onewhoponders

Eucharistic Readings for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany: Year A

Deuteronomy 30:15-20  Psalm 119:1-8  1 Corinthians 3:1-9   Matthew 5:21-37

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said” (Matthew 5)

In this section of the Gospel of Matthew our Lord Jesus re-interprets the Hebrew Testament. Specifically, Our Lord Jesus tells them what they have heard and re-orients them in a more godly way. He speaks of hate, of marriage and of the swearing of oaths.

Of hate we are to repent and seek forgiveness. Every Sunday (today) we open our service with the words, “Almighty God to you all hearts are open, all desires known and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our heart by the power of your Holy Spirit…” You see, it is only through prayer that we can overcome hate, hate of any kind, racial, ethnical, national, and today in America, political hatred.

Of marriage ,we are to honor our spouses. This has to do with the keeping of our word. Its more than just each other, it’s about the whole family. Just as we are told to honor our mother and father, mom and dad must honor each other. They Must model, if you will, what love and honor means. The marriage metaphor is also symbolic of the relationship we have with our Lord Jesus as the Bridegroom of our Church. and we are to be faithful to Christ always.

Of oaths, we are to let yes be yes and no be no. This is not “no because,” or yes if.”  This is about seriously pondering a proposition and then stating your yes or no response after thinking about it.

All of these particular reinterpretations are about monitoring our hearts such that what we say is what we do.  I have created for myself several five pointed stars. My first five pointed star reads, Praise God, love all, keep word, work hard and live plain.  I’m still a work in progress. But this gets me through the day.

All we have is our word.  We want God to keep God’s word. If we are created in God’s Image, and I believe we are, then we too must keep our word.  Perhaps commitment supersedes anger, perhaps commitment supersedes even love.  However, since commitment is all about your word, then it cannot, by its very nature, supersede itself, that is, your word. A promise, is a promise, is a promise.

Our baptismal covenant is an oath.  We promise that we will renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God; We promise that we will renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God; We promise to renounce all sinful desires that draw us from the love of God; We promise to turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as our Savior; We promise to put our whole trust in his grace and love; and finally, We promise to follow and obey him as our Lord.  Do you still promise these things?  Yes or No only please.

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

Readings for Thomas Bray: Priest and   Missionary (15 Feb 1730)

Psalm 85:7-13 Isaiah 52:7-10 Luke 10:1-9

 “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid.”  (Luke 10:7)

Being Sent: Jesus sent out the seventy with strict instruction to be entirely present with those whom they were with, whose house they were in.  He told them do not go from house to house looking for the best deal. Being sent takes a lot of pressure off because it’s not about the one sent but rather the Sender. We are representing the Sender.  We just deliver the message.  We also report back to the Sender about what we saw and what we were able to do in the Sender’s Name.

Thomas Bray was sent by the Bishop Henry Compton, Bishop of London, in 1696. Bishop Compton appointed Bray as his commissary to organize the Church of England in the Colony of Maryland to see how the priests were conducting themselves in the New World.  Bray did not talk so much to the priest.  He talked to the people about how the priest conducted themselves on the voyage; whether they were given to drinking too much or chasing after women and such.  He also inquired as to whether they held regular hours of prayer and study of God’s word and did he conduct services on Sunday in keeping with the Church of England.

Thomas was not in the colonies long. And all of his time was spent in the Colony of Maryland.  But he advocated for the liberation and education of African slaves and Native Americans.  He also began the SPG (Society for the Propagation of the Gospel) and an educational and publishing society, SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge), both of which are still active today. 

Thomas Bray was quite a priest. I was blessed to see a stone monument dedicated to him and others while on Sabbatical in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Christ Episcopal Church down town Philadelphia in 2015.  It does my heart good to see the history that I read about being made manifest in such a way. 

 I highly encourage anyone who can, to go to Christ Church Philadelphia and take in some of our Church history.  We are still being sent out.  And as we go, we are to be thankful and grateful for the hospitality received.  Yes, we too are sent, sent to spread the good News of our Lord Jesus Christ and be comfortable where God leads us and sends 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

Daily Office Readings for Friday in theWeek of the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Year 2

Psalm 88; Psalm 91, 92   Gen. 27:46-28:4,10-22; Rom. 13:1-14; John 8:33-47

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”  (John 8: 42)

All of the reports of the Gospel, from all four of its sources, complement each other.  From Matthew’s account we read, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)  Those of us who insist on peace are truly children of God.  And as our Lord Jesus says, “If God is our Father we would love him,” and not only him, but all people.

Loving people does not mean agreeing with them. We can come away from an issue with different concerns about how things should be done.  However, there should be some fairness and reasonable livability on both sides without harm or detriment to anyone; just different interests. Love bridges differences.  

Love makes room for forgiving even when harm is done. If we are the victim, we pray for the strength to overcome what has happened. And, with God’s help, we can.  If we are the perpetrator we pray for the strength to repent, acknowledge the wrong we’ve done and be accountable for what we have done.  And we face those we have hurt. I believe it is the perpetrator’s soul that is most damaged when sinful acts are done.  Repenting is truly an act of sincere love and thus, soul repair.

We are children of God as we make peace and have love for one another as our Lord Jesus teaches us. We have the Holy Spirit of God within us.  This Spirit is trying to lead us and guide us.  All we have to do is listen and follow. We should look at every person and understand that they too are saying that “if we are God’s child we would love them.”  This is what the Holy Spirit of God is teaching us.  We need to listen and do likewise.

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

Readings for Absalom Jones

Psalm 126 Isaiah 42:5-9 John 15:12-15

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

This Commandment of love from Jesus is different from the Commandment we get from Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels. In Matthew, Mark and Luke we get Jesus commanding us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  The big assumption here is that we in fact love ourselves. 

John does not let us off so easy.  John records Jesus commanding us to love one another as he, Jesus, loves us.  And he loved us all the way to the cross.  Jesus literally loved us to death. 

Absalom Jones loved his people too in just the same way.  He also loved the new Episcopal Church.  He would not leave this Church to join Richard Allen in the African Methodist Episcopal movement. Jones was a man of conviction.  As a slave he bought the freedom of the woman he loved and married her and then bought his own freedom.

I can’t talk about Absalom Jones without also lifting up Bishop William White.  White was Bishop of Philadelphia and the first Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Bishop White ordained Jones to the Deaconate and then to the Priesthood.  And while this ordination was for Jones to be a priest was for people of color, he was still ordained in God’s One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.  Bishop White listened to God and opened his heart and the Church to make a space of this important ministry. 

Before this ordination, blacks were forced to leave a church and as a result Jones met with Bishop White and this brand new Episcopal Church made room for them.  Bishop White listened to the voice of God for what to do about this Episcopal Church and former slaves.  Being brought about in the midst of a revolution already, he further heard the call to be open to providing for displaced African descendents.  Absalom Jones then decided to work with Bishop White and not leave, but rather, give of himself to this perhaps, unexpected opportunity.  Praise 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

Readings for Charles Freer Andrews Priest and “Friend of the Poor” in India 1940

Psalm 113:2-8 Deuteronomy 15:7-11 Ephesians 2:13-22 Matthew 23:8-12

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19)

I don’t think Charles Freer Andrews cared that the people of India were not Christian even though he himself was a Priest of the Church of England. He saw them as “citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God” as spoke of in the letter from Paul to the Church in Ephesus.

He traveled to South Africa to help the Indians there in their dispute with the Government, and it was then that he met a young lawyer named Mohandas Gandhi.  Andrews was impressed with Gandhi’s teaching of non-violence and with his knowledge of the Christian faith, and helped him establish an ashram, or Indian hermitage, devoted to the practice of peace. (Great Cloud of Witnesses for February 12)

Andrews made a second visit to Fiji in 1917 and although reported on some improvements, was still appalled at the moral degradation of the indentured laborers. He called for an immediate end to indenture and the system of Indian indentured labor was formally abolished in 1920.

