onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 23: Year 2

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

Jonah 3:1to4:11; Acts 27:27to44; Luke 9:18to27

“Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.” (Jonah 3:4 and 5)

Jonah did not like the people of Nineveh.  He preferred all of them to be destroyed.  But God loved them. God wanted to save them.  I can see Jonah walking through Nineveh sarcastically uttering the words, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’  He probably said the words in a low tone, hoping the people would not hear him.  That way he could say to God he did the work, but knowing it was not his best effort. 

However, the people did hear him and repented, much to Jonah’s disappointment. Jonah learned that God loved the people that he did not love.  God loved the people who oppressed him and his people.  God loves the people today of the other political party.  God loves the people of the other race. We all need to realize that God’s love is not limited to us and our kind.  God is “all” kinds and loves all kinds. 

In the end, Jonah would rather die than have the people of Nineveh be saved.  I truly hope we don’t sink to that level. More than that, we need to ask God to help us to see the other as God sees them.  And when we have come to our true selves, do the Lord’s work as if we ourselves came up with the idea.  There should be no hint that we are not pleased to do what God is asking us to do.

Please be cautioned however.  People of your group, be it political party, race, gender, orientation, nationality, or any human segregation, your own people may turn against you. But you will always have God near you.  Who else do you need?  When you help the other, do not wish you were dead like Jonah. Whether we like it or not, God loves all people because God is love and God is good, all the time, and everywhere. 

God loves both Russians and Ukrainians, Democrats and Republicans. You and I should be praying for both, in all situations.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 23: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:1to24; Evening, Psalms 12, 13 and 14;

Jonah 1:17to2:10; Acts 27:9to26; Luke 9:1to17

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.” (Jonah 2:1 and 2)

I have a saying, “God’s ears hears tears.”  I know it’s not correct grammar but it works for me.  It is a reminder that when we are at our lowest in life, all we have to do is cry out to God.  Theologians will tell us that we can’t know God. And, maybe there is some truth to that.  But maybe we can know something about God.  Throughout the Bible God comes to the aid of people who come to tears, from Hagar (Genesis 21:16),  to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11), and many points in between. God comes to people who cry from sadness, grief, or abuse.

I have come to believe that it matters not what people believe in terms of getting God’s attention.  God is so attached to the sadness of humans that even if a self declared atheist cries, God is with them. We can’t escape the love of God. God loves us more than we love God. God forgives our shortcomings. God overlooks our ignorance.  God is eternally merciful and therefore,  God’s ears hears tears.

If you think you don’t know how to pray, just cry; it works.  Cry from sadness, Cry from abuse or victimization.  Cry from loss of a loved one.  In all these, God is with you.  God made us with secret alarms that go directly to God which brings God to us in times of distress.  This is why God’s ears hears tears.  This does not mean that God will respond in a way that suits the one crying.  It does mean that God is present and attentive in ways beyond the discernment of mortals.

In the Biblical examples above, an angel attended to Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis, and Jesus called Mary by Name in the Gospel of John. In our story of Jonah the writer has Jonah spit out on the shores of Nineveh. It takes these times of desolation and isolation to become contemplative enough to become aware of the presence of God with us, Emanuel. 

This still happens today.  Don’t wait until something bad happens.  Carve out some time to be still and be quiet and wait for God.  Reflect on your life, the good and the bad.  If you come to tears, watch out! God’s ears, hears tears.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 23: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 5 and 6; Evening, Psalms 10 and 11;

Jonah 1:1to17; Acts 26:24to27:8; Luke 8:40to56

“But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” (Luke 8:46)

In my Thursday morning Cursillo Reunion Group the gathered group is well aware that I, John, am not a fan of “unexpected opportunities.”  During our sessions the question always comes up, “With what unexpected opportunities has the Lord accomplished through you…” I am a strong “J” on the Myers Briggs personality tests. While this “J” stands for judgment it more readily relates to the “need-to-know” outcomes.  I am so “off the chart” in this category that I will wait until someone has seen a movie that I want to see and then ask them to tell me about it in detail.  If pushed, I would probably pay for them to see the movie so that they can tell me about it.  I know this is bad but I really don’t like surprises. And I don’t think “opportunity” and “unexpected” should be used in the same sentence,, especially with “unexpected” used as an adjective for “opportunity.”

Having said all this, I now learn from our Lord Jesus as he was in route to do a good work when an unexpected opportunity occurs. While on his way to attend to a dying twelve year old girl, a woman, bleeding for 12 years, guided by her faith, touches the garment of Jesus.  She is instantly healed.  Jesus realizes that someone’s faith has made use of his healing power.  He has unknowingly participated in an unexpected opportunity.

