onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 2^nd Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 72; Evening, Psalm 119:73-96;

Genesis 42:18 to 28; 1^st  Corinthians 5:9 to 6:8; Mark 4:1 to 20:

“Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say nothing of ordinary matters? If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?” (1 Corinthians 6: 3 – 4)

I believe that people who are regular church attendees make the best police persons, military personnel , and lawyers and judges. There should always be some kind of community moral compass in place and activated in such work as police, military and the judicial system. 

Humane treatment and decency should always be at the forefront of all public service or conflict. People that do such work should come from a community of faith. I don’t believe such a faith community has to be Christian.  But it should be a community whose beliefs recognize the godly value of all people regardless of ethnicity, religion, nationality, language, or sexual orientation.  Yes, we must appoint or elect judges to make decisions about how to proceed in terms of what to do about offenders. However, compassion must be given to people, even those who themselves show no compassion. Being tough on crime does not mean being hateful to those who are different or who have made mistakes or even those who show no desire to improve.

Preachers or priests, or imams, or rabbis, must be mindful of the message they plant in the hearts of their listeners, from whom such public servants are called.  We all have the same loving God.  We have found different ways to relate to and worship God.  But just as we look up to God, we must also look to our right and left at our neighbor and remember to love them through this same God. I agree with Saint Paul, I think our judges (and other public service providers and military) should come from people who have an understanding of some kind of loving worship community. The religious leaders who plant the seeds of morality have a huge responsibility for making sure such seeds are loving and inclusive.

I was an active duty Marine for 30 years. I have been in several conflicts. While I have never been responsible for prisoners of war, I hold a vow of decency regarding the treatment of captives. This also applies to those whom we fire upon. There is an awful upheaval taking place in Ukraine right now perpetrated by the Russian military. It is sinful. If these military persons were God-fearing they would not be bombing civilians, hospitals and other non combatants. Further, if the people who sent them understood the right of a government to be free, they would not have invaded Ukraine at all. It is so wrong, and as Paul explains, they will be judged accordingly.  Meanwhile, let us never cease from praying for Ukraine and the Russians who speak out against such evil.

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 the 2^nd Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 61 and 62; Evening, Psalm 68:1-20(21-23)24-36;

Genesis 42:1 to 17; 1^st Corinthians 5:1 to 8; Mark 3:19b to 35:

“And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

Our Lord Jesus is saying that those who come to God in the way he does are his family.  I have a huge biological family but we often differ regarding the way we interpret the inclusiveness of God and the inherent Christian service required.

It’s Church.  I have friends here in Cumberland and Hoke counties of North Carolina who are not members of my Church; some are not members of any church.  They are also somewhat relationally distant from me. My Church family however shares with me our understanding of God in our lives and the lives of our collective community.  For me, the good news about our church is that we love providing Christian hospitality to all people.  Yes, there may be individuals some of us may have a problem with but for the most part, all are welcome.  We don’t care about what others believe or don’t believe. Our covenant Baptismal Creed requires us to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves and to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. (BCP 305)  To all this (and more), we answer “I will with God’s help.” 

My Pondering is from the Episcopal Church perspective.  I don’t apologize for that.  I have found spiritual family in this Church.  Our Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Michael Curry, says that we are the Episcopal path of the Jesus movement. There are many paths but this best suits me. I believe everybody should have a worship family of some kind.  Even if you say you believe in little green frogs, fine, but if you do, you should be found down by the pond every now and then.

Not being in my family is in no way a bad thing.  In fact if you are not, then you are on the receiving end of our love, care, and hospitality. As the Most Reverend William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury (1942–1944) said, “The Church is the one institution that exists for the benefit of those who do not belong to it.”

Again I appeal to all who follow this blog, regardless of what faith path you follow, to reach out in support of the Ukrainian people in prayer and deed. They are our family in Christ Jesus regardless of what their faith tradition might be. They are our family.  It is the will of God for us to care for them. So you see, it is as our Lord Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of God is my family.  Thank you Lord Jesus.”

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 the 2^nd Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 56 and 57; Evening,  Psalms 64 and 65;
Genesis 41:46 to 57; 1^st Corinthians 4:8 to 20(21); Mark 3:7 to19a

“Have mercy on me, O God, for my enemies are hounding me; all day long they assault and oppress me.”  (Psalm 56:1)

This Psalm, as does many of the Psalms of lament, ask for mercy from God. I especially ask for God’s mercy for Ukraine, her people now dispersed, and for the good Russian people who have protested against the criminality of their leadership.

With things the way they are, the NATO nations not getting involved, only God and heaven above can help Ukraine now. This kind of help can only come from the prayers of you and me and people all over the world, including the people within Russia,  Our prayers are for our God of mercy to relieve the Ukrainian resistance.