About this time, Gandhi reasoned to Andrews that it was probably best for sympathetic Britons like himself to leave the freedom struggle to Indians. So, from 1935 onwards, Andrews began to spend more time back in Britain, teaching young people all over the country about Christ’s call to radical discipleship. Gandhi’s affectionate nickname for Andrews was Christ’s Faithful Apostle, based on the initials of his name, “C.F.A”. He was widely known as Gandhi’s closest friend and was perhaps the only major figure to address Gandhi by his first name, Mohan. (Great Cloud of Witnesses for February 12)

Charles teaches us that all of us truly are “citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19) If every man and woman took the time to imagine being in the place of a person or a people in a subservient role in our midst we would then question how we treat them.  How would we live and raise our families when treated as second class citizens?  We all need to look around and see the other, and then “be” the other, for just a little while.  Perhaps then we can see how we, as a society, are treating them. And then, like Charles Freer Andrews, do something about it. Praise 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 Tuesday in the Week of the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Year 2

Psalm 78:1-39; Psalm 78:40-72 Gen. 26:1-6,12-33; Heb. 13:17-25; John 7:53-8:11

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.” (Hebrews 13: 17)

I believe we all are led by another person or persons.  From our president down to the least followed person on the planet.  Sometimes our leaders are a group of people as in a council or a cabinet, or vestry or board of directors. The reason we have this body of leadership is because in and of themselves, leaders often can’t figure out the next best move.

If we have any care about whom our leaders are we should then keep them in prayer, asking God to aid and assist them in good thoughts and right actions for the welfare of their charge.  Whether our leaders are one person or a group, they are not outside the influence of God.  Even if we don’t like our leader, it would be all the more reason to pray to God for them.  God will make them who they need to be in order that they “keep watch over our souls.”

God can, and will, also have our leadership be joyful in doing the good works pleasing in God’s sight.  As one who served in the Marines for thirty years under all kinds of leaders, and now being led by a faithful bishop and a loving parish vestry, I know firsthand that prayer for leaders work.

Leaders (including myself) are often conflicted about how priorities should be set but prayer to God for right judgment always helps.  I can say to you honestly that praying for leaders makes a good and positive difference.  The big thing to overcome is that we must really “want” them to be better, to do good works for the people they serve.  We can’t hold grudges or wish ill upon them.  But rather, work with God for their improvement. If we didn’t have people we wouldn’t need leaders.  So it is really for the people that we are praying. And when (not if) the leader improves, relish in the pride of working with God that changed him or her. And you know what?  They didn’t even see it coming. Bless their hearts.

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 in the Week of the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Year 2

Psalm 80; Psalm 77, [79] Gen. 25:19-34; Heb. 13:1-16; John 7:37-52

“Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ ⁵²They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”  (John 7:50 – 52)

So this is Nicodemus who first went out to Jesus in darkness, perhaps so as not to be seen.  But the darkness could also be used to describe his darkness of ignorance.  Albeit, he now pushes for some level of fairness for Jesus. And what happens?  His colleagues immediately turn on him.  They have that mentality that says if you are not with me, then you are against me.

Nicodemus took a risk for Jesus because he knew in his heart that Jesus was a good man and at least a prophet sent from God.  His friends want to use our Lord Jesus’ origin as a way to say he cannot be sent from God. Now even they will admit that God can do whatever God wants to do.  And one thing is for sure; God does not depend on “the way it’s always been” as the limits of what God can do.

We too should not use our history as a locked in boundary that will suppress any hope of evolving, that is,of growing spiritually.  When writings get old, somehow they become sacred text that suggests that the people who wrote them were in some way, smarter than we are today. This kind of misguided idea, be it the Bible or the Constitution, becomes our new god.  But they are not God.  They are writings by people all of whom had faults and misunderstandings.  While Jesus did not originate in Galilee as they thought, it really makes no difference.  God, the real God, can, and does do, whatever God wants to do.  God is always doing something new.  

How many of us today are where we are originally from? Some of us are, some of us are not. Either way, it makes no difference. God is present at our beginning, in our present and will receive us when we close. Nicodemus was right, we all deserve a hearing and God, and the real God, listens.  We too should listen to one another, and with compassion.  Remember, listening leads to learning, which leads to loving, which can lead to leading itself.

