onewhoponders

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of the 3^rd Week of Advent: Year C

Zephaniah 3:14 to 20; Philippians 4:4 to 7; Luke 3:7 to 18:

“John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” (Luke 3: 7 and 8)

While John the Baptist is not the most eloquent of coastal hosts, he does get to the point of racial or genetic identity being of no consequence as far as God is concerned.  It means nothing to God. God made all humanity with no intention of making one genetic code superior to another. There is no such thing as race as for as God is concerned. Race is a human made construct used to discriminate against those of us who look different, sound different, or have different traditions and customs.  But we are all God’s people and loved by God equally. Beyond ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation does not concern God as long as relationships are consensual and loving.

We humans, as part of our fear of otherness, have since the beginning of recorded history, discriminated against any people or lifestyle different than our own. We fail to realize that it takes many different kinds of musical instruments to complete an orchestra. The range and sound of each brings its own character into play for a beautiful communal sound. The one tone that we all have regardless of our different makeup is middle “C,” Christ. Christ is made manifest in many ways but always gracious and glorious, bringing orchestral beauty to the whole of the community. When are we going to stop fearing others and start truly accepting others, others different than ourselves? God is able to bring children to Christ from rocks, and that really rocks.

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 the Second Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 30 and 32; Evening, Psalm 42 and 43;
Haggai 2:1 to 9; Revelation 3:1 to 6; Matthew 24:1 to 14:

“And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Mathew 24:12 to 14)

Lawlessness has surely made its presence known today with the U. S. Capital insurrection and now the smash and grabbing at retail stores; even smash and grabbing at hardware stores in order to get the tools needed for smashing and grabbing at high end retail stores. This is so sad.

The good news is that if we endure to the end, we will be saved in a way we never imagined! God is so good and very loyal to those of us who endure to the end. We just need to keep holding on for as long as it takes.  The faithless will not understand and will harass us. But we are to keep the faith no matter what. In addition to keeping our faith, we must also show disapproval of bad actors. We can’t condone bad and sinful behavior by individuals, groups, or nations. 

The world is also fighting Covid and there is concern around major countries wanting to take over other countries. There are two things we should watch for; first, is the anarchy that takes place; and second, is the coming of its end.  These are sad times all over the face of the earth. But good news is coming. “And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations;” and then the end of this sadness will come. The good news may not be cosmic. It may be people of faith saying no to hostility of all kinds, and at the same time, doing what is necessary to end or substantially reduce the effects of Covid.

We never know how God will act in our midst. The only thing we can be sure of is that God will act, and God will act in bold and loving ways. All we have to do is hold on while following God’s lead by also acting in bold and loving ways.

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 the 2^nd Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 31; Evening, Psalm 35;

 Haggai 1:1 to 15; Revelation 2:18 to 29; Matthew 23:27 to 39:

(Edited and republished from December 13, 2019)

“Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, saying, I am with you, says the Lord.  And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” (Haggai 1:13 and 14)

Today it still takes the Spirit of God to work in people in order that they might honor their houses of worship.  All places of human assembly require due vigilance in order that they are properly maintained.  The Church is the sure sign of how important God is in the lives of the community.

I have read stories where people in some neighborhoods will occasionally help out with various projects in and around a Church even when they themselves do not attend it. Often it is because they recognize the need for the food pantries or social events that lift the self esteem of people and they want to be a part of it.   

This care for houses of worship is God’s doing.  And “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders’ labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).  We are moved then by the hand of God to support the efforts of those who want to respect and honor God.  This power of God is not concerned with denomination or a particular faith.  It is concerned with people admitting that God exist and that God is good,  (All the time).

King Darius was not of the Hebrew people, he was Persian. But he went to great lengths to ensure the house of God was properly rebuilt.  So too, in all of our neighborhoods, any of us can, and should, support godly works as we recognize them to be such. None of us can claim God for ourselves only.  God only is God and loves ALL people.  As long as the faith tradition is not hostile or preaching hate but rather doing good works in the community, we should listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in terms of what they might need. And then do it as we are able. 

“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.  

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

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the second week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 37:1 to 18; Evening, Psalm 37:19 to 42;

Amos 9:1 to 10; Revelation 2:8 to 17; Matthew 23:13 to 26:

‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,so that the outside also may become clean.” (Matthew 23:25 – 26)

(Edited and republished from December 12, 2019)

In this session of warnings Jesus tells those of us, who will listen, that if we clean the inside of our selves the outside will become clean as well.

