onewhoponders

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 9: Year C

Galatians 6: 7-16 and Luke 10:1-11 and 16-20

“He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10: 2)

Where do we find people who dedicate themselves to helping others?  Too many of us today only care about “what is in it for me.”  So where are the dedicated teachers, nurses, fire and police persons?  The needs of our community are plentiful, but the true laborers, are few.

I have learned over the years that we can train ourselves to desire or enjoy anything; be it the taste of different foods or drinks; habits of health like exercise and not smoking; even learning to enjoy theological pondering.

We are so trainable, but we must let go of stubbornness and use willpower over laziness. However, we must first want to be better. If we don’t want it, it won’t happen for us.  This weekend we remember our Independence Day. The first colonist from Europe to this hemisphere wanted to be freed from the control of England. They wanted it so much they were willing to die for it.  Being free was their goal even as they protested as lambs  against the powers of the wolf monarchy of England. And, even as they themselves held other humans as slaves. Sometimes we can’t see the wolf in sheep’s clothing in ourselves. We can’t give freedom lip service.  It must be genuine, regardless of where we sit at the table.

As I say this, I remember our sisters and brothers in Ukraine. Please keep them in your prayers as well as many Russians who are not in agreement with what their government is doing.

I have always heard that the reward for hard work is more hard work.  But at some point, the thought-to-be hard work becomes a labor of love. The teacher seeks out the uninformed (children or adults), the nurse seeks out the sick; the fire, police and military service member stand ready for danger in order to become the solution to the problem. They all do this difficult work often regardless of how well they are equipped.  They take little with them except for the desire to do that work that God put them here to do.

We must learn to love the hard work of compassion and servanthood. In this way we are happiest when we are at our chosen labors – labors of dedicated service to others. It is what the Holy Spirit of God has called us to do. We then, are the God called laborers to the harvest.

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 8: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 137:1-6 and Psalm 144; Evening, Psalm 104;

Numbers 24:12-25; Romans 8:18-25; Matthew 22:23-40:

“Jesus answered them, ‘You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)

It was in this Gospel according to Matthew that we have Jesus re-interpreting the Scriptures, particularly in chapter 5.  Now we have Jesus telling the Sadducees (and many of us), that they have interpreted the ancient writings incorrectly. And he informs them that they also don’t really know about the power of God.  

I look at the ancient biblical writings, of mostly men, as recording their experiences with God as best they could in accordance with their very limited understanding of the planet and space and themselves.  They did not always get it correct as Jesus informs this group of theologians. As an Education for Ministry (EfM) mentor and Christian Education teacher, I always explain that with God’s help, and with prayer before and after we begin our studies, we are looking for truth, not facts.

I believe God is pure goodness and merciful love. I believe God loves this fragile earth our island home and has caused all life to be good (until it is corrupted). I also believe there is a different, and holy realm that we pass on to when we expire from this life. And, as Jesus says in our Matthew reading for today, we will then be like angels in heaven. (Matthew 22:30).

I believe we will see many angels of Ukrainian origin when we reach that holy place. Let us keep them in our daily 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 Friday of Proper 8: Year 2

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

 Numbers 24:1-13; Romans 8:12-17; Matthew 22:15-22:

“Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’”  (Matthew 22:21)

In trying to trick our Lord Jesus, the disciples of the Pharisees, along with the Herodians actually learn something about the real use of money and the reality of what belongs to God.

The real use of money is to purchase the necessities we need for living healthy lives.  Also, money can be used for fun and comfort. However, as money is a nonperishable trade commodity that the whole community needs to make use of, it should never be hoarded to the deprivation of others.

The emperor can be seen as the government, and money back to the emperor is the same as paying taxes.  The government, or the emperor, are the printers of the money (hopefully) as a means of enabling citizens the ability to get their needs and maintain their common good which includes paying wages for those who work for the government or the emperor.  Money is too often misused.

Our souls and hearts on the other hand belong to the One who loaned it to us, Almighty God.  While money is a human construct, our being is the design and creation of God. Loans of money can, and should, be paid in full.  What we owe God can never be paid.  But then, who we are, and how we are made, never really stops being the property of God.  And the fact that we cannot pay God back for our being, we must inevitably return  “to God the things that are God’s.”  This has always been true, even before time, since before the heavens and the earth were finished.

God loves the people of Ukraine. Let us keep them close in our prayers to God.

“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 8: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 131, 132, [133]; Evening, Psalms 134 and 135;
Numbers 23:11-26; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 22:1-14:

Psalm 134

1. Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.

2. Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord;
the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Psalm 134 is one of the two shortest Psalms in the Bible.  The other is Psalm 117.  Both are uplifting.  Psalm117 is also all about Praising the Lord and 134 is about blessing the Lord and being blessed by the Lord, and we are.

