onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 2^nd Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 37:1 to 18; PM Psalm 37:19 to 42:
Isaiah 45:5 to 17; Ephesians 5:15 to 33; Mark 4:21 to 34:

“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18 to 20)

Full disclosure, I am not on board with everything that Paul says, especially as for as his suggestions about husbands to wives.  As far as we know, Paul was never married.  I feel marriage is an equal partnership.  However, I will not throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is something really good to be learned regarding the psalms and hymns prayed and sung to the Lord.

Hymns and spiritual songs are a part of our rich Church tradition. My two favorites are “Lead Me, Guide Me,” from the hymnal Lift Every Voice and Sing, and “Praise to the Lord,” (hymn number 390) from our 1982 Hymnal.  Lead Me, Guide me is my way of starting my day. “For if God leads me, I cannot stray.”  Even singing this daily, I still fail to follow close enough, I’m human. “Praise to the Lord” is just my happy song.  The melody and words please me.

I invite you to search for and select one or two hymns that sort of mesh with your spiritual self, and then sing them every day. I have heard from somewhere that singing a hymn is praying twice. If you do this, the words will resonate with your soul and strengthen your spiritual connection with God.

While I don’t think Paul was an authority on marriage, and the treatment of women in particular, he definitely shares the love of God in Christ Jesus through his messages of love and instructions for holy living.

 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 2^nd Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25 to 48;
Isaiah 44:24 to 45:7; Ephesians 5:1 to 14; Mark 4:1 to 20:

Today’s blog is republished from two years ago.

“And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that “they may indeed look, but not perceive,
and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” (Mark 4:11 – 12)

This is a clue that in order to hear what the Spirit is saying to us through Biblical readings, that we must look deep beneath the surface of the literal text.  Truth was veiled in parable because truth required the work necessary to get the reward.  Those who just scrape the surface attain nothing of real value and could even be misleading or short circuited.  We can’t just grab and go. Sometimes we must soak in the soup for a while to collect all the rich flavors of what’s there.

So, before we go deeper we must believe that there is something hidden beneath the perceived obvious. We also must believe that the treasure is worth the work of going deeper.  I am currently in a cabinet making class led by a craftsman in his 80’s.  He has been making cabinets for more than 50 years. [A note here, I have since completed that class and have a beautiful cabinet for my efforts. Also, our instructor has since passed away.]  This class moves slowly.  There are many small steps that require patience to learn them. Getting in a hurry will cause mistakes and a waste of wood and possibly personal injury.  The fruit of the study and patience is a well made and beautiful cabinet.  Living the Christian life is the same way. To us has been given the secret of the kingdom of God.  We only have to follow the Master Craftsman, Jesus, and we will perceive, understand, and turn and be forgiven.   Be well.

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 2^nd Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalms 26 and 28; PM Psalms 36 and 39:
Isaiah 44:9 to 20; Ephesians 4:17 to 32; Mark 3:19b to 35

“But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3: 29 and 30)

Is our Lord Jesus saying that there is, after all, a limit to forgiveness?  So I look at this state of affairs as, “once we know, we can’t un-know.” Once we have experienced the holy presence of God, in Christ Jesus, or any divine manifestation, we move to certain knowledge beyond belief.

One of my friends in my Cursillo Reunion Group shared a quote from Richard Rohr, (American author, spiritual writer, and Franciscan friar based in Albuquerque, New Mexico), who said that he no longer believes in Jesus because he now “knows” Jesus. We often get confused about what we know and what we believe.  A few weeks ago a young woman in New York City “knew” a certain young man took her cell phone.  As it turned out, she left her phone in a car and the driver returned it later.  My point is that sometimes what we think we know, in reality, we only believe. At one point we believed the earth was flat, now we know it’s round.  We all really need to figure out a way to discern what we believe from what we know.

I find it somewhat spooky that our readings for today reference the requirement for respect for the Holy Spirit of God.  From our Gospel according to Mark, and our Ephesians’ reading for today, we are cautioned not to blaspheme or grieve the Holy Spirit.  To blaspheme is to curse or profane someone or something.  I think it is one thing to blaspheme what we think we believe. However, when God has blessed us with a glimmer of grace to the point that we know, that is, we actually experience the Holy, to then turn against such an experience is unforgivable. This is what I think our Lord Jesus meant.

As humanity, we are created in the Spiritual Image of our Creator.  For Christians, at baptism, we are marked as Christ’s own forever!  Therefore, as Paul writes to the Ephesians, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4: 30)

I have learned from the Gospel of John that God is, in fact, Spirit. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) So what is truth? The earth is round, not flat, that is a truth.  Even Pontius Pilate asked our Lord Jesus, what is truth? (John 18:38)  So here is truth: God is, and God loves us.  This is truth that supersedes belief, and takes us to that heavenly realm of knowing that must never, never, never be denied or blasphemed.