What makes itself manifest on the outside, particularly in behavior and actions, starts in the heart and mind of the person.  As I occasionally conduct pre-marital counseling, I have the engaged couple raise many questions about the other.  I don’t want to know the results that they come up with (unless of course the wedding is off).  I just want to know that they have addressed the issues. So I have them to have conversations around money and what it means; around education; around concerns of faith (particularly if they are of different faith backgrounds), around children (natural or adopted). I have them discuss concerns of sex and intimacy; and lately I ask about social media and each other’s friends in general.  Sometime I think I’m unconsciously trying to get them to rethink getting married at all.

The reality is, I am trying to get them to see what’s inside of the other. Is the other’s cup clean on the inside? Is your cup clean on the inside?  This question goes further than just marriage proposals.  We need to ponder these questions with all whom we hold close, family, business, Church, fraternity, sorority or whatever. We need to take it home and ask ourselves these types of questions.  But there is hope.  Our Lord Jesus says that if we clean the inside of our cup the outside will be clean as well.

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 Week 2 of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 38; Evening,  Psalm 119:25 to 48;

Amos 8:1 to 14; Revelation 1:17 to 2:7; Matthew 23:1 to 12

(Edited and republished from December 11, 2019)

“All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

After pondering on these words of Matthew for a while I get the sense that exaltation is the goal for both, it’s just two different routes to being exalted. While we are kind of led to the latter, that is, to humble ourselves now in order to be exalted later (in the next life), it seems to me that we are being humble for the reward of being exalted.  That doesn’t work for me. 

I think if I train myself to really get into and be comfortable with humility I will never want or desire exaltation.  I’ve always told my congregation that being humble can be a fleeting thing.  Once you boast about your humility, it’s gone. 

I have had lapses in humility.  I played guitar with another guitarist and when he was thanked for coming and playing and I was not I brought it to the attention of the host. Shame on me.  It was after that incident that I coined the phrase “the humility of invisibility.”  Unfortunately humility was not my comfort zone. But I want it to be.  So I have put into practice the words of C.S. Lewis who said, “Humility is not so much about thinking less of yourself, but rather, thinking of yourself less.”

So now I ponder about all the times I was not seen or remembered, while at the same time I was very present, at various events. I am learning to enjoy “the humility of invisibility,” and not so that I might be exalted later, but just for the inherent quiet and unassuming nature of it.

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 Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 26 and 28; Evening,  Psalms 36 and 39;
Amos 7:10 to 17; Revelation 1:9 to 16; Matthew 22:34 to 46:

“Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.” (Amos 7: 14 and 15)

Amos reminds me of me. He was a blue collar preacher. He was dedicated to a life of sycamore trees and sheep.  He was probably poor even by that day’s standard of wealth. But like John the Baptist and others, he was an empty cup that God could use, even though it required him to traverse to Israel.

I retired from the Marine Corps and followed my then priest’s instruction to inquire if God has a call on my life. God did. And I am so thankful. While Amos was a dresser of sycamore trees and a herdsman, I was an aircraft maintenance manager for East coast war planes, fixed and rotor wing. I was, and am, so blue collar, like Amos. But God has made use of my emptiness.

 As you read this blog, please understand, God is not done with you. It matters not if you are blue collar, a business professional, or health care professional like Luke from whom we have a Gospel report; if you are open to God and not full of yourself, God wants to partner with you for holy work. There is plenty of work yet to be done. It is the Lord’s Work; and therefore, it is holy work. Are you in? 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 Second Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning,  Psalm 25; Evening, Psalms 9 and 15;

Amos 7:1 to 9; Revelation 1:1 to 8; Matthew 22:23 to 33:

(Edited and republished from December 9, 2019)

“This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb-line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘See, I am setting a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass them by.” (Amos 7:7 – 8)

This plumb-line that the lord is setting in the midst of us is the perfect upright angle with which we are to judge our own moral character.  A friend of mine once said to a congregation that it was hard for him to achieve something he has not seen.  But once he as seen someone do and be the better person, then, he too could aim for that, knowing it is possible.

We don’t all have the same level of good judgment at the same time. But I believe the ability to make better and better decisions is an evolving skill.  I believe patience with our understanding helps us to be better decision makers.  We must first want to do the right thing; the right thing has to be more important than “my” thing.  Getting even is not the right thing and it is against the Lord’s plumb-line; it clearly shows us to be off kilter.  Also, we should not try to make ourselves look good by pointing out the faults of others.  It would be better to point out how we have challenges that we are aware of and are working on, than to point to the short comings of others. 