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 Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Year A

Isaiah 58:1-9a, [9b-12]  Psalm 112:1-9, (10)  1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16]  Matthew 5:13-20

  “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.  “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13 – 16)

Being a true Southerner, I love grits. But I don’t want anyone who doesn’t like grits to cook them for me.  You have to know the value of salt.  Without salt grits aren’t fit to eat.  Salt is a seasoning that makes foods palatable. 

The “you” that Jesus uses in the Matthew verses above is the plural form.  This grit-eating Southerner would say “Y’all.”  The “y’all” that our Lord Jesus uses applies to the Church.  That means our Christian Church. So when our Lord Jesus says that you are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, he is telling us the we, the Church, are the salt and light of the world.

Salt is that property of the Church that seasons the people of the earth.  It brings forth peace and harmony.  It blends us together. It does not make us one, it’s not suppose to.  And that’s where light comes in.

With light we can see and appreciate the differences between us.  We are like a bowl of vegetable soup.  We, the people of the earth, are seasoned with the salt of the church and brought into harmonious relationship with one another.  However, with the light of the Church we can still see the different textures of one another.  It is like looking at green beans, and corn, and carrots and a few potatoes and some spinach leaves all brought to a piping hot dish and seasoned to perfection with a little salt to make it a very delicious meal.

The world needs to live in harmony with each other and at the same time recognize and honor the distinctive differences we bring to the bowl. 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 Saturday in the Week of the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany: Year 2

Psalm 75, 76; Psalm 23, 27  Gen. 24:28-38,49-51; Heb. 12:12-29; John 7:14-36

“Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

Sometimes seeking peace is hard to do.  Some people act as if they don’t want peace.  As hard as it might be, listening is probably the one (although sometimes painful) thing we can do to soften ourselves, and the other, in order that we might begin the process to establishing some sort of peace.

When we listen, we learn.  We might learn that we were right all along about the stubbornness and ignorance of the other person.  But, listening might also bring about learning the fears and misunderstanding that the other harbors. When we listen, we learn.

Learning brings about some degree of understanding. Learning casts light on the darkness of misunderstanding.   It’s hard to remain harsh to a person when we fully understand what the argumentative problems are, when we see the issue from their perspective.  When we understand we become more tolerant.  When we become more tolerant we shift into feeling the concern of the other and a little compassion seeps in and love for the other begins to develop.

Listening, learning and loving takes place in pursuit of peace.  The grace of God follows the peace of God. And it is the peace God that our Lord Jesus intentionally shares with us if we will but accept it. This truly makes us a holy people.  And how do we seek holiness?  Holiness has to be freely given by God as grace.  As you read this, may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always so that with God’s grace you may see the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

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 in the Week of the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany: Year 2

Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; PM Psalm 73 Gen. 24:1-27; Heb. 12:3-11; John 7:1-13

“For no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”  (John 7:4)

I think they misunderstand our Lord Jesus.  And this reading says that his brothers did not believe him as yet.  Jesus stayed on fringes.  He was never looking for just praise, but rather he looked for what was the good work that needed to be done. He healed the sick, and taught morality.  So he was doing things that made communal life better. He didn’t want to be widely known but rather widely received.

Too often we look at good people from the paradigm of their own self serving.  We ask “what’s in it for them?” We don’t ask, “What gifts has God given them that enhances our lives?”

Knowing that his friends were all about the popularity of people he told them, “Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.’ After saying this, he remained in Galilee.” (John 7: 8 – 9)  However, after a little while Our Lord Jesus had a change of mind and went to Jerusalem and to the Festival of Booths, but he went in secret.  “But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret.” (John 4:10)

Even today we never know when our Lord Jesus is near, but in secret.  The good news is that when he is near, he is near to do good.  And while it is good to give our Lord Jesus praise and honor, the additional rejoicing should be about how much better our situation is about to be.  Thank you Lord Jesus and please stay near us, even if in secret, we need you close.

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