evening, Psalm 119:73 to 96;
Wisdom 13:1to 9; Romans13:1 to14; Luke 8:16 to 25:

“For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.” (Wisdom of Solomon 13:5)

The writer of Wisdom speaks about the people who look at created things, the sun, the moon, the stars, various living creatures and suppose them to be gods.  But the Wisdom writer informs us that created things and beings are “a corresponding perception of their Creator.”  They are not to be worshiped but to be appreciated and reminders to us that there is a Creator of all things and beings.

Several years ago our parish put on a play as a fund raiser in honor of our fiftieth anniversary.  Our now Senior Warden directed the play. She was not in the play, but everything we, the actors, did was in accordance with her instruction.  Our work on the stage was the evidence, a corresponding perception, of her leadership. Yet, no one saw her, she stayed out of sight, in the back of the room.

Everything we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears and smell with our nose is evidence that God exist. That all things are still held together is further evidence that God is still holding all creation together.

Our earth is so beautiful. The earth is full of color, with more varieties of life than anyone can imagine. Yet, God knows the whales and the mosquitoes by their names. I must admit that I don’t appreciate all creatures the same (mosquitoes in particular).  But God has seen to it that this earth has both beauty and balance. This earth functions as a life support system for all its inhabitants.

We are neither accident nor a random occurrence in space. We were created on purpose over time and in accordance with God’s plan in which we evolved. I have met people who show particular interest in one part of creation or another. Some people favor marine life, whales and such.  Some people favor spiders and tarantulas. Personally, I like to study the great apes, Gorillas, Gibbons, Orangutans, and Chimpanzees. Other people favor various kinds of plants or trees. I think it is good to enjoy and appreciate created things and beings. But let us not forget the Creator, who is not seen but rather, standing out of sight, in the back of the room.  It’s probably not a bad idea to regularly give thanks to the Creator for all creation.  This is the One in whom we all still live and move and have our being.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan 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 5^th Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 61 and 62; Evening,  Psalm 68;
Wisdom 10:1 to 21; Romans 12:1 to 21; Luke 8:1 to 15

“Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,”  (Luke 8: 1 and 2)

This is a very important writing from the Gospel according to Luke as it tells us something about how Mary Magdalene was liberated from seven demons.  This casting out of demons explains her sorrow at the death of our Lord Jesus and why she was crying at his tomb in the Gospel of John, chapter 20.

The life of Jesus goes from Herod to Herod; from Joseph his earthly father to Joseph of Arimathaea; from John the Baptist to John the apostle; and from Mary his mother to Mary Magdalene. Our Lord Jesus connects us around him and we come out better after him; our Lord Jesus is God’s plan for us and for our salvation.

While I have named the, various to-and-from, people of Jesus’ life, our Wisdom of Solomon  reading for today from the Apocrypha of the Bible will cause us to ponder even more deeply about who the writher is talking about.  Some hints would be Adam, Cain, Noah Abraham, Lot, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Most of these people followed where God led them. Cain of course, ignored the caution to watch his behavior and what he was thinking. As a result of his lack of heeding God’s counsel, he killed his brother.

The bottom line is this. God is still connecting with us on all sides. All we have to do is open our hearts and minds to see what God is doing in our very presence. God in Christ Jesus is still casting out demons and helping us to get rid of bad thoughts. Our Lord Jesus will give us back to our true selves as he did for Mary Magdalene.  Thank You Lord Jesus.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan 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 in Easter: Year 1

Morning,  Psalms 56 and 57,  Evening,  Psalms 64 and 65;
Wisdom 9:1, 7 to 18; Colossians (3:18 to 4:1), 2 to 18; Luke 7:36 to 50

“Who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high?” (Wisdom 9:17)

While attending a Systematic Theology class at Virginia Theological Seminary we received a lecture on St. Thomas Aquinas.  St Thomas Aquinas wrote volumes on the proofs of God and of the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

On this occasion, as the lecture was closing, I noticed several students making their way towards the instructor.  I followed on the chance that I might learn something. I heard from the Systematic Theology teacher that all of the volumes of St Thomas could not compare with one small glimmer of revelation from the Holy Spirit of God. This was a powerful moment for me. I realized that God can and will give us a revelation that we, or at least I, would not be able to put into words.

