onewhoponders

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Week 2 of Advent Year A

Isaiah 11:1-10  Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19   Romans 15:4-13   Matthew 3:1-12

“Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9)

After sarcastically calling the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers, John the Baptist takes away any ancestral heritage they might claim as a saving grace and lets them know that God doesn’t care about the genetic makeup of people but rather their faith.  This is what was pleasing to God about Abraham.

Abraham believed.  Abraham trusted God.  God told Abraham that he was blessed and that he would be a blessing to All people.

According to Douglas Hare writing for Interpretation: a Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching; on Matthew, “This passage is scheduled by some lectionaries for the second Sunday of Advent,  In parts of the modern Church, Advent has become almost exclusively preparation of Christmas, that is, a time for pondering the meaning of the incarnation.”  (p. 19)

The Incarnation is God with us as one of us.  Our Lord Jesus knows what it is like to be human.  Therefore, God knows what it is like to be one of us as Joan Osborne’s song goes, “What if God was one of us, just a slob like one of us, just a stranger on a bus?”  This is the Incarnation.

God’s presence is not just about human so-called royal blood, not even the physical blood of Abraham. But very much like Abraham an unwavering faith that will not withhold anything from God, not even one’s only child. It is the spirit and faith of Abraham that God looks for in us as we truly are the spiritual offspring of Abraham through the connecting royal blood-cup of our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore we are baptized into our faith and then forever partake of the cup of Christ where we taste and see that the Lord is good.

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 Saturday of Week 1 of Advent Year 2.

AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117 Amos 5:18-27; Jude 17-25; Matt. 22:15-22

“It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.” (Jude: 19 – 20)

I always say that every human being has the Spirit of God in them, but many do not use it.  I think this is what Jude means when he talks about worldly people devoid of the Spirit. He goes on the say that such worldly people cause division among us. Laziness and blaming others for all the bad that happen to us is easy and infectious and makes us feel that we are not responsible for the way we are or what we say and do.

Jude continues, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith.”  Having and relying on our faith is so important.  With our faith we strive to see our Lord Jesus in all people. The good secrete we have is that we can, and should, look for our Lord Jesus in people who do not profess Christianity as well as those that do. See if you can discover a Christ-like quality in a non church-goer or someone who is of a faith other than Christianity or even no professed faith at all.  If you do see a loving Jesus quality in the person you can always say to yourself, “That’s awfully Jesus of you.”  Just don’t say it out loud.  Remember it is you who is looking for our Lord Jesus in the other, not them.  I’m thinking they have him and don’t know it. So let part of your faith be the search for our Lord Jesus in others regardless of what they may or may not believe.

Finally, Jude says to “pray in the Holy Spirit.”  Remember that when you pray you are responding to God who is already praying, you are not initiating the prayer.  God has already done that.  All any of us has to do is just relax and let the Holy Spirit pray through us.  To quote a commercial, “Oh what a relief it is.”

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 St Nicholas Bishop of Myra, c. 342

Psalm 145:8-13 1 John 4:7-14 Mark 10:13-16

“People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them.”  (Mark 10:13)

I never knew that Santa Clause derived from an actual bishop.  I had heard the term “St. Nick” before but didn’t connect it to the religious life.  That was my childhood and early life. “Very little is known about the life of Nicholas, except that he suffered torture and imprisonment during the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian. It is possible that he was one of the bishops attending the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325. He was honored as a saint in Constantinople in the sixth century by the Emperor Justinian. His veneration became immensely popular in the West after the supposed removal of his body to Bari, Italy, in the late eleventh century. In England, almost 400 churches were dedicated to him.  Nicholas is famed as the traditional patron of seafarers and sailors, and, more especially, of children. As a bearer of gifts to children, his name was brought to America by the Dutch colonists in New York, from whom he is popularly known as Santa Claus.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for December 6)

In our Gospel reading parents wanted their children to go to Jesus. They wanted the best for their children.  Christian parents today still bring their children to our Lord Jesus. We do this by bringing them to church but more importantly, we should be praying with them at home. When a child comes to church it should be from a home where they have already heard about our Lord Jesus.  We so often talk about Santa Claus from about Thanksgiving on before finally bringing the child to a store to meet Santa.  So why not talk about our Lord Jesus at least some time during each week before Sunday?

