onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 16: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 1, 2 and 3,  Evening, Psalms  4 and7; 

Job 4:1,5:1-11,17-21,26-27; Acts 9:19b-31; John 6:52-59

“The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’”  (John 6:52)

Again, the term, “the Jews,” simply means the temple authorities, for Jesus and all his followers were also Jews. Another point to bring out is that the use of this metaphor regarding the eating of his flesh is that Jesus was not suggesting cannibalism.  He was inviting his followers to partake of holy food and drink that was taken by our Lord Jesus, blessed by our Lord Jesus and then divided up and shared with them.  He took, blessed, broke and gave.

The last interesting part of this John passage is this: while the Synoptic Gospel accounts walk us through the Great Thanksgiving, or the Lord’s Supper, John’s Gospel story mentions being at the table only as an aside from the foot washing.  However, much of the language of the Gospel of John speaks of the “Bread of Life.”

The Bible, specifically the Gospels, must be studied in prayer with people educated in the language and culture of the day of our Lord Jesus.  Also, it needs to be known that as we read the Gospel like this one according to John, it was assumed that the Synoptic Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) were already read and understood.  Most scholars believe that John’s Gospel was the last written.  Therefore the Gospel according to John filled in other details. 

Jesus went on to say, “Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me” (John 6: 57).   This means for you to be filled with our Lord Jesus so that Jesus works in you, and through you. In Church, at the Holy Eucharist, we believe that the Holy Spirit of Christ has come together with the bread and wine.  You then, are not doing what you think you alone ought to do, but rather, you are the “host” of Jesus who is working through you. That is, you are the host (wafer or bread), that you just consumed. When we receive Holy Communion, all we need to do is get out of the way and let our Lord Jesus do his work through us. As the Gospel according to John points out, He will be in us and we in Him.

I pray that our Lord Jesus works through us to bring about peace in Ukraine.

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 16: Year C

Hebrews 12:18-29 and Luke 13:10-17 

 “When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” (Luke 13:12)

This is not a new situation for Jesus who continually tells them, and us, that the Sabbath is made for us, not us for the Sabbath.  God brought us into the world without Sabbaths and then saw that we needed down-time in order to put things in perspective, to ponder, and to be thankful.

But this action from Jesus in healing the crippled woman, is far more than just a simple healing; it is a metaphor of what Jesus is doing for all humanity. It shows that God is teaching love to all people while at the same time, keeping Sabbaths as commanded. Jesus continues in this formula. “Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.”  (Luke 13:10) This is a time of gathering so as to learn about God and how God wants us to live with one another. If it wasn’t the Sabbath the crippled woman might not have been there in the first place. He noticed her and responded to her need. And as the situation would have it, an unexpected opportunity appears. We read, “And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight,” (Luke 13:11). This woman represents all who are made cripple by spiritual weakness. 

“When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”” (Luke 13:12) Jesus makes the pronouncement, the Word says the word.  That, that was holding her,  was no longer in power. She is set free. But after eighteen years one does not just jump up and down in exaltation.  The body is not ready for that. It needs healing hands. So, is was “When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.” (Luke 13:13)  St Francis of Assisi said go out and preach the Gospel and when necessary use words.  Do you think this healed woman, by just walking around joyfully and praising God, is preaching the Gospel?  I do.

Meanwhile, back at hater ranch, “the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the Sabbath day,”” (Luke 13:14).  This leader of the synagogue could not heal like this on any day. Why then deny anybody healing no matter what day it is?  But the light is brought to bear on his hypocrisy as Jesus questions what any rational person would do no matter the day of the week it happens to be.  Jesus’ words were pleasing to the people “and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing,” (Luke 13:17).  We must remember that our time of respite is foreordained by God for our mutual benefit and personal healing – and for whatever good we can bring about for others.

As we walk along joyfully let us keep the spiritually challenged people of Ukraine in our prayers. 

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 15: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), and Psalm 144;  Evening, Psalm 104; 

Job 3:1-26; Acts 9:10-19a; John 6:41-51

“They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?” (John 6: 42)

If we are to really be people of faith, faith in a God who can do all things, with anything or anybody, then we ought to be looking for such a God doing what God does in all aspects of life, and in any person, all the time.

The leaders of Jesus’ old community decided that because they knew Jesus and his earthly parents, there was no way he could be the bread, come down from heaven as he purports to be.  They never considered what God might be doing in their midst.  They never considered that God might be acting in human form, regardless of what they thought they knew about Jesus (or God).

This is also demonstrated in our Acts reading for today.  The Risen Lord reveals the plan for Saul or Paul to Ananias.   Ananias knew of Saul and wanted nothing to do with him.  But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).  I believe this is another characteristic of God.  When God sends us to someone, God is with us, and with that someone we are sent to, in order that they might be open to receive the message.

