onewhoponders

Part 1 of 2

Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the Fourth Sunday of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalms 24 and  29; PM Psalms 8 and  84;
Isaiah 42:1 to 12; Ephesians 6:10 to 20; John 3:16 to 21

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you have set in their courses; What is man that you should be mindful of him? the son of man that you should seek him out?” (Psalm 8: 4 and 5)

As I am studying the astronomical and cosmic creation of God in my Education for Ministry (EfM) seminar, I am so reminded of how humanity is so insignificant in the grand scheme of interstellar space. Yet God cares so much for us that God comes to us as one of us.  Not only that but now God has gifted us with what we need to take care of our current predicament. “You give him mastery over the works of your hands; you put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:7) This includes a vaccine that will aid us in overcoming the dreaded COVID 19 virus. Thank You Jesus.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings or the Fourth Sunday of Advent 2020: Year B

2^nd  Samuel 7:1 to11and 16; Canticle 3or 15; or Psalm 89:14and19 to 26; Romans 16:25 to 27 ; Luke 1:26 to 38

“But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1: 29)

It is from this statement from the lips of Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus. that I found comfort in my own approach to the throne of God. It is why I “ponder” today.  In the New Revised Standard Version of our Bible, from Luke we hear Mary say these words twice.  We hear it here, and we will hear it again when the shepherds come to the stable at the birth of our Lord Jesus.

It is a humble statement which explains the Magnificat, or Song of Mary where in the old English it is written in our Book of Common Prayer; “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.” (BCP 65)  It goes on to say that God has looked on the “lowliness” of his servant.  And that’s right because God lifts up the lowly. It almost seems as if the lowere we are here, the higher we are with God, or soon will be. Saint Mary is among the saints we should listen to and follow her example.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 3^rd Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalm 55; PM Psalms 138 and 139:1 to 17;
Isaiah 10:20 to 27; Jude 17 to 25; Luke 3:1 to 9

“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)

I think these first two lines of Luke chapter 3 inform us about what we really need to know about God and who God can use.  Look at the human hierarchy of the day.  Both governmental; as well as the spiritual leaders, were established to honor, serve, and protect the people while in their lofty positions. But they were all so full of themselves; there was no room for God.

Therefore, the Word of God found its way to one who emptied himself, John, son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  We live in a different kind of wilderness today. Today we live in a spiritual wilderness.  In many ways we still live under people, both political and cleric, who are often so full of themselves. There is little, if any, room for the word or love of God to be put in them. How about you?  Do you have, within you, room for the Word of God?

I have heard or read somewhere that a full cup is no longer a cup because it has no potential to hold water or any beverage. Only the empty cup should properly be called a cup.  John emptied himself and was therefore useful to God. John spoke truth to power. It cost him his earthly life, but he has a new life now in the realm of God because God keeps those who prove useful to the purposes of God.

We should emulate John in how he emptied himself.  God is still in need of cups. God is still in need of people who aren’t full of themselves.  We too, without fear of what may happen to us in this life, must speak truth to power. God will keep you in that heavenly cabinet where God keeps all the useful serving dishes; we will be placed right there next to John, forever. Halleluiah!

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 3^rd Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalms 40 and 54; PM Psalm 51;
Isaiah 10:5 to19; 2^nd  Peter 2:17 to 22; Matthew 11:2 to 15

“They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them.” (2^nd Peter 2:19 to 21)

I think most of us truly are slaves to whatever masters us. What masters us today is varied. Some of us are mastered by the calendar, some by information technology and social media, some by a lover, some by the desire to achieve or maintain power, and even some by a false sense of divine call to judge and condemn others. If we are to be true Christians, the only Master we should have is our Lord Jesus and His call on our lives. We should be empting ourselves in order to let him enter us and continue His works here on earth.

I have heard that once we know, we can’t un-know. I think it is different when it comes to what we believe.  We might believe that the world is flat, but once shown its roundness, we change, we go from what we used to believe to what we now believe.  As children we are told so many fabrications, the Easter bunny, the Tooth fairy, and even Santa Clause (although a believer in the Resurrection, I believe Saint Nicolas lives). So what is to make us, as children or adults, set aside our Lord Jesus to be real?

