onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Easter Week: Year 1

 Morning Psalm, 103; Evening Psalms 111 and 114; 
Isaiah 30:18 to 21; Acts 2:26 to 41; or 1^st  Corinthians 15:12 to 28; John 14:15 to 31 

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 30: 18)

This sounds like a two-way waiting proposal – an invitation to be patient, for us, created in the waiting Patience of God, to be like God in our own patience. The Lord waits to be gracious to us. the prophet Isaiah says. And then he adds that we are blessed if we wait on the Lord.

Is it easier to wait for the Lord if we know that the Lord is also waiting for us?  Which begs the question, what is it about us that the Lord is waiting for?  Is the Lord waiting for us to be good and pardoning of one another?  Is the Lord waiting for us to acknowledge that God is God alone? The patience and power of God will bring us to tears.

Isaiah says, “He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you” (Isaiah 30:19). I have a saying that “God’s ears, hears tears.”  Probably not correct grammar but the point is that God is always attentive when tears roll down cheeks. Such tears make no detectable sound that the human ear can hear. But even through the modern, clanging, busy world of today, God can, and does hear, and respond, to our tears that sound like rushing waters over our face to God. Crying is prayer. And God is all around us, always listening.

“And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30: 21)  These directional words may come through unsuspecting people. God uses unsuspecting people to do the work for you that needs to be done. Therefore, we must be ever vigilant in order not to miss the word behind us, directing us about which way to go.  At some point we sinners become the unsuspecting saints of God. God knows what it is like to be one of us through God’s own experience in Christ Jesus.  We are all called to help one another, with, or without, our awareness. But I appeal to you to let us do this loving work willingly. This is about helping God to help us.  Thank You Lord Jesus.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Easter Week: Year 1

Morning Psalms 93 and 98; Evening Psalm, 66;
Jonah 2:1 to 9; Acts 2:14 and 22 to 32; or 1^st Corinthians 15:1 to 11; John 14:1 to 14  

“Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.  Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, “He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.”  This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.” (Acts 2: 29 to 32)

This Acts passage is assigned for both our Daily Office reading and is a part of our Eucharistic devotion for this Monday in Easter Week. It must be important. Cephas, or Simon Peter, has come a long way since his days as a fisherman. He is now instructing Israelites on matters of theology and Hebrew history.

 According to Peter, God kept the promise made to David concerning a human born in the house of David that would be our Messiah, the Christ. Peter quotes from one of David’s Psalms concerning the future descendent in saying, “For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit,” (Psalm 16:10), attributed to David.

We know from scripture that David was a shepherd, a musician, a writer of Psalms, a warrior- giant slayer, a king, and now, a prophet, according to Peter. David, like Peter, is a part of our Christian history. Maybe this is why this passage is in both our Daily Office Reading as well as our Monday Eucharistic Reading.  Perhaps the Church, if not God also, wants us to remember that the house and line of David is important in our Christian heritage.

As we listen to Saint Peter, we must remember that we are all “Fellow Israelites.”  We may not have David’s tomb among us but we do have an empty tomb from which a descendent of David was raised, Jesus, our Messiah, our Christ.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Eucharistic Readings for the Principle Service on Easter Day:

Acts 10:34 to 43;  Psalm 118:1 and 2 and 14 to 24;  1^st Corinthians 15:1 to 11;  John 20:1 to 18 or Mark 16:1 to 8:

“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.” (John: 20: 11 and 12)

The life story of Mary Magdalene is amazing. We learn from the Gospel of Luke that she was possessed by seven demons which Jesus drove out of her. Doing this, Jesus gave her back to herself. This man that has been crucified, died and was buried, the restorer of her life has been taken away – taken away from her before she has had time not only to attempt to repay him for all he has done for her, but now, even in his death, his body has been taken away before she can give his body the proper anointing as is the custom of her people. She feels sad that she failed him in this way. So, yes, she is crying because of her great sadness.

My beloved of the Lord, we have this in common with Mary Magdalene. We owe who we are to our Lord Jesus. But this is only true if we are living lives of dedication to our Lord Jesus as did Mary.  This life of dedication begins at our baptism.  And we are aided by those who say that they will do all in their power to assist us in our walk in Christ (with God’s help of course).

Can you only imagine how elated she must have been when the supposed gardener called her by her name, and in a voice she was all too familiar with?  “Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher)” (John 20:16).  She then gives the shortest, but most powerful sermon ever recorded; her words changed our planet forever. I can see Mary running back to the doubting apostles yet again, and running out of the pages of the Gospel to us today, perhaps barefoot and in the rain, with tears now of great joy streaming down her cheeks, and preaching her sermon,  Alleluia; He Is Risen!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Holy Saturday: Year 1

Morning Psalms, 95 and 88; Evening Psalm, 27; 
 Job 19:21 to 27; Hebrews 4:1 to 16; Romans 8:1 to 11;

“So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his.  Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.” (Hebrews 4:9 to 11)

First, I want to apologize for not inviting all of you into a Holy Sabbath as is my custom on Fridays. I got so caught up in my Good Friday service and preparation for Easter Baptisms that I completely forgot what day it was. I’ll do better. Now, having said that and looking over the readings for today, Holy Saturday, the idea of Sabbath stayed with me.

I don’t want to confuse worship with Sabbath. We Christians worship on the First Day of the Week, Sunday. And for many, worship is work.  However, in entering God’s rest we should cease from all our labors as God did from his, according to our text above. For me, this means a time of simple contemplation. Also, the words above make it very clear that “a Sabbath rest still remains [in effect] for the people of God.”

Today is the Sabbath Rest of God, it is a gift to us whether we are Jewish, Christian, or any walk of human life who believes in God. Frankly, even if we don’t believe in God, God believes in us. God gifts humanity with the Sabbath. It is holy. It is precious. It should not be ignored. This is how we are trained to enter into that Holy Rest of God for eternal life. The Sabbath is a part of Creation.

It is understood that some of us must stay focused on life’s important responsibilities, even during the Sabbath. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, duties like first responders, health care providers, police, the military and so forth. But a plan should be in place where such individuals could have at least every other Sabbath rest. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience.

I will try very hard not to forget to invite us into a Holy Sabbath every Friday from now on.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Good Friday: Year 2

Morning Psalms 95 and 22; Evening Psalms 40:1-14 and 54; 
 Wisdom 1:16 to 2:1,12 to 22; or Genesis 22:1 to 14; 1^st  Peter 1:10 to 20; John 19:38 to 42

(Republished from last year’s Good Friday Ponder Blog)

“Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.”  (John 19:39)

Nicodemus finds himself near the beginning of the Gospel of John, in the middle, and at the end like this one for today.  Nicodemus is a secret admirer of Jesus.  But because of his position with the Pharisees he has to be distant and secret.  He almost got in trouble defending Jesus with his fellow authorities. We read in John’s Gospel, “Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ^“Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”  (John 7:50 – 51) He was quickly jumped on about that question and he backed off.

So Nicodemus is another follower of Jesus who felt shame for not standing up for Jesus. Perhaps this is why he brought well more than enough mixture of myrrh and aloes to anoint his body.  When we act outside of our Christian values we too disown Jesus. We refuse to acknowledge we know and follow him.  Today we remember his crucifixion. This is a very sad thing we did.  I say we as in humanity.  I think God looks upon this act as an example of our ignorance.  For the most part, we still are.  Most theologians believe this was a necessary sacrifice for the atonement for our sins. Because of this sacrifice, we dub today “Good Friday.” I must confess, I have a hard time connecting good and murder together.