I have heard that the reward for hard work is more hard work.  Perhaps the same is true of good opportunities.  That is, the rewards for good opportunities are more good, and even, unexpected, opportunities. This healing is further evidence that Jesus takes the faith in us already, and uses it to heal us.  After the woman was healed, He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8: 48)

I also want to note again, that this is another situation where Jesus takes with him his inner circle of very faithful followers, Peter, John and James along with the parents of the child.  Perhaps he picked those who had both, faith in him, as well as genuine love for the child.  After kicking the doubters out of the room, Jesus focused on the twelve year old girl. “He took her by the hand and called out, ‘Child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat;” (Luke 8:54 and 55). Even in this act of healing I would say that Jesus used the faith of the five in the room to do His work. 

Lord Jesus please use our prayers to help Ukraine accomplish victory over tyranny.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 23: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 1, 2 and 3; Evening,  Psalms 4 and 7: 

Micah 7:1to7; Acts 26:1to23; Luke 8:26to39

“The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.” (Luke 8: 38 and 39)

It seems that the many demons in the man only needed a biological host in order to live.  So they asked permission to pass from the man to the pigs.  Jesus grants them the permission.  When they entered the pigs they immediately made the pigs go into the lake (Lake Galilee).  This is the same body of water from which the fishermen caught their fish.  Could not the spiritual demons then go into the fish?  This then would be their cycle of life. For they would go right back to the people who caught the fish and it starts all over again.  This is just my pondering.

I try to keep up with the actual accounts of Jesus actually inviting followers to follow him. I have 5: Simon and Andrew – Matthew 4:18 – 20; John and James – Matthew 4: 21 – 22; Matthew (A-K-A, Levi) Matthew 9:9.  I know we try to claim the twelve as it matches the twelve tribes of Israel.  But we don’t have the actual recorded words of “come, follow me” for the remaining seven.  There is also the Rich young man in Mark 10:21 -22 who was told to “come follow me,” but he rejected Jesus’ invitation because he wanted to keep his wealth. 

Now we have one who asks to follow Jesus but Jesus says no. Jesus wants him to go back among his people and show what God can, and will, do. Of course he “went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much “Jesus” had done for him;” the point being made that “Jesus” and “God” are synonymous.  We don’t get to follow this man as he proclaims our Lord Jesus among non Jews. But Jesus leaves hints about what’s going on. Jesus says in the Gospel of John “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) 

The power and love of our Lord Jesus is witnessed by Jew, and Gentile alike.  All report in their communities about Jesus being Lord of all, those seen, and the unseen (like demons). Jesus himself will return to his spiritual nature for all eternity.  But he does not abandon us.  The Spirit of our Lord Jesus is with us, leads us and guides us.  Jesus still asks us to “come, follow me” or to “declare how much God has done for you”

Please remember to keep Ukraine in your prayers, your prayers are making a real difference.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 23: Year C

2^nd Timothy 2:8 to15 and Luke 17:11 to 19:

“Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”” (Luke 17: 19)

This is an amazing healing story. But it is also an amazing salvation story.

We have lepers calling out while maintaining their distance so as not to contaminate others. This was the requirement in those days regarding self-regulating leper communities.  But these sick people are well aware of who Jesus is. As they see him they call out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 

It seems leprosy does not discriminate.  Like other human ills, Cancer, Ebola, HIV and AIDS, and COVID; leprosy is an equal opportunity inflictor.  We don’t know how many of the ten were Samaritans but we do know that at least one was. Jesus makes sure we know that, while that which destroys persons, does not discriminate; neither does the salvation of God discriminate. All are welcome into the Salvation of God.

Salvation is different from healing. According to Fred B. Craddock, writing for “Interpretation: A Bible Commentary”: Luke, he says, “We have, then, a story of ten being healed and one being saved.”  If I had a choice and could only pick one, healing of an earthly illness, or, being saved into eternal life, I would not consider it a choice at all.  Give me that eternal salvation please.

The Samaritan went back to Jesus out of gratitude for an earthly cure.  He got more than he bargained for.  He got salvation.  He showed gratitude.  He showed thanksgiving.  His gratitude meant a lot to Jesus.

Prayers should be like the top and bottom pieces of bread of a sandwich.  That is, we pray for something like safety during an approaching storm. We come out on the other side intact. We should then go back to prayer in thanksgiving to God for answering our prayer requests.  To not do so makes us one of the nine that Jesus asks about; “Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?”   The sandwich metaphor works as it has us to remember and be thankful for what God has done for us.  This is an attitude of gratitude. Let us not just forget God when all is safe again. Let us not take God for granted.  We need to be just as earnest in our giving thanks as we were in our asking for help.

