onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Friday after the 5^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm 95 [for the Invitatory] 22; Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12) Exod. 9:13-35; 2 Cor. 4:1-12; Mark 10:32-45

“They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.” (Mark 10:32)

Here we have our Lord Jesus leading the pack to his own torture and death.  He is very much aware of his imminent pain and suffering and yet he leads the way. The brothers James and John are going to request places of honor in the kingdom of Jesus.  Jesus informs them that those places are determined by God Almighty.  The rest of his group becomes angry when they find out what James and John were up to.  Jesus gives them the lesson about the upside down world of honor in the kingdom of heaven.  He explains that it is those who serve others who are the most honored in the kingdom. 

Our Lord Jesus tells them (and us) that the worldly demand of harsh leadership which demands to be pleased no matter the costs is not who we are.  We are to lead in loving ways.  We are to lead by caring for those whom we lead.  We then, are to be emulators of the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus himself.

If we all really treated others with respect and dignity two wonderful things might happen.  First, more people would get the help and or service they need. Second, by helping others we teach the lesson of loving others as ourselves. Such service is work of love; it is the loving work of the Holy Spirit.

This continues to be a very trying time.  It is our normal time of Lent for the Church. And on top of our normal penitential time, we have the onslaught of Covid 19. Covid 19 brings with it real devastating outcomes. It is the sickness itself; it is the loss of income for many due to isolation; and it is the depression of being cooped up in our homes all the time.

Our Lord Jesus was leading the way to a much worse destination. And he is out front ahead of the pack, setting the example.  As Christians, and as his followers, we too need to lead the way in the sufferings of enduring the sickness if it befalls us, helping those in need if we can; and dealing with our closed-in living with prayer spiritual studies.  In our exhortation into Lent (page 316 of our Book of Common Prayer) it says that this is a time for us to prepare to come back to the Church. The thought of that pleases me so much.

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm 131, 132, [133]; PM Psalm 140, 142 Exod. 7:25-8:19; 2 Cor. 3:7-18; Mark 10:17-31

“The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals.” (Exodus 8:18)

The magicians of Pharaoh were able to replicate the staff – to- snake even though Moses’ snake destroyed those of  Pharaoh’s magicians; and they could also produce the frogs as God did.  But when God raised up the finer creatures of creation, the gnats, the magicians were lacking. All of creation comes from God. No exception.

To my knowledge, no other creature on earth has been reasoned with by God, only human beings.  Through Moses God has asked Pharaoh several time to release human beings, but he would not. So God showed Pharaoh that the God of Moses is God of all beings, human and non-human.

This same God lives today and still helps us, through us.  We, human beings, need the help of God today to assist us with a living virus that threatens us. Viruses are microscopic parasites. They lack the capacity to thrive and reproduce outside of a host body but when in a host all they do is replicate, over and over again until it destroys the host itself if not eradicated. But they still come under the power of the Supreme Creator of all life. And it is to such a One whom we must go to for relief.

While we are physically disconnected from one another, we are prayerfully connected with one another and with God. Moses spoke with God for the relief of his people even though it was not something he wanted to do from the beginning. I ponder that it may not have been just Pharaoh who Moses feared; he may have feared having a continued close relationship with God whom he just met and who was pushing him way out of his comfort zone. We know deep down in our hearts that a continued prayerful relationship with God will push us past our comfort zone as well. Unlike our Lord Jesus we have never been physically connected with God although God intercedes on our physical behalf as is often requested in our prayers for ourselves and others. And as we should be doing now as we are attacked by this Covid virus. 

Our God is not a God of convenience.  He is not “use now and forget.”  We are in this prayer relationship with God forever as we should have been all along. My preaching is not so much just a job.  It is a calling from my spiritual burning bush. What I am called to say is not always pleasant but none the less, needs to be said. The Spirit of God is an eternal and good Spirit and moves among us 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 Wednesday after the 5^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130 Exod. 7:8-24; 2 Cor. 2:14-3:6; Mark 10:1-16

Psalm 130: 4 – 5

“I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;
in his word is my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.”

