onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 21 Year 1

AM Psalm 97, 99, [100]; PM Psalm 94, [95] 2 Chron. 29:1-3,30:1(2-9)10-27; 1 Cor. 7:32-40; Matt. 7:1-12

“Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old; he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done.” (2 Chronicles 29:1 – 3)

I like this introduction to Hezekiah.  I have often thought that something like this would be nice on my grave marker. It would read, “John Thomas Frazier: went out on his own at age eighteen years of age. His mother’s name was Evelyn; he did what was right in the sight of the Lord according to the doctrine and edicts of the Episcopal Church.” I like the naming of the mother and making her proud of how I lived my dash.

We all live in the dash!  That is, we have the date we are born, then the dash (-), and then the date we die. The dash is what we make it.  However, knowing what I want on my grave marker encourages me to live into the “he tried to do what was right in the sight of the Lord” part, more realistically. I want my dash to be something that honors God and encourages people to believe in the love of God.

Some of the Bible introductions in the Old Testament say that “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” I don’t want that one, and neither should you.  What if all grave markers were required to say something about how you lived your life?! Even if we are cremated, a plaque or other sign designating our finality had to say something about how we lived our life.  While I am not one to get excited about death and dying I do think some words about a person should be written for those who might come looking for the closure of one’s life, if for nothing more than personal or family history’s sake.

I am reminded that death is not the end, but rather the transition from one kind of life that is temporal to another kind of life that is eternal. But the ancient words of scripture inform me that what I do in this life prepares the accommodations for the next. I refer back to Sunday’s Gospel of Luke 16:19-31.  And the next life will be eternal.  What kind of accommodations would you like for all eternity? Let’s practice the dash of doing what is right in the sight of the Lord now.

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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 21 year 1

AM Psalm 89:1-18; PM Psalm 89:19-52 2 Kings 17:24-41; 1 Cor. 7:25-31; Matt. 6:25-34

Psalm 89:6 &7

(6) I called upon the Lord in my distress *
and cried out to my God for help.

(7) He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; *
my cry of anguish came to his ears.

I believe crying is one of the most effective ways of praying a human can do.  I also ponder if crying is uniquely human.  Perhaps someone out there reading this can reply back with an answer.

There are many instances in the Bible where crying is responded to from heaven.  The one I like to recall is from Genesis where Hagar is forced to leave the camp of Abraham with her son Ishmael. “Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.”   (Genesis 21:16 – 17)

Again, there are several such times of God responding to tears in the Bible.  What I glean from this continual reoccurrence is that the message is true, God’s ears hears tears! The boy Ishmael perhaps did not yet know God but God was in tune with him. God has implanted in every one of us a signaling device that will notify God whenever distress happens that cause tears.  And like the boy Ishmael, it makes no difference what, or even if, we believe. God both believes and loves all the time.

There are some who say that crying is a form of weakness.  I will argue that if crying brings in God then crying is the most powerful force in the universe. If you cry you pray no matter what you say you believe.  It’s out of your control.  However, remember, God can’t be tricked. Real tears bring in the Real God.

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

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 21 Year C

Amos 6:1a,4-7 Psalm 146 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-31

“He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.”   (Luke 16:24)

Referring to another Gospel may be a bit off but when I get what I believe to be related messages I like to call attention to it.  In the Gospel of Matthew we hear Jesus tell Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  (Matthew 16:19) and again the same words in Matthew 18:18 (Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.)

The rich man in Luke’s Gospel experiences this.  He could not let go of his privileged status.  He assumes that because he was important on earth, he is important in heaven.  His world is turned upside down.  He thinks so much of himself that even in his dire situation he will not speak with Lazarus directly.  He thinks himself above him.  What he bound on earth has stuck with him in heaven and is witnessed against him.

While you and I are still in this life on earth we have the opportunity to have “loosed” whatever is going to hinder us in heaven.  We must humble ourselves now so that when that time comes (and it will) we will be on the good side of that great chasm from which no one can cross even if we can talk over it as Father Abraham and the rich man did.

The closer our joys and pains are to each other the less difference it makes if our world is turned upside down.  We should live our lives in moderation. We should appreciate having what we need and at the same time care for those in need as we are able to do so.

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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 20 Year 1

AM Psalm 87, 90; PM Psalm 136 2 Kings 11:1-20a; 1 Cor. 7:10-24; Matt. 6:19-24

“The span of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength even eighty; yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow, for they pass away quickly and we are gone.”  (Psalm 90:10)

I already consider myself very fortunate being over seventy years old.  I have already experienced the passing of friends who did not continue on with me as we aged together.  I have also experienced the death of those who are older but have now passed.  Labor and sorrow, I think are properties of a life, long lived, but I don’t believe it is always the sum of them.

Much of life is joy and happiness.  While there are painful times, there are also times of jubilation. This very day I will preside at the celebration of life of my first Senior Warden and very dear friend.  We took on Saint Paul’s in the Pines together with God’s help.  I could not have done it without her. And while near her end she did suffer some labor and sorrow it certainly was not the sum of her life. She was an educator, mother and loving grandmother and hospital volunteer, just to mention a little of the joy of her life.

