onewhoponders

Eucharistic Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter: Year A

Acts 2:14a,36-41;  Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17;    1 Peter 1:17-23;  Luke 24:13-35:

“They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Back in my Marine Corps days and on one of my deployments to Italy, I had an Aircraft Maintenance Officer who would often come by my desk in our open hangar and say, “Top” (That was what I was called), “Walk with me, talk with me.”  This was his way of having time to share each other’s thoughts about how maintenance things were going in our aircraft squadron. I remember these occasions as “catch up” times.

In more recent years and as a priest, I once had a young woman who asked if she could do spiritual guidance with me, and if so, could we walk around outside as we did it. I agreed but first wanted to have the traditional office conference and then try the “walk with me talk with me” sessions.  As it turned out she moved away suddenly and we never got to do the “walk with me talk with me” parts, This was my loss.

In our Lord Jesus’ walk in this story on the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion couldn’t seem to recognize Jesus until he served them dinner, later at “their” home. There, after Jesus had left, they confided between themselves that the opening of the Scriptures caused a burning in their hearts. It truly was an “Ah, ha” moment for them. Our Lord Jesus took both the Scriptures and the Bread and blessed them, and opened (or divided) them, and then gave them. Are you seeing what is happening here?  Are you having a moment now?

You and I are Monday morning quarterbacks here, given that we know the story well. But too many of us still don’t get it. Jesus’ story didn’t just begin with his birth.  It began long ago in the mighty acts of God in human history. We human beings are beings of our stories. We need to tell them, and we need to listen to the stories of others. Walking guidance may very well be the best spiritual guidance there is. Walking is just an example of doing something that eases the smooth transition of conversation.  We could just as easily converse as we did food preparation together, yard work, or a board game, or while playing golf, some say that real business discissions are made on the golf course.

Walking is a good example because it is casual and allows for deep attention to be given to content.  Who knows, maybe one day I will do some walking spiritual guidance. I would like to try it in a spiritual context.  It worked well in Marine Aviation while deployed in Italy with my boss and me.

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 2^nd Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning,  Psalms 20 and 21:1 to 7; Evening Psalm 110:1 to 5, 116 and 117;
Daniel 3:19 to 30; 1^st John 3:11 to 18; Luke 4:1 to 13: 

“All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.” (1^st John 3:15)

I do believe that hate is bad and one should learn to not let one’s self be reduced to hate.  It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said, after a racial encounter with a Southern U. S. policeman, that he has seen firsthand what hate can do to a person. And he vowed to never let hate happen to him. I personally don’t believe that, because we have hate in us, that we are murders, if we haven’t acted on such hate. We can overcome hate, and we do it with love.

In 1^st John 3:15 there is also the idea that eternal life is already abiding in us. For me this is something wonderful to ponder.  This means that some of us have learned to live the code eternal of life while still walking around in this mortal body.  I want that.  Having eternal life abiding in me now will make the transition to that next life so much more doable.

Also, having eternal life abiding in us now, more fully brings us to God’s will being done “on earth as in heaven.”  Eternal life abiding in us now is a way to narrow the separation between heaven and earth. It is the coming of the Lord back to us in ways we didn’t expect. It is the gradual, but steady move of humanity to more fully embrace the concept of love for all people. It sounds impossible. And, for many people it probably is. But remember, for God, nothing is impossible.

God may infuse the abiding love of eternal life in us, a few people at a time, until we have “herd immunity” against hate.  For us, we think in terms of how much time this will take. God doesn’t seem to be concerned with time as God has no beginning and no end. But God has made provision for us who already have eternal life abiding in us.  Are you one of those who have decided to not let hate rule you?  Are you one of those who have decided to let love rule?  Are you one of those who has eternal life abiding in you now?  If so, you are ahead of your time.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, 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 2^nd Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 16 and 17; Evening, Psalms 134 and 135; 
Daniel 3:1 to 18; 1^st John 3:1 to 10; Luke 3:15 to 22:

“There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:12)

So, “Certain Chaldeans” went to King Nebuchadnezzar to complain about “Certain Jews.”  My pondering question is, how would these Certain Chaldeans even know about the Certain Jews, if in fact they were observing the order of Nebuchadnezzar themselves?  I agree with the Jews of Daniel’s day. They, and we of today, should eat healthy and worship the Lord our God, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  But most of all, we must not take our eyes off of God to look at others.  When we do, we tend to look upon them with contempt and not see them as God sees them.

