onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 27: Year 2

AM Psalm 88; PM Psalms 91and 92;
Joel 2:28to3:8; James 1:16to27; Luke 16:1to9

“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.  Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.” (James 1: 19 to 21)

I love reading the letter of James.  This James was the brother of our Lord Jesus and later Bishop of Jerusalem.  We don’t hear much about him in the Gospel accounts but here he is now sharing his insights and ponderings.  The above verses remind me of the words of the prophet Jeremiah as it pertains to the “implanted word.”  Jeremiah writes, “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.”(Jeremiah 31:33) 

My beloved in the Lord, we, (you and I), already have this implanted word written our hearts. When Jeremiah says, “after those days,” he is speaking of the days after our Lord Jesus comes to be with us (this generation) and shows us just how to live by that same word implanted in us. All we have to do is welcome it with meekness as James says.  We must be quick to listen and slow to speak, in person or on social media.  And when we do speak, do so from inclusive love.  And this inclusive love brings with it a certain amount of discomfort.

The inclusive person professes to be receptive to all persons, even those who disagree. Therein is the discomfort. The exclusive person has no such tolerance. The exclusive person makes it clear that only likeminded people are welcome. That is not who Christ wants Christians to be. Jesus ate at the home of Pharisees and healed people of the household of a centurion. Jesus received those who were his own and reached out to those who were of a different perspective, like Nicodemus.

Jesus listened to the opinion of others rather than becoming angry and asks us to do the same according to his brother James.  Is this something you can do?  Are you able to really listen to a different point of view without becoming angry? I think we all want the righteousness of God but James informs us that anger does not produce God’s righteousness.  Take a pause before you hit the “send button” on your lips or on your keypad.  “Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.”  The word that is already written on your heart.

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 Proper 27: Year 2

AM Psalm [83] or 23, 27; PM Psalm 85, 86;
Joel 2:21to27; James 1:1to15; Luke 15:1to2 and 11to32.

“If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.” (James 1:5)

These are powerful words of truth from James.  We are all lacking wisdom at some level.  We must realize this and then ask God for more wisdom. But let us have this basic and primary understanding, God will know the reason for our wanting more understanding.  And such desires should be in order that we might love God more and more; and love our neighbor more and more.  Desire for knowledge to only benefit ourselves and to our personal advantage among our neighbors, is frowned on by God.

Let us remember Solomon who asked God for wisdom, for understanding, not so much for himself, but so that he could be a better leader for God’s people. Solomon prayed to God, “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” (1Kings 3:9).  Solomon, living a thousand years before James, also knew that God is the source of the understanding of what is good. And God liked the reasons for which Solomon was asking for understanding.  It is written, “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind” (1Kings 3: 10 to 12).

My primary method of prayer is meditation.  It is in meditation that I ponder things.  I do this by sitting quietly in a room alone.  I follow the guidance of Blaise Pascal who said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” It is in such a way that I follow Solomon’s example and the advice of James.  I invite you who are reading this blog to do the same.  Just find some time to sit quietly and be open to God, God who so much wants to be with you and talk to you.  James says, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”

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 Proper 27: Year 2

AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalms  81and  82;
Joel 2:12to19; Revelation 19:11to21; Luke 15:1to10

“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the Lord, your God?” (Joel 2: 12 to 14)

The real good news about God is that God is merciful, God will forgive us. Too often we will not forgive one another, but God will forgive each of us. God will forgive you.