Personally, I like learning about Nicholas of Myra because as a Christian believing in the Resurrection I know that Nicholas has risen in our Lord Jesus Christ and lives today.  So I believe in Santa Claus because I believe in the Resurrections of the dead. Or, as James Kiefer puts it: “The story of St. Nicholas offers a possible way of dealing with the “Santa Claus” problem, to parents who do not want to lie to their children, even in fun, but do not want to say simply: “Bah, humbug! There is no such thing as Santa. Forget about him.”  by James Kiefer http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Nicholas.htm 

So today is Santa Claus Day even while it is still Advent.  Merry (almost) Christmas.

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 Clement of Alexandria Priest, c. 210 December 5

Psalm 34:9-14 Colossians 1:11-20 John 6:57-63

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it”  (John 6:60)

Parishes call priests to lead them.  These are priests who have not only been called to ordained ministry but then sent to formalized training and education at a seminary so that they might better inform their congregations.  But it requires trust.  When the priest enters the parish parishioners must trust that the priest both understands scripture a little deeper and the priest’s heart is fixed on the will of God. Jesus ran into the same situation in the reading from John.  Clement of Alexandria too was also challenged.

“Clement was born in the middle of the second century. He was a cultured Greek philosopher who sought truth in many schools until he met Pantaneaus, founder of the Christian Catechetical School at Alexandria in Egypt. Clement succeeded Pantaneaus as head of that school in about 190, and was for many years an apologist for the Christian faith to both pagans and Christians. His learning and allegorical exegesis of the Bible helped to commend Christianity to the intellectual circles of Alexandria. His work prepared the way for his pupil Origen, the most eminent theologian of early Greek Christianity, and his liberal approach to secular knowledge laid the foundations of Christian humanism. During the persecution under the Emperor Severus in 202, he fled Alexandria. The exact time and place of his death are unknown.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for December 5)

Many people have certain beliefs about what God wants.  Often, too often, they are (or have been) misinformed.  God wants all people of the world to have open hearts and minds to the good that God is doing, not just a few.

“Clement lived in the age of “Gnosticism,” a comprehensive term for many theories or ways of salvation current in the second and third centuries, all emphasizing “Gnosis” or “knowledge.” Salvation, for Gnostics, was to be had through a secret and rather esoteric knowledge accessible only to a few. It was salvation from the world, rather than salvation of the world. Clement asserted that there was a true Christian Gnosis, to be found in the Scriptures, available to all.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for December 5)

We should not try to become God.  Whatever plan God has for us “it will be done.”  When we create our own interpretation of what we think God wants we usurp God’s will and it leads to an idolatry that pushes us away from the will of God.  We must continue to call and then listen to priests who have been properly educated in the open and all inclusive love of God for all people.

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 1Advent Year 2

AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14  Amos 3:12-4:5; 2 Pet. 3:1-10; Matt. 21:23-32

“But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.”  (2 Peter 3: 8 – 10)

Peter reminds us that the time we experience is nothing like that with God.  God knows no time.  God is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega.  Words like fast and slow have no value to God, God does things in God’s time (Kairos).  Peter also shares with us that God does not want any of us to perish.  We have a universal God.  A God who loves everybody, even the people we don’t like.  This is something we are going to have to get over. God loves people in the other skin color, in the other political party, in the other country and so on.  We have a universal loving God and we should be as well.

The last part of our 2 Peter passage for today is the hint of accountability.  Peter says “and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.”  My beloved, disclosed is not destroyed.  Disclosed means revealed!  I had a military leader once tell me that forewarned is forearmed.  This means that if we know something is going to happen we have time to make it right before that time comes.  How do you want your report read out loud in that heavenly court?  Think about that.  And remember that we are dealing with a God who knows no time.  God could bring us to accountability right now! Are you ready?  Forewarned is forearmed.