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

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Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 2^nd Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9 and 15:
Isaiah 44:6 to 8 and 21 to 23; Ephesians 4:1 to 16; Mark 3:7 to 19:

“He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.” (The Message Bible: Ephesians 4: within verses 7 to 13)

I particularly referenced the “Message Bible” for this passage because it affirms my understanding that the Pastor-Teacher gift is one gift that has the twin focal points of pastor and teacher.

To be pastor is to be listener and counselor. It is to be a spiritual guide to those who are seeking a stronger connection to the Almighty.

To be teacher is to be a leader and one who shows the how-to’s of life. It is also one who shows the when-to’s of life. It is the teaching of the proper time for all things.

To be pastor – teacher then, is to be one who listens, counselors and instructs in the methods and circumstances of proper, moral, and godly behavior.

Part 2 of 2

Eucharistic Readings for the Confession of St. Peter: January 18: 
Acts 4:8 to 13;  Psalm 23; 1^st  Peter 5:1 to 4; Matthew 16:13 to 19 

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’  Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’  And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15 to 17)

There are two points here to understand. First, we must deal with who we say Jesus is. We say this by the way we, as Christians, conduct ourselves. Being a follower is more than just saying it.

The other point is that, like Peter, we don’t know Jesus by our own intellect, but rather, it is God’s revelation to us. We don’t figure out God or Jesus. God shares with us as God wills. We just pray and hope. If we persevere, God will touch us.

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

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Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the 2^nd Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalms 148, 149, 150; PM Psalms 114 and 115;
Isaiah 43:14 to 44:5; Hebrews 6:17 to 7:10; John 4:27 to 42:

“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.  I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”  (Isaiah 43: 18 and 19)

This, “doing something new,” has been true before time and remains the constant of God.  The Israelites had no way of knowing that God was going to create an escape from the Egyptian forces through the sea.  No one knew God was going to come and be with us, (Emanuel), by being born a vulnerable infant. Now that we know that God is full of surprises, can we be prepared?  I doubt it.

What is God doing new, right now, in our presence?  Do you not perceive it?

Part 2 of 2:

Eucharistic Readings for the 2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany: Year B:

1^st  Samuel 3:1 to 20); Psalm 139:1 to 5 and  12-17; 1^st Corinthians 6:12 to 20; John 1:43 to 51;

“Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (John 1:48)

I have often pondered about what was going on with Nathanael under the fig tree.  Was he praying? Was he in a deep state of darkness?  Was God revealing something to him at that time?  We will probably never know, that is, until we get to meet Nathanael in the next life.

Our Psalm for today is perfect for personal reflection: “Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.”  (Psalm139:1) 

The message for us is that our Lord Jesus knows us even before we are called to Him. So our response is like that of Nathanael, “Teacher, you are truly the Son 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 Saturday of the 1^st Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalms 20, 21:1-7; PM Psalms 110:1to5, 116,and 117;
Isaiah 43:1 to 13; Ephesians 3:14 to 21; Mark 2:23 to 3:6:

“Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”  (Mark 2: 27 and 28)

This has new meaning for me after reading “Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heshel. Our time is way more important than all the things we could ask for. 

I am reminded that God created time and then us within time. And lastly, it is a special day within time as a gift to us, for us to rest with God.  For me, the Sabbath may not even be a time for worship, but just to rest and allow contemplation to take place.

When someone gives us a gift, that gift becomes our own possession. We do with it what we please. The giver may or may not be pleased if we put his or her gift in the garage never to be seen again until we decide to have a yard sale.  But the gift was ours. I am not Jewish in the traditional sense. But I am a “Judeo-Christian.” Our Lord Jesus kept his Jewish traditions throughout his life. Let me share with you the meaning of the Sabbath from a You Tube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjmjZWHXKFY

For me, keeping the Sabbath does not mean worshiping on the Sabbath. Worship is work, at least for clergy and worship support people.  We Christians should keep the first day of the week, (Sunday) as our worship day.

I have lived for over 72 years not realizing how important the Sabbath is. But thanks be to God, I have not, and could not “sale” my Sabbath. It is a gift from God and I intend to live into it more reverently going forward. This will be an adjustment over time. I am also remembering that while the Rest of God came after the creation of humanity, the restfulness that is found in the Sabbath is shared with humanity as an opportunity to be with God our Creator.  We were not made for the Sabbath, but rather, the Sabbath was made by God, for God, and yet shared with humanity as gift. We have choices. We can ignore the Sabbath, or we can live into it.  I now choose the latter. It is never too late for the revelation of God, 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 the 1^st Week of Epiphany 2021: Year 1

AM Psalms 16 and 17; PM Psalm 22;
Isaiah 42:1 to 17; Ephesians3:1 to 13; Mark 2:13 to 22 

“Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.”  (Ephesians 3:7)

For some reason the words, “Of this gospel I have become a servant,” has caused me to ponder.  I ponder that the word Gospel literally means, “Good News.”  So Paul has become a servant of the Good News.

Normally to receive Good News on the television, by people who bring us the news, I have to watch it to the very end, and if I am lucky, the anchor will share something, something charming or wonderful, Good News. Such anchors are servants of whatever news that they are given to report.  Paul, on the other hand, has volunteered to be a servant of only the Good News of God in Christ Jesus.