I believe it is our own adult participation in what we preach that makes the difference. The Easter bunny and the Tooth fairy are for children only. But this Jesus, who ever He is, seems to be respected by mom and dad as well. Adults should be seen praying, going to church, performing acts of charity and so forth, all in the Name of our Lord Jesus. That’s a big difference. When we as adults live out our faith heritage by prayer and practice we show who our Master is.  Young folks and others are always watching us.  We teach by prayer and practice.  We also pray that we don’t fall away from practice.  It truly is harder to come back, but is definitely possible.

We don’t master our Lord Jesus or dismiss Him as we mature, we surrender to him. He masters us and we find pleasure and delight to do His will, always.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the third Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalm 50; PM Psalm [59, 60] or 33;
Isaiah to 9:18 to 10:4; 2^nd  Peter 2:10b to16; Matthew 3:1to12

“Do not presume 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.” (Matthew 3:9)

This just goes to show us that God loves all humanity, regardless of ethnicity or so-called race.  The Pharisees and Sadducees felt safe and protected in their supposed direct genetic link to Father Abraham. But God doesn’t care about that.  God cares about Abraham’s faith, not his biology.

God is able to raise up loving and faithful servants from any population on earth. It really doesn’t matter about their genetic make-up.  We are all one species.  If you have read my blog for any length of time you will know that I don’t believe in race. Race is a human construct created to discriminate, mostly for the advantage of one group over another, primarily based on outward appearances and discriminating faith beliefs.

As Jews and Christians and Muslims, we are faith descendants of Abraham. Personally, I decided long ago, even long before becoming ordained, that I would first identify as an Anglican-Episcopalian. Being American, African-American, Free Mason, U.S. Marine, male, and heterosexual, would all be a distant second identifier for who I am.  First and foremost, I am on the Episcopal path of the Jesus movement keeping in mind that my spiritual ancestor is Abraham regardless of who he was genetically.  This realization really helps me know myself when I see myself through the Scriptures of the Bible.

All of this reminds me of an Easter Vigil prayer which really captures the spiritual heritage left to us from Father Abraham.  It is found on page 289 of our Book of Common Prayer.

Let us pray.

O God, whose wonderful deeds of old shine forth even to our own day, you once delivered by the power of your mighty arm your chosen people from slavery under Pharaoh, to be a sign for us of the salvation of all nations by the water of Baptism: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may be numbered among the offspring of Abraham, and rejoice in the inheritance of Israel; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent: 2020: Year 1

AM Psalm 119:49 to 72; PM Psalms 49, and optional [53];
Isaiah 9:8 to 17; 2^nd  Peter 2:1 to 10a; Mark 1:1 to 8

“He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1: 7 and 8)

Just so you know, touching anything on, or about another’s feet, two thousand years ago in Palestine, was considered among the most disgusting things one person can do to, or for another, in the time that Jesus walked the earth.

When I went to Saudi Arabia for the Liberation of Kuwait, in 1991, we were taught that even sitting with our legs crossed such that people could see the bottom of our shoes, was offensive. I have also seen video where an angry Arab man threw his sandal at then President Bush (43). The President ducted and it missed him.  The point is that the foot item, while not very lethal, carried with it a humiliation beyond its ability to inflict physical harm.  It was, and to a certain degree, still is, something Mid-eastern people are loath to do. 

Personally, I will often drop down and tie the shoes of a child or an elderly person when I notice the need.  However, I would struggle to attend to the personal need of a sick person who had an incontinent accident or threw up on themselves. I am so thankful for nurses and first responders who do provide this care.  Would I do this care for our Lord Jesus?  Would you?

Here is the deal. Our Lord Jesus comes to us in the people in our lives.  He or she is standing among us every day.  As Christians we are taught that when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick or incarcerated, we do it to, and for, our Lord Jesus. (Matthew 25:31 to 46) 

It goes without saying then that when we care for our brothers and sisters beyond our personal comfort zone we are living out the sheep-life we are intended to live. We are called to do some things we don’t think we are worthy to do, or able to do.  But we must press on with God’s help.  With God, we can go beyond our perceived limitations.  For with God, all things are possible and my beloved of the Lord, you are so worthy.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 3^rd Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalm 45; PM Psalms 47 and 48:
Isaiah  9:1 to 7; 2^nd  Peter 1:12 to 21; Luke 22:54 to 69

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’  We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.”  (2^nd Peter 1:16 to 18)

Simon Peter’s testimony of God recognizing our Lord Jesus as the Messiah is one of the most compelling witnesses we have in the Bible. We hear of the Transfiguration in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke. But then this repeat of the event outside the Gospel is the icing on the cake. The voice from heaven declaring that our Lord Jesus is the Son of God in whom God was well pleased was first proclaimed at the Baptism of Jesus in the Same Gospel accounts.  However, at the Transfiguration, the words, “Listen to Him,” were added. What more do we need?

Peter, and the others, did indeed not follow cleverly devised myths about what God was, and is, doing, and neither should we today.  Our faith heritage is the most precious gift we could ever receive.  Since reading “Sabbath” by Abraham Heschel, I am convinced that the Transfiguration itself, is more important than being on a holy mountain. Our Lord Jesus could have shown his true Self anywhere; and when that happens, it is the Sabbath. Our Lord Jesus will still do this today and wherever it happens, it will be Holy Ground and a Sabbath time.

 Our Lord Jesus can invite you to follow him into a certain place in your own home and reveal who he really is to you and how you are to go forward from that point on.  Are you ready for that? Our Lord Jesus is no made up story.  And, it is not so much that he “was” real, It is that He “IS” Real! He is Risen, and working through us for the benefit of us, and will still reveal himself to us in our prayers and through the saints of God. 

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 3^rd Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalms 41 and 52; PM Psalm 44:
Isaiah 8:16 to 9:1; 2^nd  Peter 1:1to11; Luke 22:39 to 53

“Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.” (2^nd Peter 1:4 to 7)

The people of the world are full of lust for personal desires.  Such lust ranges from the desire for power, money, fame, and many other such self-serving intentions. From Genesis we learn, “Then God, seeing that the wickedness of men was great upon the earth and that every thought of their heart was intent upon evil at all times.” (Genesis 6:5)  We must be careful not to fall into the traps of this world.  I think the lesson from Peter’s second letter should be well studied.

We must first have faith and then support our faith with good works believing in our good Lord.  We must study the holy writings in order to acquire the knowledge needed for self-control. Passions will come but we must keep control over them. The only way to do this is through religious practices like regular prayer and worship. We must do this daily, and as Peter says, with endurance. There are no excuses. What I tell people all the time is that we first have to have what we want to do, or be, in our minds. If we don’t first determine in our minds and hearts where we are going, we will never get there. And we must be consistent, we must control the self and stick with it, no matter what.

It is no surprise then that Peter ends his progression with love.  Peter has experienced the love of our Lord Jesus who forgave him and loved him even through Peter’s denial of his Savior.  This is the kind of love that will get us to where we want to be.  If who we want to be is not based on love that is made manifest by mutual affection, then who we want to be may be set upon evil as in God’s criticism of humanity from the Genesis passage above. Saint Peter is definitely one of the saints we should read and heed.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Part 1 of 2

Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the 3^rd Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalms 63 and 98; PM Psalm 103;
Isaiah 13:6 to13; Hebrews 12:18 to 29; John 3:22 to 30:

“Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew.  They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” (John 3: 25 and 26)

Poor John the Baptist, and poor us. I feel we are left with a poor choice of words.  Read this text carefully. It says “a” Jew argued with them.  But “they” came to him.”  There is confusion about how many.  However, John himself was a Jew, as was Jesus. Why the Evangelist picked these words is baffling but at the same time, divisive. Also it implies that Jesus himself was baptizing. Other sources say he personally did not baptize.  In any case, Jesus was starting a new following.  This following is still alive today.  We follow and walk by faith and not by sight.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings for the 3^rd Sunday of Advent 2020: Year B

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11;  Canticle 15;  1^st  Thessalonians 5:16 to 24 John 1:6 to 8 and 19 to 28:

“This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.” (John 1: 20)

By, “the Jews,” is the language typically translated by the evangelist John, a Jew also. We readers of today must not forget that our Lord Jesus and his followers were all Jews. John the Baptist makes it clear that he is not the Messiah but informs them then that there is a man standing among them who is the Messiah.