Also, I think there needs to be a distinction between labor and sorrow.  Labor, that is work, sweat equity, is a necessary ingredient of a life well lived.  Who knows? Maybe with a little work a happy life span may take us to ninety years, perhaps in strength even a hundred years.  And the sum of those years will be called labors of love, not sorrow.  That’s what I’m shooting for. Thank You Jesus.

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

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 20 Year 1

AM Psalm 88; PM Psalm 91, 92 2 Kings 9:17-37; 1 Cor. 7:1-9; Matt. 6:7-15

Psalm 92:1 – 4

1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, *
and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;

2 To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning *
and of your faithfulness in the night season;

3 On the psaltery, and on the lyre, *
and to the melody of the harp.

4 For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord; *
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.

I really like these opening words of Psalm 92.  This opening helps me express my own thankfulness to God all day long.  I don’t know how many times during the day I say, “Thank You Jesus.” 

I like to point out to friends how God is behind all the good that happens to us. We only get into trouble when we try to take on our own destiny. There is so much truth in the saying, “Let go, and let God.”  I pray for others regularly.  Sometimes it’s just a voice on the phone, sometimes it’s a friend of a friend.  But the word I leave with all of them is that God is Good, all the time.

Also, as verse three recommends, I often express my joy and thanksgiving for God on my guitar, or key board. I recommend singing to everybody.  The quality of your voice is not important. Just sing to the Lord and express your joy for all the good that God is doing for you.  Even if people around you are acting badly, God is still good.  Be able to separate the two.  Don’t let what people do to upset you get mixed up with the good in your life that God is doing. There is a clear difference.

Just be happy about the good in your life and give thanks to God for the loving works that God is doing for you. Thank You Jesus!

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

Readings for Lancelot Andrewes Bishop and Scholar (September 26 1626)

Psalm 63:1-7 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 11:1-4

“Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626), Bishop of Winchester, was on the committee of scholars that produced the King James Translation of the Bible, and probably contributed more to that work than any other single person. It is accordingly no surprise to find him not only a devout writer but a learned and eloquent one, a master of English prose, and learned in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and eighteen other languages.”  (James Keifer)

Here I am going to deviate from the assigned readings for Lancelot Andrewes and use the opening of the Gospel of Luke as a segue into this Bishop.

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1 – 4)

Like Luke who was an educated man, a physician and Greek writer, Lancelot Andrewes too was an educated man who was devoted to annotating details of his own theology which was only discovered after his passing. “Andrewes was a very devout man, and one of his most admired works is his Preces Privatae (“Private Devotions”), an anthology from the Scriptures and the ancient liturgies, compiled for his own use. It illustrates his piety and throws light on the sources of his theology.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for September 26)

All of us who believe in God have a theology.  Few of us have articulated it even though we weekly recite the Nicene Creed, but often it’s just keeping up with the Church service.  And even fewer of us have gone to the point of writing it down.  Luke did and so did Lancelot Andrewes, and so can you. If you believe there is a God, then you have a personal theology.

When I sit with people in spiritual counsel I often ask them to journal.  From many I get the eye roll.  But journaling is spiritual growth.  We are never a finished product.  We are always evolving. Journaling helps us to see our progress.  And who knows, after you have passed, the words you have put to paper may be life-changing for family and friends who come after you.  Such words may mean more to them than any material thing you might leave them.

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

Readings forSergius Abbot of Holy Trinity (25 September 1392)

Proverbs 4:1-9 Psalm 87 1 John 2:15-17 Luke 8:16-21

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.”  (1 John 2:15 – 17)

To the people of Russia, Sergius is a national hero and an example of Russian spiritual life at its best.

Sergius was born around 1314, the son of a farmer. When he was twenty, he and his brother began to live as hermits in a forest near Moscow. Others joined them in what became the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, a center for the renewal of Russian Christianity. Pilgrims came from all Russia to worship and to receive spiritual instruction, advice, and encouragement. The Russians were at the time largely subservient to the neighboring (non-Christian) Tatar (or Tartar) people. Sergius rallied the people behind Prince Dimitri Donskoi, who defeated the Tatars in 1380 and established an independent Russia. (From James Kiefer and the Great Cloud of Witnesses for September 25)

It seems that Sergius followed the instructions of 1^st John about not loving the world.  He retreated into the forest and began a monastic order.  This kind of retreat happens from time to time in Christian history.  I am reminded of the Desert Fathers, of Benedict and others who got fed up with the deprived state of government.

“Sergius was simple and gentle in nature, mystical in temperament, and eager to ensure that his monks should serve the needs of their neighbors. He was able to inspire intense devotion to the Orthodox faith. He died in 1392, and pilgrims still visit his shrine at the monastery of Sergiyev Posad (known as Zagorsk in the Soviet era), which he founded in 1340.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for September 25)

We ourselves are a part of God’s creation.  We are placed among more of God’s Creation.  We should enjoy it but not worship it.  All glory and worship goes to God.  Sergius is yet another monastic who influenced local political powers to recognize and return to the liturgy of the Church as foundational to good order and in so doing grounded them in the hope of God’s hand in all their doings.  He was simple, gentle and mystical.  Sounds like he patterned himself after Jesus to me. 