This forgiveness comes from God’s deep, abiding and steadfast love for us.  It is a sacrificial love as expressed in our Lord Jesus going to the cross.  And nothing can separate us from that divine love. Paul said, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38 and 39)

It has occurred to me then, that such a love makes it easier to forgive someone when offended. Forgiveness for children and family might come a little easier than forgiveness for friends, and certainly easier than for strangers and folks who are different from us.  And there’s the rub.  God, especially in Christ Jesus, is family. While not really denying his earthly mother and family he declares also that those who do the will of God are his family. (Matthew 12:50) He also blurs the line between family and neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan where a stranger, a Samaritan, cares for a wounded man left for dead by robbers (Luke 10:29 to 37).  And finally, as he was crucified, our Lord Jesus ask God our creator to forgive the act we were committing (Luke 23:34)

It is impossible to forgive if we don’t first love.  We are asked by God to first love God and then to love one another. There is a direct connection between love and forgiveness.  If you don’t want to forgive, you never wanted to love in the first place.  To not love is ungodly. To change we must “return to the Lord, our God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” I don’t know about you, but I could use some of that grain-offering and a drink-offering from the Lord, our God.

A personal note this Veteran’s Day: from one veteran to all who served, Thank you for your service.

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 Proper 27:Year 2

AM Psalm 78:1to39; PM Psalm 78:40to72;
Joel 1:15-2:2(3-11); Revelation 19:1-10; Luke 14:25-35

“To you, O Lord, I cry. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flames have burned all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals cry to you because the watercourses are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.” (Joel 1:19 and 20)

At the time that I am reading this Daily office I empathize with my brothers and sisters on our west coast.  Terrible fires are driving people out of their homes and some have lost their lives, both residents as first responders. It is a very sad situation.

However, I remember the opening partition, “To you, O Lord, I cry.”  It is bad enough that we have a global pandemic to deal with.  And now, on top of that, people in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington States must also deal with finding shelter for people who are temporarily housed in close proximity with one another and yet, be thankful that their lives are spared.  I ask your prayers for, and responses to, those who are in desperate need.

Crying to the Lord is prayer and prayer works. I believe “God’s ears hears tears.”  God hears our prayers, and God will respond. And God responds in surprising ways.  However, we must remember that God comes to us, through us. And as revealed in the Joel reading, we must keep our non-human friends in thought, prayer and response as well. You may be God’s response to a squirrel or rabbit or even a wolf.  I believe we humans were brought into being to care for, and maintain this fragile earth, our island home.

Today we remember Leo the Great (10 November: Bishop of Rome 461)  I would say he was also a peace maker and protector.

On a personal note, I would like to say, Happy Birthday U. S. Marines.

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 Proper 27: Year A

AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79];
Joel 1:1to13; Revelation  18:15to24; Luke 14:12to24

“Hear this, O elders, give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your ancestors? Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.” (Joel 1: 1 to 4)

In the Joel reading we hear of four different kinds of locusts.  There are cutting locusts, swarming locusts, hopping locusts and destroying locusts.  Therefore, no matter what kind of defense they plan, there comes a different kind of attack. It sounds similar to our current pandemic.

But Thanks be to God, we are never without hope.  We have had to endure many social limitations and when I read “Grain-offering and drink-offering are withheld from the house of your God”  (Joel 1:13), I remember that we, in the Church, are having to omit the chalice. We do however get the bread or grain-offering.

The ever restructuring locusts are not too different from our Corona Virus.  Some catch it, and I have heard, some re-catch it.  This is different.  In Joel we read, “For a nation has invaded my land, powerful and innumerable; its teeth are lions’ teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness” (Joel 1:6).  However, we believers must remember that no virus or any “bug,” is more powerful than our God.  And as the hymn goes, “Our God Reigns.”

And while our current virus makes us separate, I believe it is in coming together in the right way that we will be enabled to eradicate this pandemic.  We need to come together in heeding the advice to wear face coverings, maintain social distancing and washing our hands often.  Perhaps, just perhaps, these words come from the Spirit of God down through the saints of God.  I want this pandemic to be over. And, I want to touch people again during the Peace.  And with my grain offering, I want my chalice back too. O Lord hear our prayer.