In our life search for God, it is not our job to “figure God out.”  No, we must only believe in God and create a space within our souls for God to gift us with revelation.   “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is so high that I cannot attain to it.” (Psalm 139)  Not only that, Anselm (Arch Bishop (April 21 1109), says that we should be faith seeking understanding. He says we must first believe in order that we might later understand.  Also, another deep thinking contemporary theologian says, “It is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery.  God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of our wonder.” These are the words of Kallistos Ware. All of these points to the human need to ponder about the mystery of God.

Many denominations want to first understand the scriptures in order that they might then believe. I think this is putting the cart before the horse.  But even after our Lord Jesus had taught his disciples all about the Law of Moses and the Prophets they couldn’t understand. It was not until the Resurrected Jesus opened their minds; “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,” (Luke 24:45).  We can’t understand God without God. We must learn to pray for help.

While I disagree with much of our Colossians readings for today, I will agree with the instruction to pray at the beginning of chapter 4. The writer says to, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:1)

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan 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 Readings for the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year A

Acts 7:55-60;  Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16;  1^st Peter 2:2-10;  John 14:1-14:

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  (John 14:2 – 3)

There are few things that can compare with a well thought-out plan. One of the lessons I am still learning is to have a place for things before I get them. It is really upsetting to order and have delivered a new gym apparatus and no where to put it in an already crowded garage.   I’ve gotten to the point that when I am asked to move something for someone, I ask where do you want me to move it to?  If there is something already occupying that space, then the question becomes, where does that item then go? and on and on.

For our eternal home, this work has already been done by our Lord Jesus. Jesus says he has gone to prepare a place for us. This preparing that Jesus speaks of may even be to “create” a space for us. The good news is that there is a space, a dwelling for us. You have heard that there should be a place for everything, and everything in its place, right?  We are co-creating a space in our eternal home right now as we go about believing in, and following our Lord Jesus.

In what I call my “man-cave” upstairs are many photos, plaques, and memorabilia I have collected over the years. It’s not much, it’s just me. Jesus is decorating a room for you with the good works you have done, and hopefully, will do, as you await his call to your eternal home. So how about you my friends?  What personal souvenirs or memorabilia is our Lord Jesus preparing your space with? The good news is, if you are reading this you still have time to forward some good works or fruits of the spirit forward to our Lord Jesus as he prepares your space. For as he says, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” Let me be clear, this is not “works righteousness,” but rather, “living the dream.”

Jesus tells us to believe in God and to believe also in Him. As Christians we share the same good God who is the same God of other faith traditions. To this understanding we also recognize God walking with us in the person of Jesus, our Savior. All other traditions will admit that God can, and is able to do such a thing. We Christians however, proclaim that God has already done so.  We believe in God, we also believe in our Lord Jesus.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan 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 Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening,  Psalms 138 and 139:
Wisdom 7:1 to 14; Col. 3:12 to 17; Luke 7:18 to 35

“And when I was born, I began to breathe the common air, and fell upon the kindred earth;
my first sound was a cry, as is true of all.” (Wisdom of Solomon 7:3)

It is the breath of God that brought all creation into being, including us, the “human,” beings.  According to Genesis, God used the words translated as “Let there be….”  And in a series of callings, Creation was brought forth, “and it was so.”  And all creation breathed the common air. In my pondering, the word “common” resonates with me, as in our Book of Common Prayer.  It is common breath to form Common Prayer.