This language sort of implies that being Jewish is a bad thing.  I argue it is not.  On the contrary, I believe being a spiritual child to Abraham is who God wants us to be.

We should place more concern on our spiritual ancestry than our biological history.  We are spiritual beings first and foremost.  We happen to occupy human bodies now but we are spiritual beings who will return to our spiritual selves at the resurrection.  It is in this way that we will be like our Lord Jesus when he returns. And He is coming soon, and very soon.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 2^nd Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalms 30 and 32; PM Psalms 42 and 43;
Isaiah 8:1 to 15; 2^nd  Thessalonians 3:6 to 18; Luke 22:31 to 38:

“But I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32)

It seems that our Lord Jesus already knows that Peter will fall away, and he does.  But it seems that Jesus also knows that Peter will come to himself, and return to the Lord, and Peter does that too.

To this point the apostles had been believing primarily on the faith of Jesus.  But Jesus prays that they, and we, will come into our own faith. Jesus tells Peter about Peter’s denial of him three times before the rooster crows. I have heard that rooster crow.  I hear that rooster crow every time I do something that is inconsistent with the teachings of our Lord Jesus. I hear the rooster and look into the eyes of a disappointed, yet loving and forgiving Jesus.

It is my sincere intention to “come to myself.”  I am tired of what that rooster’s crow means to me.  I want to be in a place where I can hear the crow and smile because I will know it no longer applies to my denial of the teachings of Jesus.  How about you?  Have you heard the crow of the rooster?  When you hear it, do you ponder about how you might have done or said something that you would not want our Lord Jesus to witness? 

Come into your own faith. Our Lord Jesus is still praying that we come into our own faith. We will fail from time to time to be who we are created to be.  But it’s not over. We also have the responsibility when we turn back to assist our brothers and sisters with their struggle with the rooster’s crow.  Let’s let that rooster remind us of what we are taught by Lord Jesus, and like Peter, turn our lives around so that the rooster’s crow will be the sound of happiness because we have moved on.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 2^nd Week of Advent 2020: Year 1

AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35;
Isaiah 7:10 to 25; 2^nd Thessalonians 2:13 to 3:5; Luke 22:14 to 30

“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.” (2^nd Thessalonians 2:15)

I did not grow up churched.  I wish I had been. I raised three of my daughters with a Church tradition however; but I still don’t know if it stuck.  At least they have it in their bones if they ever want to revert back to it.  I probably should have done more lecturing about “holding fast” to their tradition. 

I have been a practicing Christian along the Episcopal path since my Baptism at the Easter Vigil of 1980. So I have a little over forty years of ingrained Church tradition.  If you say, “The Lord be with you,” I can’t help but respond, “And also with you.”  It even slips out when I am watching a Star Wars movie and I hear, “The Force be with you.” In a low voice I whisper, “And also with you.”  It has become my tradition.

In Education for Ministry (EfM), we do Theological Reflection. With Theological Reflection we are shown that there are four sources from which all major concerns come.  Of the four sources, Tradition means Christian Tradition which includes our Church, the Bible, Christian music or writings as well as Christian art. Theological Reflection asks us to consider our Tradition when pondering our experiences in life. As Paul says, we must stand firm in our Church traditions as we consider our thoughts and actions.

I was an active duty Marine for 30 years, I have been an active duty Christian now for more than 40 years, fifteen of those forty years as clergy.  I have a lot of ingrained discipline and tradition, and I’m thankful for all of it.

All of us have some kind of life tradition taught to us by parents, or, as in my case, the institutions we joined and grow up in. While I support young people in participating in the military as part of their personal development and as a civic and patriotic duty, I strongly encourage them to become participating and practicing members of a faith community. They should keep up with the passing weeks in their lives not by their days off, but rather, by their meetings with like-minded worshipers on a weekly basis. Church needs to be our tradition and we should hold fast to those traditions that we were taught by parents, pastors and Christian educators.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John