Our Lord Jesus is the perfect Plumb-line.  We can’t be Him but we can continue to work towards perfection. In trying to perfect our character we become that plumb-line for someone else to emulate. Remember however, we are not doing it to be copied (even though that would make the world a better place).  We are working towards that never ending road to perfection from which we will not regress or return. We will just keep comparing ourselves to His Perfection, that Plumb-line, that some may not know even exist.

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 the 2^nd Sunday of Advent: Year C

Baruch 5:1 to 9 or Malachi 3:1to 4;  Canticle 4 or 16; Philippians 1:3 to 11; Luke 3:1 to 6

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

While all of the human, self-proclaimed, official authorities ruled over their positions with arrogance and intimidation, having their cups full, full of themselves, they could not be of use for the Lord, who needed someone who emptied themselves, like John living in the wilderness. God passed over all of the filled cups, those who held human titles, to come to a wilderness preacher who was more concerned about the spiritual welfare of his community than what they thought of him.

Just so, God still needs those of us who empty ourselves of all obstacles to grace.  John emptied himself and then used Isaiah’s words about straight pathways to further show that removing human obstacles is the same as creating space for our Lord Jesus to enter our hearts.

John preached a baptism of repentance. Today, we as a community, follow our Lord Jesus as he handed himself over to John the Baptist to be baptized. He, who had nothing to repent of, set for us the example of Baptism as the only initiation into the Christian family, the submission of our lives for the cleansing of our souls regardless of any thought of innocence or guilt. We must be completely vulnerable before God.

Today we have made this a communal act by bringing our infants into the household of God through baptism. We lift up our infants and young ones, completely as innocent as was the adult Jesus, and yet handed himself over as an example of what is expected of us. This we do in accordance with His teaching. We do this as the community of Christ. It is our prayer then that our baptized ones will complete our communal prayer by coming before our bishops when they reach the age of decision and affirm for themselves their Christian walk through confirmation.  This only happens if they learn to live a life of love and service through our Church teachings. The ultimate lesson is to keep the cups of their souls empty in order to be filled and made use of by God.

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 the 1^st Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 20 and 21:1 to 7; Evening,  Psalms 110:1 to 5 and 116 and 117;
Amos 5:18 to 27; Jude 17 to 25; Matthew 22:15 to 22:

(Edited and republished from December 7, 2019)

“It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” (Jude 19 to 21)

I believe every human being has the Spirit of God in them, but many do not rely on it.  I think this is what Jude means when he talks about worldly people devoid of the Spirit. He goes on the say that such worldly people cause division among us. Laziness and blaming others for all the bad that happens to us is easy and infectious and makes us feel that we are not responsible for the way we are, how we feel or what we say and do.

Jude continues, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith.”  Having and relying on our faith is so important.  With our faith we strive to see our Lord Jesus in all people. The good secret we have is that we can, and should, look for our Lord Jesus in people who do not profess Christianity as well as those who do. See if you can discover a Christ-like quality in a non Church-person or someone who is of a faith other than Christianity, or even no professed faith at all.  If you do see a loving Jesus quality in such a person you can always say to yourself, “That’s awfully Jesus of you.”  Just don’t say it out loud.  Remember it is you who are looking for our Lord Jesus in the other, not them.  I’m thinking they have him and don’t know it. So part of our faith should be the search for our Lord Jesus in others regardless of what they may or may not believe.

Finally, Jude says to “pray in the Holy Spirit.”  Remember that when you pray you are responding to God who is already praying, you are not initiating the prayer.  God has already done that.  All any of us has to do is just relax and let the Holy Spirit pray through us.  “Oh what a relief it is.”

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 the 1^st Week of Advent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 16, and 17; Evening, Psalm 22;
Amos 5:1 to 17; Jude 1 to 16; Matthew  22:1 to 14:

“All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, upon those who are noble among the people.” (Psalm 16:2)

We need to appreciate good people more.  It seems all the news goes to the negative folk in our communities; to the mass shooters, the crooked politicians, and today, the smash and grabbers.

We need to show appreciation for the godly that are in the land, those who are courteous in the store and in traffic. We need to take a moment to award those who, while they do not agree with the majority on an issue, will behave as if the opposing view was their own.

We need to give thanks for good parents, and for me, good fathers who raise children who are not biologically theirs, and care for their mothers.  This is what Joseph, the human father of Jesus, did. And yet, we have no words from him.

There are plenty of people who are trying every day to do what is right in the world. Let’s reach out and compliment the goodness of people who go unnoticed. They bring harmony to our communities and are standing right beside us as we witness those who do wrong and get all kinds of attention. If we honored those among us who live godly lives, perhaps more people would be inclined to be the same, the godly people God is making them to be.  Let’s do this this weekend as we enter our Sabbath time.

“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.  

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

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube