onewhoponders

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

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 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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 5^th Week in Lent: Year 1

 Morning Psalms 137:1 to 6, and 144; Evening Psalms 42 and 43;
Jeremiah 31:27 to 34; Romans 11:25 to 36; John 11:28 to 44 or 12:37 to 50:

“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord.  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 34: 31 to 34)

This is my favorite Jeremiah prophecy.  As a Christian, I believe Jeremiah was foretelling the coming of our Lord Jesus when he says, the days are surely coming, says the Lord.” …”That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel”… he goes on, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.”  With this being prophesied, we are informed that God, acting in our Lord Jesus will make for all humanity, an unbreakable covenant. Given that we have a habit of breaking every covenant God has made with us, our Lord Jesus will be a living covenant. Being fully God and fully human, it is the way we, with God as one of us, (Emanuel), can keep covenant.  But we even tried to break this covenant by killing him.  But then God did something quite unexpected, God raised the covenant from the dead!  This living Covenant can never be broken. We are locked into God forever.

And here is the thing, through our Lord Jesus, God has written the law of love and the fact that God exist, on our hearts, all human hearts.  We no longer have to ask about God. We all know that God is, that God is Good, and that God loves us and lifts us up as humanity above all creation. This makes my job as a Christian preacher a little less difficult. All I have to really say is that God has already written the love of God on your heart, go and ponder what this means.

We humans have so many things on our minds. Among the many and manifold thoughts and ideas lives the presence of God.  No matter who you are, there is a place within you where God is present.  Take time during your Sabbath today to ponder about how God is present in you. Thank you Jeremiah, and 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 Friday of the 5^th Week in Lent: Year 1

Morning Psalms 95 and 22; Evening Psalms 141 and143:1 to11;
Jeremiah 29:1,4 to13; Romans11:13 to 24; John 11:1 to 27, or, 12:1 to 10:

“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.  Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (John 12:1 to 5)

I chose this option of the Gospel reading for today because it also recalls the raising of Lazarus from the dead which is the other option. But it goes on further.  In this house in Bethany we have Judas Iscariot taking his eyes off of Jesus to look at Mary.  When he does, he quickly goes to contempt for her and, according to the Evangelist John, greed for money. 

This happens to us today if we look at family, friends or even strangers without looking at them through Jesus. We will acquire contempt or envy or jealousy or even hatred for them especially the stranger. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we must try hard to see all others through the eyes of our Lord Jesus. When we do, we shower them with love. We will be open to listening to them, and listening will lead to a deeper loving of them, even the stranger.

This happened six days before the Passover, this was preparation for the Sabbath. Jesus is back into the home of his friends, Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha had also taken her eyes off Jesus to complain about her sister not helping with the hospitality work required for all the company who came with Jesus. “She [Martha], had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.  But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her;” (Luke 10:39 to 42).  I believe this occurred at the same time, and in the same house as our John Gospel but seen from two different perspectives. This contempt happens to us too if we look away from our Lord Jesus to behold our family, our friends, and the stranger.  Please, please, please, try as hard as you can to view the other through the eyes of our Lord Jesus.

For this evening and tomorrow day my friends; Shabbat Shalom

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

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Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 5^th Week in Lent: Year 1

Morning  Psalms 131, and 132; Evening Psalms 140 and 142;
Jeremiah 26:1 to 16; Romans 11:1 to 12; John 10:19 to 42

“Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.  My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.  What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” (John 10: 25 to 30)

There are several profound statements made by our Lord Jesus here.  The first is that “I have told you, and your do not believe.”  We have it recorded that Jesus said it. We have the evidence of Jesus’ works that testify to who Jesus is. We, you and I, cannot hear his actual voice today. But we can read the actual words that he said, and believe.  Moreover, in believing, we follow. We follow so as to have eternal life.  If we believe and follow in the way of trusting love, it cannot be taken away from us.  It is an eternal existence made by our Lord Jesus who with the Creator is One!

Part 2 of 2

Today is the Annunciation of the pregnancy of Mary with our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

In the first chapter of Luke we read how the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Christ, and how Mary answered, “Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me as you have said.”  (James Kiefer at The Annunciation (satucket.com )

Mary was of the lower socio-economic status. Yet, God was concerned with her heart, not her human status. God asks Mary to work with God for the salvation of all human kind.  Mary was asked to help God with the salvation of humanity, even for those who didn’t like her.  And Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” And Mary became with child.