So how would you or I go about being the servant of the Good News?  Such servanthood requires us to bring positivity to people who may not see anything to be happy about.  And we must remember, we are not necessarily the servant of the people to whom we are bringing the Gospel to, but the Gospel itself.  We then are servants of the Gospel – the Good News.

This means we must be servants of an idea, a faith, a hope.  We are called to be servants of the idea of love and forgiveness.  We are servants of the idea of our Lord Jesus bringing us into eternal life. It is this Gospel which we escort to people as our master, There is the ideal and the real.  But you and I can align the real with the ideal in our Gospel of love and hope, and faith, and Good News. It’s hard work.  Some people don’t want to be happy.  But we are not servants to them; we are servants to the Gospel.  We take the Gospel to them.  God then takes it from there.  Paul says, this is “the gift of God’s grace that was given to [us] by the working of his power.”

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 1^st Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 18:1 to 20; PM Psalm 18:21 to 50;
Isaiah 41:17 to 29; Ephesians 2:11 to 22; Mark 2:1 to 12:

“For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.”  (Ephesians 2:14)

At this writing our nation is going through a tumultuous time.  All fifty State capitals are threatened with violence during the inauguration of soon to be President Joe Biden on January 20^th.  The divisiveness is more than just democrat against republican. It seems it is about race, and who is loyal to the outgoing President Donald Trump and who is not.  We could sure use some Jesus right now.

It seems we have a dividing wall that separates us from our neighbor, our brothers and sisters. There is hostility between us.  My prayer is that we calm down and listen to what our hearts are saying to us.  Paul says that Jesus is our peace.  He says that, “in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall.”  Somehow, I still fill like the wall is there.  Perhaps not everybody has heard about what Jesus has done, and is doing. We are one group now.  There is no separation anymore.  Whatever the issues are, we should be able to come to some kind of consensus, and perhaps, enlightenment.  

In Christ Jesus we must realize we are all one in Christ. We should not want to win at the expense of others. Is there a way we can be satisfied with enough while at the same time, those who have a different opinion, may also be satisfied with enough?  We all make up the body of Christ Jesus.  And the body of our Lord Jesus does not have cancer or Covid. We will live!

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 1^st Week of Epiphany: Year1

AM Psalm 119:1 to 24; PM Psalms 12, 13 and 14; 
Isaiah 41:1 to 16; Ephesians 2:1 to 10; Mark 1:29 to 45 

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

There are so many deeds that Jesus can do that you and I cannot.  Except for medical doctors, most of us cannot heal others.  It seems also to be very hard for some of us to forgive (or love) some people.  Some of us have been blessed with the gift of teaching but not with the authority that our Lord Jesus wielded, Thank you Lord Jesus. Few of us, if any of us, can cast out demons. But here is what we can do; we can all find a place to pray.

Jesus’ getting up and going off to a place to pray is definitely something we can all do, and, I think, we all should do. Copying Jesus’ habit of praying, or even Sabbath praying, may even lead to more Jesus-like abilities. Praying doesn’t have to be beautifully articulated words of perfection.

I recall the story of the little shepherd boy who prayed as he watched the sheep. In his little prayers he prayed whatever came to his mind.  As I recall, he prayed thus: “Dear Jesus, If you were cold I would give you my coat. If you were hungry I would share my food with you, if you were real hungry you could have all my food.”  As the old story goes, a priest was passing by and heard the boy praying. The priest interrupted the boy and schooled him on the “proper” way to pray. After the priest’s lecture the little shepherd boy felt so bad, he quit praying all together.  Missing the boy’s regular prayers, God sent an angel to see what happened. The boy explained how he was told that he wasn’t doing it right and the angel asked, “Who told you that.”  I don’t know how the angel handled the priest but the angel assured the boy that God loved, and missed, his prayers and wanted him to continue.  The boy did.

This is a nice little story from a long time ago.  The point is, like our Lord Jesus and the little shepherd boy, prayer is not done from training, but rather, prayer is our being trained by doing.

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 1^st Week of Epiphany: Year 1

AM Psalm 18:1 to 20; PM Psalm 18:21 to 50;
Isaiah 41:17 to 29; Ephesians 2:11 to 22; Mark 2:1to 12; 

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.” (Ephesians 2:17 to 19)

I ponder these words of Paul as he writes to the Church in Ephesus.  He is also writing to us today.  To have a spirit of wisdom and revelation from God is the most blessed gift any human could ever receive.  With the “eyes or our hearts enlightened,” we will see our course in life more clearly. I know that this is true for me.

I am on a journey now to go back to school and focus on young childhood education. This new course in my life came to me as it was revealed through both close friends, and even store counter clerks.  This is the way God drops hints of revelation.

How do you see a new course in your life?  It could be shifting in direction for you.  Are you listening to what different people bring to you?  Are you looking with the eyes of your heart?  Are you listening with the ears of your heart? God is still giving us the spirit of wisdom and revelation as we come to know God, so that, with the eyes of our hearts enlightened, we may know what is the hope, to which God is calling us.

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