These are not perhaps the most remembered Psalms but they indeed are short enough to be easily memorized.  Psalm 117 is two verses and Psalm 134 for today, is also 2 verses but may be three depending on the Bible translation you use, or the Book of Common Prayer. The point is, they are so short there is no time for wretchedness, or revenge for an enemy, that can be found in longer Psalms.  In two or three verses there is only enough time for praising God and being blessed by God.

Many people have committed Psalm 23 (6 verses) to memory and maybe even Psalm 121 ( 8 verses and a personal favorite of mine).  I also like Psalm 8 (9 verses).  All of these three are around six to nine verses. However, I also like Psalm 90 which has 17 verses.  Psalms 117 and 134 are 2 verses  each and they work very well as prayers of praise. Let’s pray them now, ok?

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all you nations; laud him, all you peoples. For his loving-kindness toward us is great, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.   Hallelujah!

Psalm 134

Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,  you that stand by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Let us continue to keep Ukraine in our daily 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 Wednesday of Proper 8: Year 2

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

Numbers 22:41-23:12; Romans 7:13-25; Matthew 21:33-46:

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.” (Matthew 21: 3)

This starts out as a beautiful parable then quickly goes south.  It goes into evil, self-serving people (the tenants), who beat up and kill the prophets and then the Son of the owner of the vineyard. The preferential Christian understanding for many Christians is that God has sent His Son into the world, the vineyard, and he was crucified by those who thought themselves to be first in authority, and the vineyard was given to Christians. Not all Christians adhere to this idea.

But before all that, I want to focus on our human duty to care for this earth, this vineyard, regardless of a particular religion.  The Great Creator of the universe has caused to come into being this perfect life support system for all living creation upon it.  And, call it what you will, creation or evolution, humanity came into being last.  I think we are the flagship of God’s work as well as placed here to care for this earth.  This earth is perfect for our wellbeing.  But there is more to it than that.

We have a responsibility to help maintain this precious life-support system that we depend on. We have made telescopes and cameras and we have placed them in space such that we can look back and see this fragile earth, our island home as God would see it. I truly believe that God enjoys looking at this earth and sees that it is (or was) very good. This earth is a unique blue ball giving life to countless forms of life.  This blue ball is the vineyard, and we, all humans, are the tenants, given the responsibility to maintain it until the owner, either sends someone for a report, or returns personally.  So, what do you think our Earth-care grade should be on our report card to God?

What’s going on with the precious lives in Ukraine? How do we fix that, and other earth ailments?

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 8: Year 2

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

Numbers 22:21-38; Romans 7:1-12; Matthew 21:23-32:

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went.  The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matthew 21: 28 – 32)

Our Lord Jesus points out that those who made the wrong decision initially, but then turned their lives around and did the will of God were forgiven and accepted; while those who gave the pleasing lip response initially, did not change for the better. It seems, over time, we tend to improve.  I hope this is true for most of us anyway.

I must confess that I think that I am a much better person now than I was even 10 or 20 years ago.  How do I know this?  I evaluate this by how I now see and listen to people; I evaluate it by the friends I cherish. And finally, I evaluate it by the fewer regrets I have for things done, and left undone.

The son who said no but did the will of the Father was, I believe, happier with himself in the end.  The son who said yes, but did not do the Father’s will, lived a double life of shame, shame for not pleasing the Father, and shame for lying about it in the first place.  The first son did not follow through with his emotional resentment of not wanting to do the work, but after deeper thought, did the work anyway.  The second son told the Father what he thought the father wanted to hear, either knowing he had no intention of doing the work; or, deciding later that he would not keep his word.

The words we produce with our mouths are important, especially if they truly represent what we are thinking and believing.   But the words we produce with our actions are the most important because they validate what is really in our heart.  Jesus has cornered the chief priests and elders in a situation wherein they would not say what they truly thought about John the Baptist. Rather, they conspired to say words pleasing to each other.  And unlike the tax-collectors and the prostitutes, the chief priests and elders would not change their ways.  How about us?  Do we always say what we really mean?  And “when” we err, will we repent and change?

The Russian military continues to murder Ukrainian civilians. Please God, come to the aid of Ukraine. I don’t believe what is happening is you will for us. Help us Lord.

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 8: Year 2

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

Numbers 22:1-21; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 21:12-22

“In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once.” (Matthew 21:18 – 19)

A fig tree is born of creation yet refuses to provide food for the One through whom it has its being.  We might argue that it was not the “proper” time for the fruit to come; therefore, it is not the tree’s fault.  But we don’t know the hidden relationship that the Creator had with this tree.