My beloved of the Lord, we are now exactly nine months from Christmas Day, 2021!

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 of the 5^th Week in Lent: Year 1

 Morning Psalm 119:145 to 176; Evening Psalms 128, 129, 130;
Jeremiah 25:30 to 38; Romans 10:14 to 21; John 10:1 to 18

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”  (John 10:16)

Our Lord Jesus uses the “I Am” identifier about himself twice in our passage for today.  He says that, ” I Am” the Gate, and that “I Am” the Good Shepherd.  This is the Identifier God used at the burning bush with Moses. God told Moses to go and tell the Israelites that “I Am” sent him (Exodus 3:14). And just as Moses gathered all the tribes of Israel to be one following of God, so too, our Lord Jesus is going to call other faith traditions and denominations to be one flock. 

I think what is key here is for each of us to belong to some flock. We all need to be a part of a faith community. When Jesus began his ministry on the shores of Capernaum he didn’t say, “go and do your own thing.” No, he said, “Follow Me.” 

Over the years in the development of the Christian Church we have come to be many denominations.   No denomination gets everything right.  I personally believe, (for me) the Episcopal Church is the best way to worship God through our Lord Jesus. Perhaps the Episcopal Church is not the best way to worship for others. But that does not make other faith traditions or denominations bad or less holy; just another flock that will be joined with Jesus to make up the one flock.

The point is, we all need to belong to some flock somewhere. Jesus meets us where we are, and in the faith community we are in.  It seems that God sends buses not cabs. God in Christ Jesus collects groups of people, more than individuals. We need to belong to the household of God in community and await God’s call. This gathering of others reminds me of our Lord Jesus after His resurrection when he called out to his followers who were fishing. “When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.  Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” (John 21:9 and 10) this is another message of gathering not only of different people but also those who only recently came to believe.

The main point is that we all need to find a spiritual community to be with. And I would suggest attending many and different kinds of services. Your spiritual comfort will be revealed to you through the Holy Spirit. It may or may not be the pastor or the preaching.  It may be the feel of the parishioners. It may be any number of environmental or spiritual affects acting upon your soul. But remember this, when you find it, stick with it. Our Lord Jesus will join all faithful groups together into one holy family. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

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 Tuesday of the 5^th Week in Lent: Year 1

Morning Psalms 121, 122, 123; Evening Psalms 124, 125, 126;
Jeremiah 25:8 to 17; Romans 10:1 to13; John 9:18 to 41:

“The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.”

As you can see, I want to continue with our John Gospel readings. This Gospel story of the man born blind fascinates me.  He stands up to the Pharisees knowing that he could be thrown out of the synagogue. His parents had the same fear. The difference is, he’s never experienced the sights of the synagogue.  You can’t miss what you have never had.

This once blind man mocks the Pharisees by asking them if they too want to become disciples of Jesus. He is eventually thrown out of the synagogue. Jesus finds him and explains to him who Jesus is, the one who is speaking to him in the moment. At this point in his life, he has never seen nor heard more clearly in his life. The same is true for us when we first come to believe.

This truly is Amazing Grace. We too were blind but now we see. We were lost but now we are found. No one is beyond the reach of our Lord Jesus. It is especially sad when the people responsible for giving others hope, the clergy, be they Pharisee, Rabbi, Imam, priests or any kind of faith leader, refuses to see what is happening right in front of their eyes. We need to realize that God will act through whom God will act.  We can’t pick for God, God picks for God.

There are still know-it-all religious leaders who resist the wondrous works of God. Think about this man, Jesus didn’t “restore” his sight.  Our Lord Jesus gave him sight for the first time! Many of us today are in need of a first-time sight when it comes to having unconditional love for our neighbors, all of our neighbors. 

As I write this our nation is grieving over the loss of life in horrific murders in Georgia and Colorado. There is much concern about why this happens.  We should be heartbroken about any persons murdered regardless of their ethnicity.  We need to stamp out racism because in God’s eyes it does not exist. Any faith community that promotes or supports race based initiatives fails to see people as God sees us. I am what most people would call a black man, or man of color. To this race label, I say no. I am John, a person who happens to have a brown skin color. Culturally, (and we do get to choose our culture no matter what we look like), I consider myself a Christian American cowboy who walks the Anglican, Episcopal, path.  I only realized this about myself when my Lord Jesus opened my eyes about myself some forty years ago.  And yes, for me, this is an astonishing thing!  You too can be your most loving self regardless of the color of your skin. Work with our Lord Jesus as did this man born blind. Jesus will open your eyes to the life that best suits you. You will then have real vision for the first time.  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 the 5^th Week in Lent: Year 1

Morning Psalm 31; Evening  Psalm 35;
Jeremiah 24:1 to 10; Romans 9:19 to 33; John 9:1 to 17

“Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”  (John 9:3)

This man born blind is like people today who have never really known our Lord Jesus. And, like the man who was born blind, obeyed Jesus and washed as he was told, and received his sight for the first time, we too must do what Jesus says. This man is like so many who are brought to real sight today.

While many, even today, are kept in darkness and without clear vision of the righteous moral path, it is not necessarily the fault of misguided society, or un-churched parents, or even bad preaching. It is the individual lack of personal pondering about life and one’s place in the world. Again, let us hear the words of Blaise Pascal, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  I call this silent sitting, pondering. It is my Jesus time.

Jesus and his group came upon this man born blind who has no idea about color, or light, or the faces of people, or even the vast spectrum of the beauty of nature. His whole world has changed when given sight.  So too our world changes when we are brought to loving light for the first time. But like the man born blind in our reading for today, we too must do as our Lord Jesus asks; we must wash in the waters of Baptism and do all other such commandments as Jesus asks of us.

We are co-creators with our Lord. And what, or rather who, is being created, is ourselves. And no matter where we are or how far we have come on our spiritual path, we are still a work in progress. We must always be willing to listen, learn, love and live out our covenant with our Lord Jesus. It starts here in this life, and continues throughout all eternity.  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

Part 1 of 2

Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the 5^th Week in Lent: Year 1

 Morning Psalm 118; Evening Psalm 145; 
Jeremiah 23:16 to 32; 1^st  Corinthians 9:19 to 27; Mark 8:31 to 9:1

“He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

The message here is that we ought to focus our lives on some loving and noble cause more than we are willing to just do that that is beneficial only to our own personal wellbeing. Our cross is that loving and noble cause.  It was for our Lord Jesus and he is asking us to find our own cross, and follow Him in the Way of His dedication of love and righteousness.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings for the 5^th Sunday in Lent: Year B

Jeremiah 31:31to 34;  Psalm 51:1 to 13 or Psalm 119:9 to 16;  Hebrews 5:5 to 10; John 12:20 to 33

“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)

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. 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 Saturday of the 4^th Week in Lent: Year 1

Morning Psalms 107:33 to 43 and 108:1 to 6; Evening  Psalm 33;   
Jeremiah  23:9 to 15; Romans 9:1 to 18; John 6:60 to 71:

“Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”  (Psalm 33: 2 and 3)

I just completed another continuing adult piano class. We are a small group of more seasoned citizens who are reaching back to develop some skills that most of us did not know we had. We are taking these piano classes through our local Community College’s continuing education program. It is wonderful. I think all of us enjoy Christian hymns so it’s no surprise that when we select our recital piece it is a Christian hymn.  For me it was “Praise to the Lord.” This is Hymn number 390 in the Episcopal Church’s 1982 Hymnal. 

Many of the Psalms are attributed to David. And script informs us that David was fund of music and dancing. While some Christian denominations do not permit the use of instrumental music, I, along with my Church family, see instrumental music as another way to use our God given skills to praise our Creator. Our gifts of art come in many forms; Book making (including the Bible and books like our Book of Common Prayer), Icons and paintings, Rosaries and Anglican Prayer Beads, the art of preparing traditional meals, the smell of incense and the art of music. We have God given gifts that touch every God given sense that we have, sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. It is only fitting to reflect back on the Giver of these senses in praise and adoration. Matthew 26:30, and Mark 14:26, record our Lord Jesus singing the Psalm at the conclusion of their meal. Notice of this singing by our Lord Jesus is often overlooked by readers of the Gospel. But it was his custom to do this.

I am practicing piano, guitar, and a horn. On all of the instruments I play music that honors God. I don’t think I play that well but it gives me pleasure to know that what I hear comes from my own effort developed from practice and determination. I try to live fully into all of my senses in appreciation of the love of God.

So I live to love and praise the Lord with pondering and piano. Think about your own ability to live fully into loving God back.  Remember, God loved us first. God has given us the gifts with which we can show our appreciation back to God. Therefore, let us, “Sing to [God] a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.” 

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