For me, our Lord Jesus was born as one of us by the Holy Spirit working through Mary, was raised in Galilee setting the example for how we should live together and teaching and preaching the Good News of the Gospel. He healed, cast out demons, gave sight to the blind, enabled the lame to walk, raised the dead back to life, and most importantly, forgave sins. This latter is something we can all do if we try.  I think forgiving sins is our Lord Jesus’ most important lesson. Perhaps Good Friday is good for him because he gets to go back to the Father from whence he came, but not before he says good bye to us at his “Resurrection.” (Oops, I’ve jumped the gun)

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Part 1 of 2:

Daily Office Readings for Maundy Thursday: Year 1

Morning Psalm 102; Evening Psalms 142 and 143:
 Jeremiah 20:7-11; 1st Corinthians 10:14 to 17 and 11:27 to 32; John 17:1 to 26:  

“And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”  (John 17:3)

In this passion prayer of Jesus, verse 1 to 26 of Chapter 17 of John, there is much repetition over and over. But a clear definition of Eternal life is imbedded in it: “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).  Being sent is the major part of getting the Good News (the Gospel) into the ears of all people. It is, and has always been God’s plan for all humanity.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings for Maundy Thursday: All Years

Exodus 12:1 to 4 and 11-14: Psalm 116:1 to 10 and 17: 1^st  Corinthians 11:23 to 26: John 13:1 to 17 and 31 to 35:

“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.  Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.  If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them,” (John 13:14 to 17)

Our Lord Jesus has just washed the feet of his disciples. They have been taught the Way and are now to be sent into the world to teach and to further set the example of what it means to heal, to comfort and to evangelize. Jesus has just prepared their feet for carrying out the Good News. It is written, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”  (Isaiah 52:7)

Foot washing is so much more than the hygienic cleansing.  It is comfort for the one who is on their feet all day.  Such comfort is demonstrated appreciation and radical hospitality. Jesus points out that if he is doing this, then so should we. We are not greater than he is. We too are being sent into the world with the Good News (the Gospel).  We have the beautiful feet for the job. And remember, you are blessed if you do this.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday in Holy Week: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalm 74; 
 Jeremiah 17:5 to 10 and 14 to 17; Philippians 4:1 to 13; John 12:27 to 36:

“I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.” (Jeremiah 17:10)

So what is in my heart?  What is on my mind? What does my mouth say, or not say, as a result of my mind or heart?   What acts do my hands perform, or not perform, as a result of what’s on my mind or in my heart?  I can only pray to God to make me better. “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14) 

God knows that without God we lack what is good in our hearts and minds. I also think that God wonders if we know it.  The sooner we acknowledge our dependency on God and strive for goodness by asking for God’s assistance, the better off we will be. We can’t fix ourselves. But God can fix us if we only ask. So, we pray; “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 355)

Ultimately we should want to please God. Ironically, we can’t please God without God. Therefore, let us take the advice of Jeremiah and all of our saints since the time of our Lord Jesus and live lives of love – love for all people while striving to see God in the same people.   So that when God tests our minds and searches our hearts the fruit of our doing will be found favorable by God.

I will close today with Paul’s words to the Philippians as I find them relevant for today, “Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5 to 7) This is all about our hearts and minds. Praise Jesus.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings of Tuesday of Holy Week: Year 1

Morning Psalms 6 and 12; Evening  Psalm 94; 
 Jeremiah 15:10 to 21; Philippians  3:15 to 21; John 12:20 to 26; 

“They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.”  (John 12: 21 and 22)

Reprinted from Part 2 of 2 of the 5^th Sunday in Lent; 21 March 2021: Year B (9 Days ago)

Taking a child fishing is perhaps one of the happiest moments a fishing person can have with a child. It ranks right up there with a baby taking their first step, or a child learning to ride a bicycle. When the fish is caught, patience is required of the experienced fisherman. We must let the child experience “bringing it in” and, taking it off the hook.  It’s all a part of fishing.

The Greeks in today’s Gospel lesson have bit the hook of Philip who is being taught by Andrew, (a fisherman by trade), how to fish. Jesus himself is the Master Fisherman, (who has already told them that he would teach them to fish for people). And while Jesus goes on to talk about how sad he is that he has to depart back to his eternal realm, there has to be some degree of happiness about the fishing seed that has been planted and how it will continue to multiply over and over again.