Yes, our Lord Jesus was, and is, the primary host for God participating in our human life.  And while it is our life, it is God’s world.  And God is working God’s purposes out.  And God can, and will, do this work with, or without you; around you, or through you.

Anytime we say that because we know him or her (or ourselves), and in our opinion, God would not use him or her (or me); what we are really saying is that we know what God will do, or who God will use.  And that’s just not true.  Nobody knows what God will do, or who God will use.  God uses who God chooses. And yes, this includes you. Let’s just be blessed and thankful.

Who will God use to make things better in Ukraine?  And what will that look like?  Let us keep that hope in prayer.

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 15, Year 2

Morning,  Psalms 140 and 142; Evening, Psalms 141and 143:1-11(12); 

Job 2:1-13; Acts 9:1-9; John 6:27-40 

“Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips; let not my heart incline to any evil thing.” (Psalm 141:3)

So many times in my life I have wished that I had a guard at the door of my lips.  Such an idea gives the term “lip lock,” normally indicating a long and passionate kiss, a new meaning. So many times I wish I had filtered what I was going to say before I hit the “send” button of my mouth. Too often a celebrity of some notoriety is fired because he or she used a homophobic or racial slur. Our mouths get us in trouble.  But it doesn’t start with our mouths.

The Psalmist also says, “let not my heart incline to any evil thing.”  Our heart and mind is where it all begins. And in most cases, we can’t fix our hearts by ourselves. We must seek help.  If we ask God to first fix our hearts, (and God will), the mouth and hands will fall in, and follow the heart as it always does. This is why I always refer to our Collect for Purity as found in our Book of Common Prayer.  It prays; “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.” (BCP p.355)

This prayer really nails it, but if one does not really want to be better, praying it would be a waste of time.  We have to first want to be better people.  After the desire to be better is realized, then we must seek help from God.  With God all things are possible.  If the ugliness is not in our hearts it cannot come through our mouths or hands.  We won’t even accidently say anything wrong or hurtful.  “Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips; let not my heart incline to any evil thing.” (Psalm 141:3)  Please ponder and pray on this.

And, pray that the Russian military turns and becomes more and more the people God intended for them to be, that they might relent and repent from harming the people of Ukraine. God made us to be decent people from the beginning of creation.

“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 15: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 131 and 132, Evening, Psalms 134 and 135; 

Job 1:1-22; Acts 8:26-40; John 6:16-27

“Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.”  (Acts 8:29)

There are three significant entities in the reading; there is Philip, the treasurer of Candice who happens to be a eunuch, and of course the angel or Spirit of God. The eunuch is returning from the Temple in Jerusalem where he was probably not welcomed due to his bodily defilement.  But he is a faithful student of scripture and faithful practices. 

I wish we had the name of Candice’s treasurer; I don’t like referring to him as “the eunuch.”   We learn that, like most of us, he needs assistance in understanding what the scripture is really saying. I like the way Philip obeys the Spirit, and also, how he assists this treasurer. He doesn’t go back to Adam and Eve, or Abraham or even Moses.  No, he starts with Isaiah, he starts from where the person was, in his reading. Sometimes we try to give a person too much information.  The Spirit did not say go over to the chariot and rule it. The Spirit said, “Go over to this chariot and join it.”

Another part of our story that I really like is that after the explanation of the scriptures, which must have also talked about our Lord Jesus and the importance of Baptism, they come upon some water.  Then “the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.” As a priest I have used this model by Philip to baptise people who ask for it as soon as possible, normally at the next Sunday worship service if possible.

Beyond the lesson about how to coach or teach, and of baptism, there is the listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We today, should not think that the Holy Spirit of God does not speak to us today, it still happens.  At the end of this experience both men go their separate ways: the eunuch, back to Ethiopia rejoicing; and Philip, again following the Spirit and proclaiming the Good News!

Let us also proclaim the Good News in Christ Jesus.  And let us proclaim Good News for, and to, the people of Ukraine as we too listen to what the Spirit is saying to us.

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 15: Year 2

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

Judges 18:16-31; Acts 8:14-25; John 6:1-15

“Simon answered, ‘Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.” (Acts 8:24)

This is Simon the magician who is trying to learn new tricks in order to make money.  He has money and therefore believes he can buy this new form of trickery.  But he finds out that God is not for sale.  “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  (Acts 8: 18 to 19)

Simon thought it okay to buy this ability. “But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!  You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God.  Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.  For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.”  (Acts 8: 20 to 23)

And repent he did.  “Simon answered, ‘Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me” (Acts 8:24).  We don’t know much more about this Simon.  Perhaps the most important lesson is that once he realized that his heart was sailing in the wrong direction he requested a course change.  So should we, or at least ask our friends to pray for us.  God really likes intercessory prayer.