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 Week 1 of Advent Year 2

AM Psalm 5, 6; PM Psalm 10, 11  Amos 3:1-11; 2 Pet. 1:12-21; Matt. 21:12-22

“First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”  (2 Peter 1: 20 – 21)

This is one of the readings that I have read at our Education for Ministry (EfM) graduations.  We have a Holy Eucharist with our graduation.  We want the Holy Spirit to be present with us.  After four years of study, graduating students stand before the gathered community, some of whom are also graduates of EfM, and express what EfM has meant for them.  It is always a moving experience.

A big component of EfM are the Theological Reflections.  This is a time of deep pondering of what the Holy Spirit is really saying to us.  The message of the Holy Spirit can be in accordance with the words of scripture, or the words of scripture can be a catalyst for where the Spirit wants us to be. It is prophetic.  And “no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 

The Bible should be read within prayer.  One’s reading of the Bible should be in the context of believing God has made all things good and loves us more than we can imagine.  In this way we will see, even words of war and wrath, in a merciful way.  The prayer we pray will help us to see where God is in the readings. We should not pry into the Bible but rather pray into the Bible. If a person doesn’t pray into the Bible he or she shouldn’t even bother reading the Bible.  The prophetic message comes through the words in the Bible riding on the faith of the reader.

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 week 1 of Advent

AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; PM Psalm 4, 7  Amos 2:6-16; 2 Pet. 1:1-11; Matt. 21:1-11

“His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us byhis own glory and goodness.”  (2Peter 3)

St. Peter proclaims that God has given us all that we need for life and godliness.  The life part we share with all living creatures.  We all breathe and consume and grow.  What makes humanity different is that we also have all that we need to live our God-given lives in a godly way.

Perhaps the first thing that we should recognize about God is that God is Creator.  Notice the big “C.”  We humans then, created in the Image of God and being godly are naturally creators.  Notice the little “c.”

God is Creator in all ways.  Most of us are creators in specific ways.  Some of us are creators in just a few ways or maybe only one way, but it is the godly part of us and we should not deny it.

Also part of the godly part is the implanted love of God that is in us but too often denied.  This love part was modeled for us by God in the person of our Lord Jesus. And we have it “through the knowledge of him who called us byhis own glory and goodness.”

When I read these words attributed to Peter I realize that God in our Lord Jesus Christ was still at work in the one who denied Him three times.  When we deny our gifts we too deny God who created us and gifted us.  Our life’s search should be to discover our hidden talents.  All of us have a godly part within us. If we have life (check your pulse) then we have love and at least one godly gift.

Let me say that it is through love that your godly gift is discovered.  Don’t resist the urge to just let go and let God.  Experiment through love the many and manifold ways that you might express happiness.  The rest of us are waiting to see what God has given you.  We are waiting in this Advent time of expectation to see something new born in 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+

Eucharistic Readings for the 1^st Sunday of Advent Year A

Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44

“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father….. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”  (Matthew 24: 36 and 44)

According to Douglas Hare writing for Interpretation; a Bible Commentary; on the Gospel of Matthew. “God is postponing the last judgment so that many more might have a chance to hear and accept the Gospel. This is a time for worldwide evangelism.”

To hear and accept the Gospel is reminiscent of the “come and believe” message that we heard on Thanksgiving Day.  It is the bread of coming and the drink of believing.  Very often in scripture the same coded message is reconfigured or repackaged with the same lesson. We get this message in church, or we should.

Perhaps the best message we can give to others is to, “Try church again.”  Bring a friend to Church. Be that friend who brings someone to church and when you do, stay with them through the opening readings.  Stay with them through the liturgy of the Table (Communion). Stay with them at coffee hour.  And then invite them back.  This is the time for worldwide evangelism!

But wait, there’s more!  Now is the time to let people know that they should not be complacent in their good intentions.  We need to recognize that there is a God and that God is good (All the time). God wants all humanity to be saved.  God is not a scarce resource.  Heaven has the capacity to house all the people of the world and then some. Red, Yellow, Black or White, we are precious in His sight.  But people need to know it. And you need to tell them. Or, bring them to church and I’ll tell them.

If God is postponing the last judgment as Hare suggests, we have this narrow door to walk through. Each of us should play our part in leading others through the narrow door.  We must stay vigilant however to keep our eye on the door.   Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day our Lord is coming.