I pray for God to intercede and turn their suffering into some kind of peace if not a distant joy.  How can they ever be happy again?  The first verse of Psalm 57, also for today, is likewise appropriate: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful, for I have taken refuge in you; in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge until this time of trouble has gone by.” (Psalm 57:1)

So I pray that this time of trouble quickly goes by and peace and reconciliation is restored. I don’t know how this is done. I just pray that it gets done and soon. Please come to their help O Lord. We, the world, will be looking and listening for your presence in this matter.

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

Liturgical Readings for the Second Sunday in Lent: Year C

 Genesis 15:1 to12 and17 to 18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17 to 4:1; Luke 13:31 to 35:

“Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” (Luke 13:31)

With the assistance of Fred B. Craddock writing for Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching; Luke; Craddock also shows that not all Pharisees should be grouped into a Hate-Jesus group. Craddock writes, “In fact, according  to Luke, Paul himself acknowledged near the close of his ministry, not “I was a Pharisee” but, “I am,, a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6).  (Craddock; Interpretation 1990; Luke; p. 173) Craddock goes on to say that some of the members of the early church were indeed Pharisees.

This is the idea I quickly came to as I read the opening of this passage. These Pharisee were not trying to trick Jesus.  They were trying to warn him.  Herod Antipas of Galilee had already beheaded John the Baptist and there was talk that Jesus was a reconstituted John.  Herod now wanted to be done with this once and for all.  But Jesus knew that in spite of Herod’s yearning, prophets are killed in Jerusalem and nowhere else.   Jesus even taunts him sending the message that he will be in his territory for three more days and then on to Jerusalem. So there, Herod.

This lesson about the Pharisees is like the one about “The Jew” as written especially in the Gospel of John where the term is used as if to say that all Jews were instrumental in the death of Jesus.  The term “The Jews” is pointing to the Temple authorities only.  And, perhaps not even all of them.  This leads to the focus of this pondering.  We need to own the deep level of understanding God has given us to look deep into people and the groups to which they belong.

Today we tend to be as divisive as we can be. Sometimes this happens only for the sake of being against the other group or team. We do this most effectively with labels. We label the others progressive, conservative, liberal, literal, fundamentalist, democrat, and republican, Baptist, Episcopalian, Catholic, Muslim and back to Jew again. To these labeling platforms we now carelessly add “the Russians.”  Most of Russian citizenry are misinformed about what is going on in Ukraine. I saw one young woman on the news tell of a conversation she had with her mother in Russia. She tried to inform her mother of the atrocities done by the Russian military but her mother would not believe her. She was amazed that her mother would not believe her own daughter.  It is not the Russian people in general who are responsible for the slaughter going on in Ukraine, but the Russian authorities. And like the Jewish Temple authorities, we should not lump all Russians into one group. 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

I want to go back to 7 March and remember Perpetua. I strongly suggest that you read all of Hebrews 10: 32 – 39.  It was so fitting for Perpetua and also for us today as we profess our own  faith, whatever it might be; and as we witness the horror that Ukraine is going through.

Readings for Perpetua, March 7:

Psalm 124;  Hebrews 10:32 to 39; Matthew 24:9 to 14: 

“But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.”   (Hebrews 10:32-32)

We remember Perpetua, who with Felicity her former slave but later her sister in Christ and others, who were slaughtered in an arena in Carthage, North Africa, on 7 March 202. There are many details in her story but there are three pieces that I want to share with you in this pondering.

First, she was the 22 year old mother of an infant and hoping to be baptized soon. She already assumed the title Christian which is why she was on the death row of her day.  Even with her old grey haired father coming to her in her prison and on his knees begging her to just say she was not a Christian, she would not deny being a follower of Jesus.  How many of us would do that?

Second, in the account of her torture and death she handed off her journal to a person who continued to record her ordeal.  This is how we have it today.  It is thought by many that this person was Tertullian, Christian Theologian and writer.  My fascination here is that Perpetua had the forethought to ensure her story was told even when she knew she would not be able to tell it. How many of us today would do that?

Third and last, as Perpetua and Felicity were being slaughtered, and after Perpetua had already been injured and thrown by what she called a wild cow and having her clothing ripped away, she quickly gather herself together and then attended to Felicity, comforting her and telling her to maintain her dignity “even if we are attacked by that wild cow or whatever it is.”  I can imagine the look on Felicity’s face realizing that Perpetua is forgetting that they had already been attacked.  Further, Perpetua’s attention to decency and comfort to Felicity quieted the jeering crowd.  They wanted to see her screaming and running for their lives. What they saw was a woman who stared down her oncoming slaughter.  I can imagine her thoughts being that she might be killed but she will not be entertaining. Finally, when they were ordered to be killed by the sword, a bumbling young soldier could only kill Perpetua with her own hand guiding him. How many of us could do that?  This 22 year old young mother is one of my most favorite heroes.  She chose Jesus over family; she told her Christian story and passed it on to be told for future generations; and she respected the dignity of all human beings including her own.  How many of us can do that?