These verses capture our state of being right now.  We are waiting.  We are waiting for this Covid 19 to subside. Our hope and faith and trust are in the Lord.  And we pray that God Almighty intervenes with healing and health for all, soon and very soon.

God’s Word is that He loves us, that we are created in His Image. Our very souls wait for the Lord’s action.  Our souls already know the Lord our God and our souls speak to us (if we would but listen) informing us to put all our hope in the Lord.

In the old days the watchmen were those who stayed vigilant while everybody else slept. They served as alarms if danger comes near but also they watched for the first signs of the new day. They watched for the sun. Our souls too watch for the Lord.  But the Psalmist informs us that our souls watch even more intently.  Our souls watch for the coming of the Son. Amen

Today (1 April) we remember Frederick Denison Maurice Priest, 1872

“Maurice was born in 1805 into the family of a Unitarian minister whose life was marked by intense religious controversy. Maurice studied civil law at Cambridge, but refused the degree in 1827, because, as a Dissenter, he could not subscribe to the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. After several personal crises, however, he became an Anglican and was ordained in 1834. Soon afterwards he was appointed Professor of English Literature and History at King’s College, London, and, in 1846, to the chair of Theology.” And after some failures in his life, and “after the death of the Christian Socialist Movement in 1854, Maurice founded the Working Men’s College, and resumed teaching at Queen’s College, London. Maurice awakened Anglicanism to the need for concern with the problems of society. In later years, he was honored even by former opponents. He was rector of two parishes, and was professor of Moral Theology at Cambridge from 1866 until his death.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for April 1)  For me Maurice was a principled man and priest.

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm [120], 121, 122, 123; Psalm 124, 125, 126, [127] Exod. 5:1-6:1; 1 Cor. 14:20-33a,39-40; Mark 9:42-50

 “Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me?”  (Exodus 5:22)

Moses is caught between the rock and the hard place.  His demanding of Pharaoh to release the people of Israel in order that they may go and worship God has caused Pharaoh to be even more severe with the Israelites. Now he will not provide for them the material for making the bricks but also holding the same expectation of quantity of bricks as before. Moses feels trapped.

God has not changed.  Today God will engage us in activity that will inconvenience us and cost us time and often money.  But like with Moses, God will not abandon us.  People who don’t know or can’t sense God will only hold you responsible for what is happening (or not happening).  They don’t want to hear your “God-talk.”  They want you to get out of their way.  But you must endure no matter the costs. I often tell people this is how we know a path is from God.  First, it is inconvenient. Second, it takes us out of our comfort zone.  Third, there is the issue of time and or money (often both). And fourth, the act is for the benefit of someone else, not you. Hey, God has not changed. Just ask Moses.  God is unchangeable. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But know this, God will not abandon you. Amen.

Today we remember John Donne Priest, 1631. The words below were taken from “A Great Cloud of Witnesses for March 31”

“Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls: It tolls for thee.”  “These words are familiar to many; their author, John Donne, though less well known, is one of the greatest of English poets. In his own time, he was the best-known preacher in the Church of England. He came to that eminence by a tortuous path. Born into a wealthy and pious Roman Catholic family on January 21, 1572, in London, he was educated at both Oxford and Cambridge, and studied law at Lincoln’s Inn. Some time later he conformed to the Established Church and embarked upon a promising political career of service to the State. The revelation of his secret marriage in 1601 to the niece of his employer, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, brought his public career to an end. In 1615, he was persuaded by King James I and others to receive ordination. John Donne died in London on March 31, 1631.”

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 after the 5^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm 31; Psalm 35 Exod. 4:10-20(21-26)27-31; 1 Cor. 14:1-19; Mark 9:30-41

“John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” (Mark 9: 38)

Earlier, in this same chapter, Jesus had told them that he was going to be handed over to those who would have him killed and this is what he came into the world to do. This was Jesus’ lot in his life.  But sadly they were arguing about who was the greatest in their own lives, forgetting that our Lord Jesus was sacrificing his.  They were so off track.  Now they are confused about someone other than themselves, doing good works in Jesus’ Name but because they did not know him they tried to stop him.  I wonder if they even listened to themselves. Our Lord Jesus sure has a lot of patience. I’m glad he does.  Lord knows, I am always in need of the patience of Jesus. How about you?