There are examples of this glare of contempt in the New Testament as well. Often we can read where people will take their eyes off of Jesus to look at Mary or a sibling, or a friend, and Jesus has to set them right. We must look at all others through, not around, God. When we view people through the lens of God we look upon them with love as God does.  I know that sometimes we don’t want to love them.  That too is something we need to take to God. How is it that God can love these people whom we, you and I, can clearly see as unrighteous? 

The Chaldeans did not want to love the Jews. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego loved the Lord their God, through whom they even learned to love the Chaldeans, bur not their statue made with hands.  We have a God who is real – a God who loves all people and through whom we too are able to love all, if we choose. We should perhaps ponder whether or not we even want to love all people.  And then, take that decision to God for correction or assistance.

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 2^nd Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 18:1 to 20; Evening, Psalm 18:21 to 50; 
Daniel 2:31 to 49; 1^st John 2:18 to 29; Luke 3:1 to 14;

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” (Luke 3: 1 and 2)

This opening into chapter 3 of Luke is a lesson onto itself.  It opens with humans in high human positions. We have the Emperor of Rome; we have the Roman governor of Judea; we have the ruler of Galilee and neighboring areas.  We also have the clergy in charge of their respective religious duties.  These self-filled men are so full of their importance that there is no room for God.

So, the word of God finds space to dwell in one who has emptied himself. “The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.”  John lived out on the fringes, living off the land.  He had no ego issues about who he was. He had room for the word of God to dwell.

This is a valuable lesson for me.  I must remember that it is possible for me to fill my cup so full that God has to pass by me because there is no room in my inn.  Yes, this lesson is important for all who want to have the peace of God in their hearts.  It may require us to evaluate the junk that fills our space. We might have to do some house cleaning. If we don’t, we risk being like Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Annas and Caiaphas. They were so full of themselves that the word of God had to “Passover” them.  But where John was able to sit quietly and ponder in nature, the word of God settled, was planted, and bloomed.

The beginning of cleaning our house is the quiet time we give ourselves.  I again share the quote from Blaise Pascal, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  John the Baptist made plenty of time to welcome the Presence of God.  This quiet time is not something we get in Church. A little of it may be acquired by small group silent retreats.  But by far the best way to be open to the Word of God is silent prayer, spiritual reading and just pondering the presence of the Holy.  God will visit you. Just empty yourself and be open to receive.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and 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 the 2^nd Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning,  Psalm  119:1 to 24; ; Evening, Psalms 12, 13 and 14; 
Daniel 2:17 to 30; 1^st John 2:12 to 17; John 17:20 to 26  

“And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.” (1^st John 17:17)

Over and over in this 1^st John reading for today, John repeatedly says that, “I am writing to you”, or, “I write to you,” as a way of leaving us with the beginning of faith. From John we learn that faith has its value in its ability to help us overcome the toxicity of our hearts and its vanishing desires, or rather, its desires for vanishing things. Such desires are the by-products of creation.  God never meant for us to focus our craving and desire on created thing, but rather, on the Creator.

It is good and pleasing to enjoy creation and one another. We are brought into this world to do the will of God and this often means caring for creation and one another.  Caring for creation and one another is the will of God and are therefore eternal vocations.

Even as creation passes away, or “evolves,” we, the caregivers of it, also evolve. Our devoted lives to the will of God does not end, it just changes.  Believing this, causes us to live our lives in support of God’s plan for continued life – life that God brought into existence for God’s pleasure, and ours as well. Such believing is faith. Faith is a word hard to find in the writings of John, in his Gospel accounts, or his letters. Faith is a noun. Believing is a verb. John wants active ministry. Active ministry does not pass away.  It continues for all eternity.