Now is our chance to challenge our Lord Jesus!  Since we don’t know when our Lord Jesus is coming we have to be ready all the time.  That means living our lives in constant reverence.  Our Lord Jesus says he is coming at an unexpected hour. The way to counter that is to make every hour “expected.”  So we must expect him all the time, every hour.  In this way we show him that we can be persistent. We can overcome his low expectation of us by expecting the unexpected. And then we can say, “I was expecting 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+

Eucharistic Readings for St. Andrew

Deuteronomy 30:11-14  Psalm 19 or 19:1-6 Romans 10:8b-18   Matthew 4:18-22 [John 1:40 – 42]

“One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed” (John 1:40 – 42)

So I cheated by adding a passage from the Gospel of John.  Matthew only mentions Andrew as one of the twelve.  I wanted more information on Andrew to be shown.  Gospel versions don’t compete with each other, they are all correct, just seen from different perspectives.  We need them all and with prayer, we might, with God’s help, come to some deeper understanding.

As a member of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, I am proud to say that we are a gathering of men trying to bring men to Christ as did our namesake, Andrew. We are committed to Prayer, Study and Service.  I hope as we bring men to Christ their lives are changed for the better and for the Gospel of Christ. I now yield to James Kiefer:

“Most references to Andrew in the New Testament simply include him on a list of the Twelve Apostles, or group him with his brother, Simon Peter. But he appears acting as an individual three times in the Gospel of John. When a number of Greeks (perhaps simply Greek-speaking Jews) wish to speak with Jesus, they approach Philip, who tells Andrew, and the two of them tell Jesus (Jn 12:20-22). (It may be relevant here that both “Philip” and “Andrew” are Greek names.) Before Jesus feeds the Five Thousand, it is Andrew who says, “Here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish.” (Jn 6:8f) And the first two disciples whom John reports as attaching themselves to Jesus (Jn 1:35-42) are Andrew and another disciple (whom John does not name, but who is commonly supposed to be John himself — John never mentions himself by name, a widespread literary convention). Having met Jesus, Andrew then finds his brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. Thus, on each occasion when he is mentioned as an individual, it is because he is instrumental in bringing others to meet the Saviour. In the Episcopal Church, the Fellowship of Saint Andrew is devoted to encouraging personal evangelism, and the bringing of one’s friends and colleagues to a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ.” (JamesKiefer@http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Andrew.htm)

We are trying to make a positive Christian difference in the world.  Every Saturday we Brothers Andrew say this prayer, “Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”  (BCP p. 237)

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 29 Year 1

AM Psalm 140, 142; PM Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12)  Isa. 24:14-23; 1 Pet. 3:13-4:6; Matt. 20:17-28

“Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3: 15)

Peter says to figure out what your heart is set on and hope for the best.   Hope for good to be done and that all people are given what they need to be the best that they can be. 

I have said that as we age and mature our values shift or change.  How about hope?  Can or should what we hope for, shift or change?  I think so.  I think our hopes are directly linked to our values. 

Some people have no hope.  Often they are down trodden and want you to be the same.  Resist this kind of negative influence.  Be strong. Hope well. Give people hope.  I am reminded of a lady who came to see me during a meeting.  I went to her to explain that now is not a good time but that after my meeting I would attend to her.  The woman, who needed financial assistance, was tired and apparently had a sense of urgency.  To cut to the chase, she asked if this church had ever “hoped” anyone before.  I didn’t’ know what she meant at first. But then I realized that she was using an improper form of the word “help” and wanted to know if our church had ever helped anyone before.  I told her yes but asked her to sit in the sanctuary until my meeting was over.  When the meeting was over, she was gone.  Wished I could have helped her.  But she helped me.  Using her language I believe we are called to give people hope.  I know hope is not a verb but we should hope people.  And good hope will do.  Over time it will evolve along God’s will. But first people must have hope.  We Christians are supposed to hope them.

We must understand that God has provided all creation with all that we need. Since we believe that God’s will, will be done, our hope is personal. We hope that we can witness God’s will being done during our earthly lifetime. So this then is our defense, that we give hope to others as they live into the path that God has set them on.

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