Her story reminds me of President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who maintains the dignity of the Ukrainian people and letting world news organizations finish telling the Ukraine story. God bless President Zelenskyy who does not shrink back, and for all Ukrainian people. I continue to pray for God to intervene. Can you do that? Will you do that?

 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 after the First Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 95 [for the Invitatory] 40, 54; Evening, Psalm 51;

Genesis 40:1 to 23; 1^st Corinthians 3:16 to 23; Mark 2:13 to 22:

“Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”  (Mark 2:18)

I can still remember my parents asking me if my friends went and jumped off a cliff, would I do it too?  Peer pressure and new fads and even old traditions sometimes should be called into question.  Because “it has always been done that way” doesn’t mean it should always be done that way. Everybody does something a certain way and it becomes expected that all must do it the same way.  This moves into the food we eat, the clothes we ware, and all other social trends we are peered into. There is something to be said for “dare to be different.”  This is especially true if one has set down and really thought about habits and practices.  In our Episcopal Church, Holy Communion used to be a once or twice a month practice before the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. After that, and ever since, every Sunday is considered the Feast Day of our Lord.  Wasn’t it always?  In this Gospel reading, Levi (Matthew) is invited to “follow” Jesus.  He did.  He quit what he had always done to do the Lord’s work.  When opportunity knocks…

Enough cannot be said about pondering over decisions before acting.  Let us again review Pascal Blaise who said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  I would say then, that after pondering over a practice (or anything), all activities around the practice may also have to change as well.  My ponderings and daily exercise program requires me to rise early in the morning.  Therefore I have had to adjust my sleep habits in order to accommodate this schedule.  In this same Gospel reading for today our Lord Jesus says, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”  (Mark 2:22)  My new wine of blogging and working out would not work in the old wineskin of going to bed at 10 or 11 pm.

Ukraine had always been a part of Soviet Russia. Since the fall the Soviet era, Russia has tried to maintain control of Ukraine because it had always been that way. But now Ukraine is dancing with her new bride groom, Freedom. We, who also enjoy freedom, should keep Ukraine in our prayers.

“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 after the First Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 50; Evening, Psalms 19 and 46;

Genesis 39:1 to 23; 1^st Corinthians 2:14 to 3:15; Mark 2:1 to 12:

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? (Mark 2: 9)

Even today, in most cases, medical science is not able to restore nerve tissue that would enable a paralyzed person to walk again when that nerve has been severed. So forgiving others, while not impossible, is the easier of the two.

Forgiveness can be taught in the family but often a household will tend to see the incident the same way as their offending member reports it, thus making forgiveness hard to come by. Forgiveness can be hard to come by internationally also. Sometimes cruelty can paralyze even nations who are crippled by their own ideas of what they think is “rightfully” theirs as in the Russia, Ukraine war.

Maybe forgiveness begins in the church with corporate pardon. The classic example of this is the Amish community of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the milk truck driver attacking their school house. On 2 October 2006, 10 Amish girls were shot in their school house by Charles Carl Roberts IV who took hostages and shot eight out of ten girls (aged 6–13), killing five, before committing suicide in the schoolhouse.

Five died and five survived – and their families immediately bestowed their forgiveness.” (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/02/amish-shooting)  Also, On the day of the shooting, a grandfather of one of the murdered Amish girls was heard warning some young relatives not to hate the killer, saying, “We must not think evil of this man.” Another Amish father noted, “He had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he’s standing before a just God.”  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Nickel_Mines_School_shooting)  The point is, this Amish community is a Church that really practices what it means to forgive for healing.

We should practice forgiveness individually, nationally  and internationally.  Perhaps it starts in our spiritual families. The continual reading, studying, discussing and, above all, praying and practicing, forgiveness, will help all of us to at least look at the healing power of forgiveness. I pray that Russian leaders find it in their hearts to turn from their ways of cruelty and ask for forgiveness.

Maybe forgiveness of self and others is the first step to nerve regeneration. Maybe, just maybe, our Lord Jesus had it right all along, “Your sins are forgiven, stand up and take your mat and walk”?  I would love to see Russian troops take up their mats and return home. Please, Lord Jesus.

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 after the First Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:49 to 72; Evening, Psalm 49;  

Genesis  37:25 to 36; 1st Corinthians 2:1 to 13; Mark 1:29 to 45:

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he [Jesus] got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.”  (Mark 1:35)

Whether you believe our Lord Jesus is God Incarnate or the Son of God apart from God, you must take note of Jesus’ life of prayer.  The praying referred to in the passage above is tucked between healings.  On one side, before he prayed, “he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons.” (Mark 1: 34)  On the other side, after he prayed, he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1: 39)  This work of healing and casting out demons was fortified by prayer. Prayer works people.