Once we learn to live our lives in faith, supporting God by caring for all of God’s creation, which includes all people, and loving to do this work, we have set ourselves up for eternal life in the presence of God.  This desire to appreciate the gift of life that God has brought into being makes itself manifest in love – love of God and thanksgiving to God. We didn’t have to be. But we do exist, thanks to God. And as human beings, we have the unique invitation to live on in the service of God by doing the will of God. Our goal should be to love. It is the love of God that brought us into being. And we are created in the Image of God. this Image is not the physical, anthropomorphic image, but the spiritual loving Image. We are love embodied.

John writes to us that we might believe. I also write to you that you might believe.  How will your life change once you shift from love of the created, to love of the Creator?  Doing the will of God will enable you to live forever in love and happiness.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and 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 the 2^nd Week of Easter: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 5 and 6; Evening, Psalms 10 and 11;
Daniel 2:1 to 16; 1^st John 2:1 to 11; John 17:12 to 19:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1^st John 2:1 and 2)

I need to read and hear these words from Saint John often.  I truly am a little child in the faith.  However, I fall into sin just like all others. Not long ago I preached on Dietrich Bonheoffer, Pastor and activist. Bonheoffer was shown to have conspired to have Hitler killed. He wrote “The Cost of Discipleship.”  Sin is a very confusing thing. Only God knows the mind and heart of a person.

While I will admit that I have not conspired to kill anyone, I have had thoughts, and actions that are contrary to what most accept as Christian behavior.  And, in my own defense, not all Christians are on the same page.  I am on the Episcopal path of the Jesus movement where same-sex marriage by consenting, loving adults is supported by our faith community. As an Episcopal Priest I have conducted a same sex marriage.  I think it was one of the best weddings that I have ever done.  And, in no way am I saying this is a sin. However, in some Christian traditions it may be. What is real sin is determined by God, not humanity.

My sins are between me, my confessor, and my God. Your sins are between you and whomever you trust, and God.  But we can take great comfort in knowing that our Lord Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. This comfort is not a license to sin, but rather, a call to repentance and reconciliation.  Our Lord Jesus gives us the opportunity to live more fully into an open and loving relationship with God and with all the world.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and 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 the 2^nd Week of Easter: Year 1:

Morning, Psalms 1, 2 and 3; Evening, Psalms 4 and 7: 
Daniel 1:1 to 21; 1^st John 1:1 to 10; John 17:1 to 11: 

“I lie down and go to sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” (Psalm 3:5)

I often find the words of the Psalms a way to expand beyond the locked in narratives of the Bible.  This phrase in Psalm 3 for example, captures my nightly reflection of the day just past.  What was I thankful for?  How was I challenged?  What would I change going forward? 

I am also, like the Psalmist, so thankful that God sustains me day in and day out. I pray that my thoughts, words and actions are pleasing to God. These blogs are begun at night, the night before they are to be published for the next day. My thoughts first go into my personal journal. From the journal I decide what I want to share with the world.  I read and reflect on all the readings for the next day and pray in the Spirit. It is in such prayer that thoughts come to me. These I ponder and print.

I encourage everyone who listens to me (or reads me), to have some time of reflection.  I find that a review of the day just past, is the best time to do this.  Also, spiritual reading motivates the goodness within us as our soul strives to get closer to God. Such a practice really does wake us the next day in thanksgiving to God.

For me, it is so wonderful to review the thoughts and prayers from last night and then share them with you. It is my hope that these words of mine will enhance the life of all who may read this blog. Just as I have been changed in good ways by reading the work of the saints who have gone before me, so too maybe my words may help others to be a better, and more loving people. 

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

Eucharistic Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter: Year A

Acts 2:14a,22-32;  Psalm 16;  1 Peter 1:3-9;  John 20:19-31: 

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”  (John 20: 29)

Perhaps we have not “seen” Jesus, at least, not in human form as a Palestinian Jew.  But we see him in the acts of people who believe in him.

In scripture we see Jesus come to people huddled up in a room as did the apostles. They had their own quarantine so to speak. They were behind a locked door but that did not stop Jesus.