I pray that Ukraine is also thankful on the other side of their horrors.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 22: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 137 and 144; Evening, Psalm  104;

 Micah 5:1to 4,10 to 15; Acts 25:13 to 27; Luke 8:16 to 25

“No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 8:16)

Light is often used as a metaphor for moral enlightenment.  When some of us learn about better ways to live harmoniously in community, we model this higher morality, thus extending this light to others.  Morality is like money or food stores, it is not meant to be hoarded.  There are plenty of people in need of such learning; of such light; the more the further, the better.

Every village, community or parish, has those in their midst who are above the fray of challenged relationships.  These are sometimes quiet people who are easy to get along with.  But some are not so quiet. None the less, they are upbeat and positive.  Either way, quiet or engaging, these people of the light seem to be the few among us who bring in the light of love and share it with all present. 

From them we need to light our own torches from their loving and inclusive light and continue to carry it deeper into this dark world.  Such light illumines our tendency to be self-righteous, self-centered and challenging when there is no reason to be this way. 

Sometimes the light does not show us where to go, but rather, where not to go.  It’s like having my flashlight with me when I take the dog out in the morning.  The light does not show me where to step, but rather, where not to step. Remember, the dog was here last night.  The light of morality works as a guard on our lips and hands and feet.  This moral lamp, from a shared lamp stand, helps us to avoid trouble and move closer towards the glory of God.  My beloved of the Lord, walk in the light, and then carry the light for others so that they too, might see.  We must seek light, then more light, and finally, further light.  Let those with the ears of the Christian craftsmen hear what is being said.

Please keep Ukraine in your prayers, our prayers are making a real difference.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 22: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 140 and 142; Evening, Psalms 141and 143:1 to12;

Micah 3:9to4:5; Acts 24:24to 25:12; Luke 8:1to15

“He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.”  (Micah 4:3 to 5)

The prophet Micah speaks of a distant peace.  He speaks of a time when we will no longer need a military to go up against another nation; and maybe not even police because all people will honor the laws of their God. I know it sounds radical; maybe even impossible.  And, it is an especially strange concept since it seems so much like we are going in the other direction.  Our swords and spears are going more and more into nuclear weaponry rather than instruments of agriculture, food and medicines for the world.  If we only focused our resources towards the care of others instead of the threat of others.  What a wonderful world we would be.

How do we get to this radical way of living?  If we prayed more in private, and worshiped more earnestly in community, we would be a planet where all people in every walk of life would sit in their own planted gardens in peace while being thankful to God.  What a beautiful sight that would be. All people will walk with their God, as they understand God in their worship communities, regardless of how God is named in that community, and live in peace.  Be we Muslims, Jews or Christians, we ought to see God as a God of love and peace.  We are not competing.  We need to understand, for whatever reason; God is made manifest to different people in different ways.  However, the characteristics of love and compassion for the stranger and those who are different must be appreciated and respected.  There is no manifestation of hate in any understanding of God since the beginning of creation.

Please keep Ukraine in your prayers, our prayers are making a real difference.

 “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 is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 22: Year 2

Morning, Psalms  131, 132, [133]; Evening, Psalms  134, and 135;

Micah 3:1to 8; Acts 24:1to23; Luke 7:36 to50

“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.  Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience towards God and all people.”  (Acts 24: 15 and 16)

This is the verse in Acts that I always try to remember and make known.  Our life-hope is on the resurrection, or, it should be.  From what Paul says, the resurrection is not something earned.  It’s going to happen to all people, the righteous and unrighteous alike, because we are God’s own, and God wants to see us on our fateful day.  Eternal life, on the other hand, does not seem to always follow the resurrection. It appears that waking up before the throne doesn’t mean we live happily ever after.  There is judgment. There is accountability.  Paul, and maybe even a few of us, struggle to have a clear conscience towards God and all people. 

A life of dedicated service to Christ will bring us eternal life, but it is not as something earned, rather, it is something asked for in prayer and supplication.  And in receiving the grace of God, it brings about a life of dedicated service of its own accord.  Believe it or not, it is freedom.  There is a prayer that says, “O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom” (BCP 99). How about that?  Serving God is perfect freedom!  This only feels this way if we really live into the words, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”

I have thought, since seminary, that the most important service I could provide a family is the burial service or funeral for a beloved relative.  As Christians, we are an Easter people – a Resurrection people.  We say things like, “he or she is in a better place now.”  That might be true (or not), or he or she might not exist at all anymore. The alternative to eternal life is not death but non existence.  Personally, I don’t believe a loving God would make us live at some post death level only to be in continual pain for all eternity. We either get our hearts right or cease to exist. But first there is our resurrection which we all must undergo.  We have no choice regarding our facing God.