The writer of this lesson from Wisdom also understands that we are all kindred in creation. We are brothers and sisters.  He goes on to acknowledge that our first prayer in thanksgiving to God for our being comes in the form of a cry, our first sound.  To cry is to pray. Our cry is God’s way of bonding with us. God’s ears hears tears.

Nothing will bring us closer to God than our personal prayers. Church services, spiritual music or writings, nor close intimate consultation will bring us God’s glimmer of grace like our quiet, surrendering, personal prayer to God, letting the Spirit pray through us. “Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.”  (Wisdom 7:7)

My beloved in the Lord, we have not been left orphaned.  God is with us.  God is watching and listening to us. While Church services, spiritual music or writings, and close intimate consultation in spiritual advisement will enable us to more fully present ourselves open to God, we each need some quiet, private time, to just be with God in prayer. As the Psalmist says, we need to “be still and know that God is God.”  (Psalm 46)

I recall again the words of Blaise Pascal: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  “Inability?”  I think not.  Therefore, I have restated his words with my own modification: “All of humanity’s problems stem from a person’s “refusal” to sit quietly in a room alone.  I believe we can sit quietly in a room alone if we so choose.  But we’ve been taught that if we are not jamming our ears and minds with continuous commercial noise we are bored, or that our quality of life is less than it should be. We need to trust the quiet. The noise is our ego, or “Edging God Out.”

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan 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 4^th Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 40 and 54; Evening, Psalm 51;
Wisdom 6:12 to 23; Colossians 3:1 to 11; Luke 7:1 to 17:

“The centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.  For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’  When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” (Luke 7:6 to 9)

Here is an example of the inclusivity of our Lord Jesus. A servant of a centurion is sick and dying. The dying servant does not ask for the help of Jesus. The Roman centurion himself asks for the help of Jesus. And he gets it. The centurion’s faith is stronger than the faith of the Israelites. Jesus is amazed at this and of course, cures his servant.

Jesus heals from a remote location. Even today, Jesus responds to our prayer requests as He sits on His Throne.  Our Lord Jesus does not care about human pedigree.  We can be Israelite, Roman, Greek, German, Chinese, Mexican, Nigerian, or American; Jesus doesn’t care. Our Lord Jesus only cares about our faith. If we trust in Him, He will deliver.  He will deliver for us, and for those whom we pray for if we pray as one who believes in the healing power that Jesus has.

As we prepare for our Sabbath time, let us ponder about how our Lord Jesus answers our prayers, for ourselves, and for those whom we love and pray for. Remember, if you have no words, just cry about it because God’s ears hears tears.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, South Sudan 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 the 4^th Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 50; Evening,  Psalms 114 and 115:
Wisdom 5:9 to 23; Colossians 2:8 to 23; Luke 6:39 to 49:

“But the righteous live forever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them.”  (Wisdom 5: 15)

In the writings of Wisdom, the writer has shown how the unrighteous are so temporary. They vanish and are remembered no more. The writer uses a ship through water and an arrow through the air as metaphor for how the unrighteous have their time but are soon forgotten as they leave no lasting goodness behind them. 

I can remember times while serving in the Marines our aircraft squadron would visit various air bases of other services. Often we would be put up in old, and seldom used barracks.  Without fail, our Sergeant Major would have us clean and restore the facility in addition to flying the missions we were there for.  He said that we would leave this barracks in better condition than we found it. I am surprised that this word didn’t get out to the whole country and we were “invited” to visit even more bases as a way to renovate old buildings; (just kidding).

The point could be made that if we create and maintain goodness we could be allowed to dwell in that goodness for all eternity. Such goodness applies to human relationships as well as the care of the earth.  “But the righteous live forever!” God is righteousness. And God is eternal. To be righteous then, is to be godly, as best we can. We are visitors here on this earth our fragile and temporary home. And we should strive to leave it better than we found it. In this way we are “invited” into a permanent home, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Our reward is with the Lord who will take care of us for all eternity.

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