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

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 20 Year 1

AM Psalm 78:1-39; PM Psalm 78:40-72 2 Kings 5:19-27; 1 Cor. 5:1-8; Matt. 5:27-37

“He went in and stood before his master; and Elisha said to him, ‘Where have you been, Gehazi?’ He answered, ‘Your servant has not gone anywhere at all.’ But he said to him, ‘Did I not go with you in spirit when someone left his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept money and to accept clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves?” (2 Kings 5:25 – 26)

Gehazi examples for us a poor choice in character brought on by greed and envy.  He has every opportunity to receive the legacy that started with Elijah and passed on to Elisha. Gehazi would be next in line to receive it.  Elisha was already with Gehazi in spirit which is what he had asked of Elijah as he saw Elijah taken up by the chariots of fire.  But instead Gehazi forfeits his mentorship for some material things.

As life has it, one bad move often leads to another. Gehazi goes to Naaman to make him give up something for the cure he received and to obtain wealth for himself.  Then, he feels he has to lie to his master Elisha.  Oh what a tangle web we weave. My take-away in this story is to not devalue good mentors.  Gehazi was blessed to be in the tutelage of Elisha.  But he lost it.

Every human being should find two or more people they admire and then aspire to be like them in some way.  In this day and age we have the added advantage of books and the world wide web that can assist us with the personal attributes of just about anybody in the world, living or deceased. We can pattern parts of our lives after someone’s vocation, theology, habits and/or hobbies.  

In my own walk on this earth I meet people with unique expressions of their experiences. I am a copycat of sorts. Little idiosyncrasies that I find delightful in others I adopt for myself.  I pray that as I am more and more a composite of the good I perceive in others that I too will be a good person.  I am still a Christian under construction.  Jesus is the foundational person that I build on.  I work hard to not let greed, envy or strife lead me away from the personality of Jesus and others I want to be like.

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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 20 Year 1

AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79] 2 Kings 5:1-19; 1 Cor. 4:8-21; Matt. 5:21-26

“But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!”  (2 Kings 5:11)

Naaman is just like the rest of us. We not only know what we want God to do for us, we also know how we want God to do it.

Yet this is the same God who always surprises.  This is the same God who led the Israelites through the sea in search of the Promised Land.  Now this Commander of the army is acting on the information of a nameless servant girl who tells of a prophet who can cure him.

In our Second King’s story today God is using Elisha to cure Naaman but Naaman already has it in his head what his cure should look like. Also, Naaman has an ego.  He is irritated that Elisha does not come out to meet him but rather sends his servant out to give him instruction. It seems to Naaman that who he is (Naaman) is more important than what he wants (to be healed). Naaman says, “I thought that for me he would come out…”  Sometimes a few of us are Naaman.

I have been with people who ignored receptionist and clerks by walking past them and through doors to whomever they wanted to see. They, like Naaman, feel privileged or entitled. If I asked them about their lack of protocol the response usually equates to “I thought that for me,” it would be okay.

In this healing story it takes another nameless servant (besides the servant girl) to make Naaman realize that in order for him to be healed he first has to humble himself to obey the simple instruction he was given. The solution was not hard but it required Naaman to put aside what he thought was important and to do as he was told.  This is yet another example of God working for us, through us. What is God trying hard to do for you through nameless people?

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

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday Proper 20 of Year C

Amos 8:4-7 Psalm 113 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13

“He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.”  (Luke 16:6)

In this world of the power of money we should always remember to let compassion rule over cash. I think we only created money so that trade for much needed items, from someone else, could be conducted with a less perishable medium.  Live stock, olive oil, grain, fish, fruit and other food items will not hold up for long.  Currency in the form of coins, on the other hand, will often last a lifetime and can even be handed down to following generations. But money was always about the ability to take care of the needs of the family and community.  This was the idea of people fulfilling their needs and not so much about profit. Money was the means to a needed end.

Then we began to make money the end rather than the means. We began to pursue money for its own end.  Money soon began to be the object of worship. The new replacement priests are the people who have the most money. People with little or no money were people of little or no value. We somehow forgot that money was just a tool for getting what we needed. We forgot we needed each other more than the goods that money would buy. We forgot about being good to those who we knew had less wealth than we did. We should always consider our own fallen state. We are no better than those people we manage or those who have less money than we do. We are all without money in God’s eyes. After his exposure the crafty manager in our Gospel wants to be remembered for how he put money aside in order to help his neighbors. Right now we are creating the memory that others will have of us. Our priorities will be evidenced by where we put people in relation to wealth.  We can’t have it both ways.  We can’t serve God and money. 

This decision to be nice to people only came about when the shrewd manager was told about the accounting that was about to take place. This accounting is going to take place with every one of us.  This is a good time for a review of my personal creed again: “I trust in the Creating Word, through the Holy Spirit of the Incarnate Word, in whom we live and move and love and have our being, and to whom we must give an account.”  And give an account we all must.

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