As you live out your Church life, people will approach you about wanting to see your Jesus. When this happens, and it will, take them to the priest or the wardens of your parish and invite them to a Sunday service.  Our Lord Jesus will take it from there. Jesus trained us to be fishermen for the kingdom.  The fishing seed is planted. It is now time for you to bloom. It’s all a part of fishing.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Holy Week: Year 1

Morning Psalm 51:1-18; Evening Psalm 69:1-23; 
 Jeremiah 12:1 to 16; Philippians 3:1 to 14; John 12:9  to 19:  

“The Pharisees then said to one another, ‘You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”  (John 12:19)

As I ponder the Gospels more and more I find myself fascinated by the words that come from those who had an adversarial relationship with Jesus. An example is Pontius Pilate at the request for crucifixion and his asking the chief priests, “what evil has he done, (Mark 15:14). And now this statement from the Pharisees, “Look, the world has gone after him.”

Oh, how I wish it were so.  What would this world be like if in fact all in the world followed our Lord Jesus?  For one, the police and military would be greatly reduced. Oh, we would probably still have bad actors but they would be more easily identified and put away for long periods of time, but not executed.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for all people to be Christian. But if we were, there would be a universal understanding about what is acceptable and loving behavior. We would strive to care more for the less fortunate and infirmed. We would give more time, talent and treasure for the needy in a more joyful way.

Another way we would behave as real followers of Jesus is to not go after people who are not believing in the same way that we do. Our Lord Jesus often used outsiders as examples of righteousness rather than those who were in his immediate circle; for example, the Good Samaritan, (Luke 10: 29 to 37),  and the Canaanite Woman with a daughter possessed with an evil spirit, (Matthew 15: 21 to 28). Our Lord Jesus showed the same amount of love and respect to so-called outsiders that he showed to those who were very close. As true Christians there is no room for “us/them.” We are all one in Christ Jesus. So what if the world has gone after him?  Well, my beloved in the Lord, it really starts with you and me, one person at a time. In this way we bring heaven to earth. In this way, God’s Will, will be done on earth as in heaven.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Part 1 of 2

 Morning Psalms 24 and  29; Evening Psalm 103; 
 Zechariah  9:9 to 12 or Zechariah 12:9 to 11 to 13:1 and 7 to 9; 1^st  Timothy  6:12 to 16; Matthew 21:12 to 17

“The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry.” (Matthew 21: 14 and 15)

Why get angry when you see the enhancement of the people done by someone outside yourself?  It is not important that you did it. It is important that it is done. More of us need to let go of self-importance and just be thankful that people are being helped.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings for Palm Sunday: Year B

Isaiah 50:4 to 9a;  Psalm 31:9 to 16;  Philippians 2:5 to 11;  Mark 14:1 to 15:47:

“Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!”   (Mark 15: 9 to 13)

In many ways we have not come so far. We still have certain people who can stir up the people into a fervor and rage about matters only important to themselves and their position in society. On the other hand, we, as a thinking populace, think more deeply about life and our personal voice in it. We still have a kind of chief priests in our community who try to lead us down roads that benefit them. But we also have a conscientious people who ponder what is truly right about any situation.

When our Lord Jesus was crucified, a centurion said, “Truly, this was God’s son,” (Mark 15:39).  The only mistake in his words is, this IS God’s Son, not “was.”  We need to realize that the eight people murdered in Atlanta, Georgia are God’s children; and the ten people murdered in Boulder, Colorado are God’s children.  But more than that, the people who committed the sin are also God’s children just as the centurion himself is God’s child. Killing others, whether with mob rule or individual rage is wrong. Yes, we ought to protect ourselves. There are plenty of examples where God approves the defense of good people. Even Jesus approved having two swords, (the guns of that day – Luke 22:38). There is evil intent in our midst that we should guard against. But love and compassion must guide our actions. If not, we continue to crucify our Lord.

Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John