In these acts of prayer our Lord Jesus is teaching us the power of prayer as well as the importance of prayer. The Mystic, Evelyn Underhill, writes “We pray first because we believe something; perhaps at that stage a very crude or vague something.  And with the deepening of prayer, its patient cultivation, there comes – perhaps slowly, perhaps suddenly – the enrichment and enlargement of belief, as we enter into a first-hand communion with the Reality who is the object of our faith.” (Lent with Evelyn Underhill p.17; taken from The School of Charity)

You and I are products of God’s prayer.  God began creation by praying. “Let there be,” as witnessed in the opening of Genesis. With such words all creation was called into being.  The same “Word” that called all creation into being took on human form and dwelt among us. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1 to 3) 

Everything about us comes from prayer, God’s prayer. We are prayer.  Therefore we surely ought to be praying.  God still prays.  In fact, we never initiate prayer to God.  Given that God prays first, when we pray, we are always responding to God. This is true even when we think we are asking for something for the first time.  God is always ahead of us knowing our need before we ask.

As I truly believe this, I also believe God is the God of love and peace. I want us then to respond to God’s desire for human peace asking for an immediate end to the evil happening in Ukraine. This might require all believers to find a deserted place, even within our own homes, and there, pray for peace in Ukraine. Thank You Lord Jesus.

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 the First Week of Lent: Year2

 Morning, Psalm 45; Evening, Psalm 47 and 48;
Genesis 37:12-24; 1^st Corinthians 1:20 to 31; Mark 1:14 to 28:

“They said to one another, ‘Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” (Genesis 37:19 and 20)

I think an apology is in order here.  The devastating situation in Ukraine dominates the lens through which I read the Daily Office. Ukraine too, dreams of freedom, real freedom as we did when we first formed.

Today we have the brothers of Joseph wanting to kill him, their youngest brother.  To me it is like big brother Russian government wanting to kill Ukraine.  Of course, this Bible story will lead to Joseph being their salvation. Maybe the same will happen with Ukraine and Russia. Only God knows.

I have listened to President Zelenskyy ask for help, and not get it. I am ashamed of the way we are acting, or rather, our inaction. We rest in our fear of what “could” happen, Ukraine doesn’t have that luxury, they are in it with no choice at all.  I personally don’t think we have a choice either.  It will be Egypt that will save Joseph who will then save his brothers.  Who is Ukraine’s Egypt today? Fear should not be a deterrent . Again, apologies.

How is your Lent going?  I am in great misery due to world events.  I pray for God’s intervention through those of us who believe and care for those who are weaker than we are. Perhaps God is trying to work God’s purposes out through us, if we would only listen and respond, fear, notwithstanding.

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 after the First Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 41 and  52; Evening,  Psalm 44;

Genesis 37:1 to 11; 1^st Corinthians 1:1 to 19; Mark 1:1 to 13:

“Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locust and wild honey.” (Mark 1:6)

Now the locust pods of which John ate were a pod-bearing tree of the family that includes the honey locust, swamp locust, and carob. Family: Leguminosae.  For many years I thought John was eating grass hoppers.  I used to love telling John the Baptist stories to children and hearing them say “yuk” at the thought of eating wild grass hoppers.  It wasn’t till I visited Israel that I learned that the locust pod with honey was what John was actually eating.  John was an outsider, and a vegetarian it seems.  He dressed rough even by the standards of his day.  What’s important about John the Baptist is that he emptied himself in order to create space for what God wanted. A cup or a glass or a bowl is no good to us if it’s full.  Only an empty vessel is good for holding the food or drink we need.

There were so many people of human power in John’s day that were full of themselves. And God knows who is receptive to the Word of God. Listen to the opening of chapter 3 of Luke again: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch 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 – 2)

Notice that while so many were full of themselves with their human titles, John was away from all that, living in the wilderness, free to go and announce the coming of our Lord Jesus.  The wilderness was not so far removed that the word of God could not reach him.  The same is true today.  Each, and every one of us should have some “alone” time.  Remember the quote from Blaise Pascal,   “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  John sat quietly off to himself eating his sweet cereal and pondering about the Good News he was about to bring to the world, to us.  We must look past how his life ended in human terms.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has emptied himself in order to be fully present for his people. He is living in a wilderness hell. I am convinced that he is listening to God’s call on his life as he continually calls for an end to Russian military aggression against his people. While Zelenskyy is Jewish, so was John the Baptist.  Both listened to a higher calling and we should too.

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