If we don’t learn anything else from the orginal followers for our Lord Jesus, let us at least learn that we are always learning.  We don’t know it all, and the beautiful part is, nobody else knows it all either.  We are free go about life in the comfort of knowing that all humanity is trying to figure out life together. We can’t do it apart from one another, not successfully anyway. The more of us that use our Lord Jesus’ name for good works the better the world is.  Perhaps the best we can do is learn from others who have also followed Jesus in their own way.  This is why I am  always reading from the writinngs of the saints.  I call them my heros.

We are not to compete with other Christians.  I think realizing that our own tradition is not perfect, perhaps we can learn form other traditions as we struggle to improve in the Name of our 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

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

Ezekiel 37:1-14  Psalm 130  Romans 8:6-11  John 11:1-45

“He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.”  (Ezekiel 37: 3 – 5)

Many of us depend on hearing the Word of the Lord every Sunday.  We can’t now during this time because of the requirement to not be in large groups.  I support our Bishop in his decision to suspend church services until we are better able to manage this scourge upon us. I like watching science fiction movies and I will tell you that this truly is “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

When we cannot be together in worship a part of our life is missing.  I miss my St Paul’s family and other faithful gatherings.  All I/we have is God’s Word that Life will return! Our dry bones will hear the Word of God and we will be renewed, re-membered together again.  The Breath of God will restore us again and we will again live in communion with one another in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Persevere therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters.  This present undertaking will not last.  While we cannot come together physically, we can surely come together in prayer.  I have my prayer list and I pray daily for my spiritual family and more especially for our sick ones.  I invite each of you to pray daily in this time of physical distancing.  Medical science is nice but it does not negate our need for prayer. Let us go to God in prayer in our homes and as our Presiding Bishop informs us, just ask God for help.  God’s ears hears tears.

I have put forth a short video reflecting these very words for today.  Please check it out if you can at https://youtu.be/KM-l4zBppjA.  In the mean time, May God bless us and keep us, My God make his face to shine upon us and be gracious to us, may God lift us his countenance upon us and give us peace.  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 Saturday after the 4^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm 107:33-43, PM Psalm 108:1-6(7-13); 33 Exod. 2:23-3:15; 1 Cor. 13:1-13; Mark 9:14-29

“He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.” (Mark 9:29)

Not enough of Christian effort is applied in prayer today either. By this I mean the “sit-in-your-room-alone – prayer.” After the disciples of our Lord Jesus failed to cast out the evil spirit by whatever means they were using, Jesus himself interviewed the father of the boy about how long this has been happening.  Then Jesus told the evil presence not only to come out of the boy, but also to never enter him again. Our Lord Jesus later explains about needing to pray more. He says that “This kind can come out only through prayer.”  This is what we need today.

We are suffering as a planet from this Covid 19 and even some clergy, Christian clergy, are going along with secular instruction to establish and maintain physical (social) distancing. And that’s fine but perhaps during this time (alone) distancing, we can pray, pray without ceasing.  Perhaps this physical distancing is good advice for the physical self. How about our spiritual selves?  Sooner or later we will all stand before the One for whom nothing is impossible.  What response will we give for not coming to our Lord for help?  Our Presiding Bishop once said the most important prayer we can pray is “Help.”

Folks, we must believe. Our Lord Jesus took issue with the father who showed some doubt when he ask, “if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” (Mark 9: 22)  To this Jesus responds, “‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes” (Mark 9: 23) My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we must never under estimate the power of our faith in God or the power of  prayer that it brings to bear on whatever troubles us. God loves us so much that God can’t refuse whatever we ask, but we must trust and ask. And we ask for the benefit of one another everywhere. We don’t ask just for our family, or our Church or our Country but for human kind all over the planet.  Our planet has an evil presence, Covid 19. And God needs to know about it. God wants us to ask for help.  Oh my people of prayer, Pray!