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 Proper 27: Year 2

AM Psalm 93 and 96; PM Psalm 34;
Ecclesiasticus 51:13to22; 1 Corinthians 14:1to12; Matthews 20:1to16;

“And he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went.” (Matthew 20:4)

These workers were the 9am hires.  They already missed the 6 O’clock call to work but even they would be paid “whatever is right.”  This seems to be the way the vineyard owner takes care of the men’s families.  He gave them dignity by letting then earn at least a portion of what they needed. Even those who join the work force much later, at 12 and at 3 and even at 5.  This land owner finds a way to not just give them what they need but invites them to be stakeholders in their own needs. The bottom line is, their families will get what they need, “whatever is right.”

Part 2 of 2

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 27: Year A

1 Thessalonians 4:13to18  Matthew 25:1to13

“When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.” (Matthew 25: 3 – 5)

There are a couple of things to ponder here in this Eucharistic reading from Matthew.  First, the foolish are called foolish because of their neglect in not having reserve oil for their lamps.  Likewise, the wise are called wise because they brought along a reserve supply of oil.  Secondly, the point that Matthew has Jesus to make in this parable is to stay awake.  But in the parable, they all became drowsy and slept.  This is not literally about sleep deprivation. It’s about discipleship.

Both Matthew parables for today deal with at least trying to help one’s self.  The workers hired at different times during the day were at the hiring stations.  They wanted to work.  The so-called wise bridesmaids thought ahead about what the requirements would be if they were really serious about not only being at the right place, but also about sustaining themselves if things drew out, and indeed, they did.  We too, of today, must take those first steps in not only doing what is right, but also thinking through the process and preparing for the “what-ifs” of life, and, “whatever is right.”

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 Proper 26: Year 2

AM Psalms 75 and 76; PM Psalms 23 and 27;
Ecclesiasticus 51:1to12; Revelation 18:1to14; Luke 14:1to11

“On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, ‘Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath, or not?’  But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away.  Then he said to them, ‘If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a Sabbath day?’  And they could not reply to this.” (Luke 14: 1 to 6)

Jesus asks a question about how closely they follow their own laws.  This is God in Christ Jesus who sees “in secrete” and knows all that we do.  But what he is trying to show them is that the Sabbath is a gift from God to them for their own health of body, mind and spirit. The Sabbath is not some tool of wrath of God, by which God might condemn them just for the sake of enforcing a law.

Besides all this, who prepared the meal they were partaking of on the Sabbath?  No faith should have laws whereby only certain humans are to abide by.  This includes my own tradition.  Maybe one day we will let all persons desiring to partake of Holy Communion do so.  We are not there yet unfortunately.  I am not so sure that baptism was a requirement with our Lord Jesus to receive the Bread and Wine (Body and Blood), but it is for us.

No religious tradition is perfect. Sometimes it takes people from other traditions to show us our shortcomings.  “Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath, or not?”  Is it lawful to for the un-baptized to receive Communion or not? We all must follow our own paths.  I am on the Episcopal path of the Jesus movement as our Presiding Bishop says. And, I am thankful.  But I also see paths for improvement.  I think Jesus is saying that not all laws should be absolute save loving God and loving our neighbors. These two laws of love are absolute laws under which all other lower laws must yield. Thank You Lord Jesus.

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 Proper 26: Year 2

AM Psalm 69: PM Psalm 73;
Ecclesiasticus 50:1,11to24; Revelation 17:1to18; Luke 13:31to35

“At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.  Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.”  Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13: 31 to 34)

I was blessed to be able to go on a Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land in February of 2018.  I am thankful to God for that opportunity.  Before going I prayed to God to let me be open to accept and receive whatever God saw fit to bless me with.  And God answered me with truth.  My trip began in Northern Israel (Galilee), and then ended in the city of Jerusalem in the south.

The two landscapes are totally different.  Galilee to the north, has fertile fields and little hills, and is the span of land that our Lord Jesus conducted his three year ministry of teaching, preaching and healing. I was so impressed with Capernaum, Nazareth, Cana, Mount Tabor, and Lake Galilee that I use my picture from Lake Galilee of the shoreline of this land as the heading of my daily blog.