I have read where as Jesus was on his way back to the Temple, which was also in full leaf, insofar as its population and care was concerned, produced no fruit in terms of spiritually feeding the people who came to it for spiritual nourishment.  The Temple was there for the pleasure of the Temple authorities only. There was a similarity between the fruitless tree and the fruitless temple.

How about you and me and our Church?  What is the spiritual fruit of our labors or the labors of our worship houses?  Are we found visiting the sick, or assisting those with no transportation to the store or medical appointments?  These are especially challenging questions as we recover from the COVID pandemic.  But we must not use the pandemic as an excuse, or free pass, to not help our neighbors, less we too become the fruitless tree. Our Churches should feed our faith as we return to regular attendance so that God is not disappointed when looking for the fruits of faith.

Continue to keep Ukraine in your prayers. The fruits of our prayers are made manifest in the faith of the people of Ukraine.  Never, never, never give up. God wins, every time.

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 8: Year C

Galatians 5:1,13-25 and  Luke 9:51-62

“And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Thenthey went on to another village.” (Luke 9:52 – 59)

These Samaritans are people who Jesus often showed as examples of faith.  The Woman at the well who said, “come see a man who has told me everything I have ever done,” (John 4).  And, the Good Samaritan of Luke (10: 30 – 37), who tended to the man left for dead by robbers. So Jesus saw the love of the Samaritans.  But they also were tribal.

Samaritans did not like the Israelites or anyone who liked the Israelites.  So when they saw that Jesus was going to Jerusalem they cut him and his followers off.  It’s the old saying that the friend of my enemy is my enemy. But this attitude does not work.  Some of us have been gifted by God to be friendly with people regardless of who they like or don’t like.

When James and John asked if they could call down fire on them Jesus turned and rebuked them.  This is some insight as to the power that they had through Jesus. It seems to be no doubt that they could do such a thing but needed permission to do so.  They forget however, that when Jesus sent them out in pairs to heal and cast out demons he said to them, “receive those who receive you.”  And, “if they don’t receive you just knock the dust off from your shoes and keep on moving. But even to them, let them know that the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

So there is no part of Jesus that is retaliatory. And as followers of Jesus we should not be retaliatory either.  Accept those who accept you.  Be patient with those who do not accept you. Be pleasant to all.  Do not retaliate, ever.

Even to those who bring destruction upon Ukraine, we do not call down fire upon them, we simply want peace for both.  Pray 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 Saturday of Proper 7: Year 2

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

Numbers 20:14 to 29; Romans 6:1 to 11; Matthew 21:1 to 11:

“But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6: 8 – 11)

I have always believed, even before going to seminary, that the most serious service a clergy person could facilitate, second only to baptism, is the funeral or, burial service.  Death is the ultimate transition of life. Not all will submit to baptism, but all of us will submit to death.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ walked among us to be the Gateway into eternal life with God. I believe also that every human being will be raised to judgment before our Creator.  How we have behaved during our dash-time (that time between birth and death) is important so far as it reflects what is in our hearts, but it is the actual content of our hearts that makes the difference. God looks upon the heart.  Do you have love in your heart?  Jesus instructs us to love others as he loves us.

We don’t have to worry about our conduct if we vow to always behave from the “love of other” perspective.  It would make no difference whether we were police, medical, military, clergy or corrections officer; doing our vocations from loving others as Christ loves us is pleasing to God and eases our transition through ultimate judgment.  Love for the other then makes us dead to sin. Sin is that which separates us from the will of God. This is why Paul says that we all must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Please remember to keep Ukraine in your prayers. Please.

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 7: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 102; Evening,  Psalm 107:1-32;

Numbers 20:1 to 13; Romans 5:12 to 21; Matthew 20:29 to 34:

 “They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him;” (Matthew 20: 33 and 34).

In this Matthew Gospel account two blind men “regain’ their sight.  Which means they once saw clearly but later lost their vision.  Somehow they lost sight of what was going on and where they were going; and now they wanted Jesus to put them back where they could see again.

The sight that our Lord Jesus restores is not so much our visual sight as it seems on the surface.  It is the seeing of our heart that really guides us on the good path. Our Lord Jesus looked through the eyes of his own Godly heart and he was “moved with compassion” and restored their sight.

Are we willing to ask for, and receive, this restored understanding?  These blind men refused to be hushed by the surrounding crowd but instead demanded to be helped by God Incarnate.  If we have lost our moral vision, and our hope, some will try to keep us this way often for their own self serving purposes. We must dare to break out and seek the presence of Jesus in order to be put back on track.  He is already moved with compassion for us, we just need to insist on seeing him in order that we might see the Way, the Truth and the Life.

 “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