As I have said before, money is a necessary and smart way to obtain the provisions we need in life.  But it can also be used to deny people, or groups of people, their needed food, shelter, clothing, transportation and communications. If we are not careful, money will alter the course of our hearts and have us sailing in a non-loving direction.  Let us always remember that at any time, any of us could find ourselves down and out.  We must both, help others when we see their need and are able, and we must accept help when we are in need and help is offered.  This mutual aid is God’s plan.  We can’t buy a gift from God but by God we can be a gift.

This day, especially in the Diocese of East Carolina, we remember the Baptisms of Manteo, and Virginia Dare. Though not at the same time, they were the first baptized persons by the Church of England on what will become America.

I continue to reach out and ask our prayers for Ukraine.

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 15: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 121, 122 and 123; Evening, Psalms 124, 125 and 126,;
Judges 18:1-15; Acts 8:1-13; John 5:30-47

“Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves”

(Psalm 126: 6 and 7)

It seems that the way of life is that we must undergo some suffering, or at least challenges of duration before things get better.  But we work and suffer (if necessary) in hope, hope that God will watch us and ensure that those who sow, shall also reap.  Hope is about the harvest.

I practice music.  It is monotonous work.  But it is well worth it when I play “Praise to the Lord,” and it sounds right, and I celebrate in knowing that “I” played that. 

I workout daily.  Often when I wake I don’t really feel like working out.  It becomes boring and I play mind games about whether or not working out is really necessary, or even what I want to do. But I put such thoughts away. On the reward side, I am losing weight and feeling better and now better able to do things with less effort.

I make regular visits to the golf driving range.  I think my skill is truly lacking.  But when I manage to actually play with some of my friends, they, (and I), are amazed at how well I played.

With more serious sufferings, it seems sometimes we must undergo some degree of patient suffering in order to accomplish happiness.  The same is true with raising children. Parents must allow children to make a few mistakes, not dangerous ones, but enough to let them know that they are vulnerable.  Parents are now asked to be more participatory in the education of their children. The education of children is among the greatest of rewards. And all graduations are joyful.

The Covid pandemic virus has caused severe suffering in many segments of life.  It caused suffering in jobs and therefore finances; in education (and the education of our children impacts the jobs of parents); in hospitalizations, and most tragically the death of loved ones. We are all hoping to get through this COVID 19 virus.  And we are.  We might have a new normal on this side of it. But we will evolve.  We plant the seed of hope.   “Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.  Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves” (Psalm 126: 6 and 7).  Hope is about the harvest. Plant carefully.

Let us pray for the hope of Ukraine, that inevitably, they too will come to joy.

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 15: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 106; 1-18; Evening, Psalm 106; 19-48;

Judges 17:1-13; Acts 7:44-8:1a; John 5:19-29:

“Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”  (John 5:28 and 29)

We Christians believe that Jesus will be the judgment of God for all humanity as our Lord Jesus was God participating in human existence.  No matter what, there is a resurrection for each and every human being.  The outcome of our resurrection is determined by what we believe as it is made manifest by how we conduct ourselves commensurate with that belief.  That is, that we believe in the love of God. and live out that love in our relationships with our neighbors.

This resurrection belief  and accountability is made manifest in the last part of my personal creed which says.  “I Trust in the Creating Word through the Holy Spirit of the Incarnate Word, in whom we live and move and love and have our being, and to whom, we must give an account.”  The part that says “and to whom we must give an account” reflects the resurrection piece. 

My beloved of the Lord, we all will come before the judgment seat at the end of our days.  There is no getting around this fact.  However, being before the judgment seat dose not necessarily mean a trial. Just as sure as death is to come for all people, so too is the resurrection to the afterlife.  I believe that on this side of our being some of us believe in Jesus as Lord.  On the resurrection side, all will more than just believe, we will all know that Jesus is Lord of both the living and the dead. 

But our Lord Jesus is also the Lord of love and mercy.  Where we mortals often want to hold a grudge against people who differ from us, our Lord Jesus just wants to love us, all of us. We do not belong to ourselves, we are the Lord’s.  How we live out our lives in relation to our fellow persons is crucial. If you take nothing away from this post but one thing, let it be this; Love God and one another no matter what.  This does not mean to let others walk all over you, it simply means for us to recognize and respect their humanity and to refrain from quick judgment. Struggle to find love. It’s who we are created to be.  Love people, don’t judge their harmless differences. Your name will be called on the other side and you will find yourself before the throne.  And even as we come before the judgment seat, “Lord, do not bring us to the time of trial.” (Luke 11;4)

As always, please keep Ukraine in your prayers.