We ended our trip down in Jerusalem.  To get there we went down to Jericho and then the long ride by bus up to the top of a mountain of sand some 2474 feet above sea level.  It must have been a real task to get water up there 2000 years ago. Much praise and worshipful attention has been centered on Jerusalem.  Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim a religious heritage to the place. I went to, and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Given all of its splendor, I was not that impressed.  Then I remembered that I prayed to God to show me what God wanted me to see.

I also recalled that our Lord Jesus, of his own free will and accord, chose the land of Galilee to bring the good news of the kingdom of heaven.  And when he was raised from the dead, he told his followers to again meet him in Galilee from which he gave the Great Commission (Matthew 28). If I was again blessed to go to Israel, I would only go to Galilee and again take in as much as I can.

To Jerusalem Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.”  If you ask God for something in serious prayer, please understand, God’s response to you is not guided by what humanity values. Pray and see.

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 Proper 26: Year 2

AM Psalm 71; PM Psalm 74;
Ecclesiasticus 44:1to15; Revelation 16:12to21; Luke 13:18to30

“Someone asked him, ‘Lord, will only a few be saved?’ He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.” (Luke 13: 23 and 24)

I guess the answer to the question that “someone” asked is, yes, only a few will be saved.  There is a wide door that many will walk through, but that does not mean it is the entry into paradise.

Each one of us has the personal responsibility to do what we think is the right thing to do, no matter how unpopular or difficult it might be. I have a poster that shows an old man walking alone down a road.  Under it the caption reads, “It is better to walk alone than in a crowd going the wrong way.”

The wide door can surely accommodate the large crowd. But through the wide door it may lead the large crowd over the side of a steep cliff, and down into the abyss to their own demise. We all must make our own decisions about where we are going.  Even following the crowd is a decision; it is a decision to let others decide for us.  We can’t follow the crowd and then later, when trouble comes, allege innocents saying “I thought they knew what they were doing.”

Two biblical crowd decisions that I can recall that were the wrong decisions were when the crowd persuaded Aaron to make a golden calf for the Israelites to worship while in the wilderness; and the crowd around the jailed Jesus who insisted that he be crucified. Crowds are made up of individuals who have handed over their independent and personal conscience to mob rule. Don’t do that.  Be who God made you and do what God asks you to do in your prayers.

God’s Way is often a little more difficult and sometimes the unpopular path to travel. Too many of us look for the short cut, the easy way, the wide door.  Our Lord Jesus says, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.” Being able is a matter of personal determination and discipline. Each one of us must make our own decisions about each next step in our lives.  And if you find that you are joined by disciplined and determined persons who chose your same path, great! But first strive to find your own path to our Lord Jesus. Roll your heart sleeves up, it’s hard work.

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 Proper 26: Year 2

AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73to96;
Ecclesiasticus 43:23-33; Revelation 16:1to11; Luke 13:10to17

“When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.” (Luke 13:13)

The leader of the synagogue gets upset because Jesus heals on the Sabbath day.  The leader himself probably could not heal the woman on any day of the week.  And he forgets that the Sabbath was made for us, not us for the Sabbath.

Jesus does more than just heal this woman; he causes her to praise God.  I wonder how many people who regularly attended the synagogue came away with a renewed sense of being thankful to God and praising God. How many of us today come away from our places of worship with a renewed sense of giving thanks to God and praising God?

Here is the truth; we shouldn’t wait for the Sabbath or our Day of worship to turn people to God. And, turning people to God doesn’t have to take place in a house of worship. We can turn people to God at work, at home, at school, at the bus stop or even in a tavern. The opportunity to show people the love of God comes everyday and anywhere.

Every day brings us an opportunity to do something good. We may not be able to heal infirmities but we can share with the sick the power and love of God.  We can give them hope in their distress.  Every day brings us an opportunity to teach people to praise God; anywhere, anytime. Let us do more to turn people to God always and everywhere.

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