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 Friday after the 4^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm 95 [for the Invitatory] 102; PM Psalm 107:1-32  Exod. 2:1-22; 1 Cor. 12:27-13:3; Mark 9:2-13

“He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.”  (Exodus 2: 20)

Moses has killed an Egyptian and has been exposed by an angry Hebrew man, maybe even the same Hebrew man whom he spared the beating.  He is on the run. Just as he got in trouble for saving a man from a beating, he later defends women from harassing shepherds.  Perhaps these are the traits that God saw from the Burning Bush and called Moses near to do more work.  Just pondering.  Moses is invited to “Break Bread” in the home of Ruel and later marries his daughter (Zipporah).  Some translations say he was invited to a meal.  I like the term “Break Bread.”  I miss our own breaking of the bread during this “physical distancing” because of Covid 19. I also like and admire the courage of Moses. He continues in his way of courage even though he is on the run because of it.  God notices and will make good use of it for the benefit of the enslaved Israelites. God notices your good traits also.

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Today, March 27, we remember Charles Henry Brent Bishop of the Philippines and of Western New York, 1929.  “Charles Henry Brent was born at New Castle, Ontario, Canada, on April 9, 1862, and was educated at Trinity College, University of Toronto. Ordained priest in 1887 in Canada, he came to the United States in his first call as an assistant at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Buffalo, New York. In 1888 he became associate rector at St. John the Evangelist in Boston, Massachusetts, with responsibility for St Augustine’s, an African American congregation. He was serving at St. Stephen’s, Boston, when, in 1901, he was elected by the House of Bishops as Missionary Bishop of the Philippines.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for March27)  Not enough room here to cover his whole story, and there is much, much more.

“Brent was also a man of prayer. One of his prayers for the mission of the Church has been included in the Book of Common Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us with your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for March27) You should Google him and read more.

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 the Thursday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent: Year 2

Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; PM Psalm 73 Exod. 1:6-22; 1 Cor. 12:12-26; Mark 8:27-9:1

“He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:29)

Our Lord Jesus had already asked his followers “who do the people say that I am?”   And rumors abound.  There were all kinds of responses.  Then he let the dust settle and he asked those who followed him “who do YOU say that I am?” 

The same question applies to us today, we who profess to be followers of our Lord Jesus as Christians. We hear all the time who the general public says that Jesus is.  Some folk are so confused that they don’t keep the history our Lord Jesus in New Testament when they speak of our Lord Jesus. Some will have him anywhere from being with Adam and Eve in the garden to being aboard the Mayflower as it made port in the Americas. Some even say that he is a figment of our imagination.  Fine for them, but who do YOU say that our Lord Jesus is?  And please, say who he is in your deeds rather than your words, even as you struggle to love all people.  Say who he is in prayer and deed as you do not return evil for evil.  Say who he is as you bless those who curse you. For this is who our Lord Jesus is; He is the Messiah!

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 the Wednesday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30;  Psalm 119:121-144 Gen. 50:15-26; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Mark 8:11-26

“And the man^* looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (Mark 8: 24 – 25)

Psalm 85, 87 Isaiah 52:7-12; Hebrews 2:5-10   Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 132
Wisdom 9:1-12; John 1:9-14

Today’s feast commemorates how God made known to a young Jewish woman that she was to be the mother of his Son.  “The Annunciation has been a major theme in Christian art, in both East and West, and innumerable sermons and poems have been composed about it. The term coined by Cyril of Alexandria for the Blessed Virgin, Theotokos (“the God-bearer”), was affirmed by the General Council of Ephesus in 431.”  (Lesser Feast and Fast p. 194)  I have an Icon of Mary holding the baby Jesus.  I treasure it not only because of Mary but also of Jesus giving her to me as my own mother.  I take this from the Gospel of John where hanging from the cross he places her in the home of my own heart.  My mother was a business woman who did quite well in her day in the restaurant business.  However the only meal I ever shared with her (just the two of us) was in Philadelphia when my dad was in the hospital.  My mother and I were not that intimate. So when I read where our Lord Jesus says, “ to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:27)  I know our Lord Jesus was not talking to me but I needed to hear him say to me as one of his disciples that I could take his beloved mother into the house of my heart.  Thank You Lord Jesus.  I also think that one of the two best sermons in all the New Testament comes from Mary, and that is for us, the servants of our Lord Jesus, to “do whatever he tells you.”  (John 2:5)  Nothing else needs to be said.

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