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

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 15: Year C

Jeremiah 23:23-29; Psalm 82; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56:

“Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!”  (Luke 12: 51)

Jesus is now informing them (and us) that a moment of decision has come, and we must decide which side we are going to follow.  This is literally a fork in our faith road.  It is to believe, or not to believe, and then to act accordingly. To turn toward one person or value or goal is to turn away from another. “Peace in the sense of status quo has been disrupted,” (Says Fred B. Craddock writing for Interpretation; a Bible Commentary on Luke p.166).

God is acting toward the world in Jesus of Nazareth and has created a breaking point.  We must break to one side or the other. We cannot have it both ways. It is one thing to say that you don’t believe in God or Jesus or the Church.  It is a much weightier thing to try to live that out. Lord have mercy.  We all are going to be cast out of this life. And there is only One who will catch us, if we are to be caught.

When I told my mother many years ago that I had joined the Episcopal Church, I noticed a sudden sense of urgency in her. She wanted to know if I still believed in Jesus.  And, she wanted to know if I still celebrated Christmas and Easter.  After I assured her that I did to all of the above, she was fine. I am always amazed about how little people know about the Episcopal Church.

While my mother did not bring us up as a “churched family,” It was important to her that we trusted in Jesus.  She wanted us to believe. This brings us back to the division that Jesus talks about in Luke today.  There will be division on this issue even within households and families. What does it mean to choose on the side of Jesus? I have found four truths and a possible fifth.

First, If you believe in Jesus, you already believe in God. And God is good, All the time.

Second, you can believe God sent Jesus or that God is acting in Jesus. Christian churches have waged war over this issue rather than care for their needy. They seemed to worry more about what people say they believed about Jesus rather than how they followed Jesus in life.

Third, Believing in Jesus means we are called together with love-minded (not hate minded), worshipers weekly to remember him in the Sacraments, the Body and Blood, as He commanded us to do.

Fourth, (and this is too often missed) we are called to care for those who differ from us: Even those who don’t believe, to feed them, clothe them, heal them, and if their time comes, to bury them.

The possible fifth truth, is to teach and baptise and or confirm those who want to come and join us.

This is a division, a breaking point in our faith lives. Often it is a thankless decision of division. But this is what Jesus came to do. He said, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!”  And, he has done it. This is the Baptism he came to receive and has now accomplished. A decision of division lies in our path. Which way will we go?

Will we just set back and worship Jesus? Or, will we have the courage to actually follow our Lord Jesus. Will we respect the dignity of Every human being? This is what we are called by the Holy Spirit of God in Christ Jesus to do. Are we listening?

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 14: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 107:33-43 to 108:1-6(7-13);  Evening, Psalm 33;

Judges 16:1-14; Acts 7:30-43; John 5:1-18:

“Do you want to be made well?”  (John 5:6)

Often, one of the ways we can tell that our priorities are out of order is that we find ourselves watching others and measuring their behavior against our list of what is right and wrong.  “Now that day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”  But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”  Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.”  (John 5: 9 – 13)

Before we begin, let’s be clear, all the people in this passage are Jews.  By “the Jews,” The Evangelist simply means temple authorities.  These temple authorities either forgot, or never knew, that the Sabbath was created for people, and not the people for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)

Jesus asks the lame man if he even wanted to be made well. This is an important question and it is a universal one.  All too often we become comfortable in our weaknesses or disadvantages.  Some of  the freed Israelites of Exodus came to a point when they wished they were back in Egypt as slaves rather than be in the wilderness following Moses. Some people today who suffer from addiction would prefer to be left alone rather than attend AA meetings.  Yes, the question of “Do you want to be made well?” is a universal one that we all must deal with.  Of course our lame man doesn’t give an immediate “Yes” to the question. Rather, he formulates excuses for why he can’t get to the healing waters.  Jesus proves to be superior to the healing waters by just saying “Take up your mat and walk.” Like today, it was the Sabbath!  Our Lord Jesus is so awesome!

In his defense, the man who was made well, really didn’t know who Jesus was. But the temple authorities felt threatened. They wanted to know who it was that said to him, ‘Take up your mat and walk’. Note, that they were more concerned with the newly healed man carrying his mat than the fact that he was made well.  Now these temple authorities could not have done what Jesus did on any day of the week, yet they felt their position threatened. So their response is to hunt down our Lord Jesus who is doing good works in order that they might put him to death.  This is so sad.

At some level we all could be made better. We all should look beyond the carrying of the Sabbath  mat (petty), to the thankfulness of being made well (life changing).  Do you want to be made well?  Ukraine also wants to be made well. Please keep Ukraine in your prayers

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