Please keep Ukraine in your prayers, our prayers are making a real difference.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 22: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:145to 176,Evening, Psalms  128, 129, and 130; 

Micah 2:1to 13; Acts 23:23 to 35; Luke 7:18to 35

“And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.” (Luke 7: 22)

Jesus could have just said “Yes, I am the one.”  But there is a lesson in paying attention to what we see and hear.  The two disciples of John would have been well aware of their Isaiah scripture where it says, “Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God
will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.  He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy;” (Isaiah 35: 4 to 6). This is almost verbatim of what Jesus reminded John’s disciples of in our Luke reading for today.

We can’t realize our scriptures are being lived out right in our presence unless we first know our scriptures. It is when we articulate what we have seen and heard in our own life stories that we realize God in Christ Jesus is working in our lives in the same ways as of old.

I think I should confess to my readers that I am and optimist.  I think Christian hope has shaped me this way.  I believe the world is getting better more and more.  I know that I live in a world of nay-say’ers who will say, “ it’s never been this bad” and will say “it’s getting worse.”  But I don’t accept that. The improvements are small and incremental, but better none the less. The incremental steps of being better are often bitter.  We are experiencing the “Me Too Movement” now.  This movement is putting a light on sexual harassment and abuse. It has been happening all during human existence.  But now there will be consequences that will reduce it. We have the “Black Lives Matter Movement” now. Again, racial discrimination is a social sickness and un-Christian. People of all shades of skin color are behind this movement. Yay! I say, “All Lives Matter.”

Our eyes are being opened, we are learning to walk in new ways, and we are given hope for a better world. Progressive and just steps have come as the result of the labors of people who follow in the example of John the Baptist who sent his disciples to ask Jesus about whether or not He was the one. We have the late Martin Luther King Jr., the Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, and former President Jimmy Carter to mention a few, too few.  My point is that we have people among us who still follow the example of John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus in making our world better, little by little.  These saints speak to us today, not so much with their words, but rather, with their personal sacrifice for a better world; and folks, it’s still happening now! 

Please keep Ukraine in your prayers, our prayers are making a real difference.                                         

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 22: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 121, 122 and 123; Evening, Psalms, 124, 125 and 126;

Micah 1:1to 9; Acts 23:12 to 24; Luke 7:1 to 17

“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 7:9)

Here is yet another example of Jesus raising our awareness of the faith of non-Israelites.  I have learned from reading Acts, that the Tribune is over the centurions, but even the centurions have privilege and power.  In this case, it is the Gentile centurion who values his relationship with his slave (which the same Greek word also means servant), so much that he seeks out Jesus to save his life.

This Gentile centurion models the understanding that we should have; that is, we do not have to have the physical Jesus under our roof to do the healing.  We too, like the centurion, must believe that if Jesus just says the word, regardless of where he physically is, His healing will be done.

My beloved people of faith, you who are true believers, you must find a still, quiet place in your homes and in your hearts and quietly, and intentionally, ask our Lord Jesus to just say the healing words for the one you love who is in trouble.  When you do this, I have found that relief often comes in one of two ways.  First, perhaps the first responders do arrive on time, or some other human response.  Second, the situation seems to just resolve itself.  Both are born of our Lord Jesus. But we must have the faith of this centurion.  As I have said before, Jesus uses the faith in us to heal us. It is astonishing to me that the cure is already in me but I can’t make use of it.  Faith is like a first aid kit on a military person’s belt.  One might think he or she has the first aid kit in case they have to use it on someone they find who is injured.  But no, you have that first aid kit in order that if you yourself are wounded, whoever finds you will use your first aid kit to assist you.  Therefore, it is so important that you examine the kit often to make sure it contains all that is necessary in case you are in need of it.  The same is true with our faith.

Jesus is the one who finds us but then uses our “faith-aid” kit to heal us. Our Lord Jesus has been doing this remotely, as far back as two thousand years ago. How about this for remote healing?; and these people back in antiquity never heard of cancer or COVID. Our God is amazing! Thank You Lord Jesus.

Please keep Ukraine in your prayers, our prayers are making a real difference (Remotely).

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John