Jesus seems to really get upset about people who have first heard and then did not believe. Jesus was upset with the disciples who heard Mary Magdalene declare “He has risen,” but they didn’t believe her.  Jesus reprimanded the two on the road to Emmaus.  You see, “In the beginning was the Word! not the sight.  I think Jesus is trying to make the point that we should believe the Jesus stories we are told, at least believe until we find out different, (and I don’t believe we ever will).

But we can see the presence of Jesus through the acts of believers today. I saw Jesus in a Doctor at Chapel Hill about ten years ago, who asked if she could pray with us for one of our teenage high school boys who was run over by a school bus. She asked to pray with us before she performed surgery on him.  I was so moved by her asking.  It is good to witness doctors of faith and the presence of Jesus.

We can see our Lord Jesus in Doctors and nurses and store clerks and truck drivers cooped up in their various environments today in our past “stay at home” Covid requirement. Health care professionals keep wearing themselves out for the healing and care of people stricken by injuries and sickness, making sure we get the provisions and care and the medicines we need.  “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Even more blessed are those who have come to see our Lord Jesus in the loving acts of his people. I bid you all, to go and be blessed and be a blessing to others. Tell your own Jesus stories so that others may first hear, and then see our Lord Jesus in our own day.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and 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 Easter Week: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 145; Evening, Psalm 104; 
Isaiah 25:1 to 9; Acts 4:13 to 31; or 2^nd Corinthians 4:16 to 5:10; John 16:16 to 33:

“It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.  This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”  (Isaiah 25:9)

Not long after I was called to St Paul’s in the Pines Episcopal parish in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the parish sponsored our youth on a summer excursion to Carowinds Amusement Park in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is basically a fun filled water park. On one of the rides, our boys were in one floating raft and our girls were in another.  As both groups floated along the boys became rambunctious  and toppled their float over. The protocol for such an event was to stand straight up (the water only being a couple of feet deep) and walk calmly to the sidewall and await park safety personal to escort you to the ride’s end. 

In his excitement, and embarrassment, young Ian Martin, was telling me about the incident. While he wanted to give me all the details of how the girls started it, he begin by saying that “While we were waiting to be saved …..”  I fixated on his words. “While we were waiting to be saved.”  I ponder that that’s why we are here on earth. We are all waiting to be saved. We are currently in our next stage of development, awaiting that heavenly court to come by and pick us up and escort us to that heavenly realm from whence no traveler returns, save our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you Isaiah for your prophetic words.  “This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”  This fragile earth our island home is as temporary as are we.  We are not meant to be here for all eternity. We are waiting to be saved.  Every day, all we have to do is wait. What does it mean to be waiting for salvation?  For young Ian it meant standing against that wall awaiting his escorts and not worrying about how to explain what happened. It’s probably the same for you and me in life today.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and 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 Easter Week: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 136; Evening,  Psalm 118; 
Daniel 12:1 to 4 and 13; Acts 4:1 to 12 or 1 Corinthians 15:51 to 58; John 16:1 to 15 

“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever;” (Daniel 12: 2 and 3).

Here is some evidence perhaps, that there was some belief in an afterlife in the Hebrew Testament. It talks about those who “sleep” in the dust of the earth shall awake! Yes, I like hearing that.  However, there is a caution also. Some will rise to everlasting life and some will rise to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Paul alludes to this belief among the Pharisees as he defends himself in the Acts of the Apostles saying, “I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous;” (Acts 24:15). I believe every human soul will awake from the dead.  I don’t believe every soul will be received into eternal life. Nor do I believe that a loving God will keep any of us in an eternal state of hell. Such an unrighteous one, I believe, would just cease to exist.

My beloved in the Lord, whether we sleep in the dust of the earth until the earth’s last day, or we are walking around when our Lord comes to us as we are still in this mortal life, we must be found living the best, most loving life we can live.

And now, the Book of Daniel leaves us with another sentence relevant for us today, the beginning of a Holy Sabbath; “But you, go your way, and rest; you shall rise for your reward at the end of the days’; (Daniel 12:13).

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