onewhoponders

Readings for St. Francis of Assisi: Friar, 1226

Galatians 6:14-18 Psalm 121 Matthew 11:25-30

“My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”  (Psalm 121:2)

Psalm 121 is the Psalm our Women’s Bible Study opens with every Tuesday afternoon.  The words are both very familiar to me and meaningful.  I have always looked to the hills and often pondered from where is my help to come.  And, there is some sense deep within my soul that informs me that “my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” I think the same can be said of St Francis of Assisi.

Today we remember St. Francis of Assisi, “the son of a prosperous merchant of Assisi, was born in 1182. His early youth was spent in harmless revelry and fruitless attempts to win military glory.  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for October 4)  I often look for what I have in common with the saints that I share with you.  Like Francis, I too have a military past although I don’t think I was looking for glory. And, I stayed well past my youth.  God has a way of being in our path when the time is right regardless of our age.  And God comes to us in many and different ways.

Legend associates Francis with nature and the creatures of the earth.  Many people have statues of Francis in their gardens.  Perhaps we should have statues of Francis at our homeless shelters and hospitals as well as Francis was a devoted companion of the down trodden.

“Various encounters with beggars and lepers pricked the young man’s conscience, and he decided to embrace a life devoted to Lady Poverty. Despite his father’s intense opposition, Francis totally renounced all material values and devoted himself to serve the poor. In 1210, Pope Innocent III confirmed the simple Rule for the Order of Friars Minor, a name Francis chose to emphasize his desire to be numbered among the “least” of God’s servants.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for October 4)   Francis had many followers to fall away because of his insistence on intentional poverty.  It is so hard for us to not have stuff.   

“Of all the saints, Francis is the most popular and admired but probably the least imitated; few have attained to his total identification with the poverty and suffering of Christ.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for October 4)  Of the several saints I hold as heroes, Francis is not one of them.  I am very much aware of my reliance on some degree of materialism.  I don’t fault myself, but I do practice moderation. And in all this I remember that “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” 

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 Thursday of Proper 21 Year 1

AM Psalm 105:1-22; PM Psalm 105:23-45 2 Kings 18:28-37; 1 Cor. 9:1-15; Matt. 7:22-29

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.”  (Matthew 7:24)

The point here is that obeying Jesus is foundational to faith living. Many Christians like to worship and praise Jesus and that’s good. But even better is to do what Jesus says.  I can remember little “What Would Jesus Do” wrist bands.  Nice, but none of us can really do what Jesus did or is doing.  But we can love God and love our neighbor as ourselves; as Jesus commands us to do.

I have one of those Bibles that has everything that Jesus says in red ink.  It’s very useful for finding everything that Jesus said and then seeing what of what he says is actually telling us what to do. We can’t obey if we can’t find out what he tells us to do.

From the Gospels we are told to let our light shine; let our yes be yes and no be no; to love our enemies; give secretly to the needy; and the golden rule of “do to others what you would have them do to you.” And this is just from Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7.  There are many commands given to us by Jesus that we should be obeying. Perhaps I will list them all for publication one day.

My point is that while we should recognize and worship Jesus as our Savior and the Holy Son of God we must realize Jesus is no trinket to be polished with admiration and set aside.  Jesus utters words that must be followed.  In fact, among the very first words Jesus tells us in every Gospel is “Come,” or “Follow Me,” or a combination of both. Obeying Jesus is not for the faint of heart. It takes practice to not get angry or jealous or resentful or vindictive.  The good news is we don’t have to think about it, we are told to be this way by Jesus. So, we just obey and be happy in our spiritual house built on rock that nothing can destroy.

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 John Raleigh Mott  (January 31, 1955)

Isaiah 60:1-5  Psalm 71:17-24  Luke 7:11-17

“This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.” (Luke 7:17)

This verse from Luke expresses what John Raleigh Mott was all about, that is spreading the word about Jesus.  Interesting that the writer of Luke moves from Nain to “all Judea and surrounding country” when Nain is in Galilee to the north.  In any case, John Raleigh Mott’s day is tomorrow, the 3^rd of October but I am going to preach on him today so here you go. John Mott, a lay person did not let the lack of ordination prevent him from spreading the word about the Gospel.

“John Mott was born in Livingston Manor, New York, on May 25, 1865, and moved with family to Iowa in September of that same year. After graduating from Cornell University in 1888, Mott became student secretary of the International Committee of the YMCA and chairman of the executive committee of the Student Volunteer Movement.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for 3 October)

I just attended a Lutheran Brass Praise gathering yesterday.  It was wonderful.  The musicians were from Germany and absolutely loving people.  I mingle with Baptist, Presbyterians, Methodist, Roman Catholics and my own Episcopalians on almost a daily basis.  I am reminded that while we have all these different paths to heaven, there is only one Jesus. Mott dedicated his life to the propagation of ecumenical evangelization.

“ His [Mott’s] ecumenical work was rooted in the missionary slogan “The Evangelization of the World in this Generation.” Convinced of the need for better cooperation among Christian communions in the global mission field, he served as chairman of the committee that organized the International Missionary Conference in Edinburgh in 1910, over which he also presided. Considered to be the broadest gathering of Christians up to that point, the Conference marked the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement.  Speaking before that Conference, Mott summed up his view of Christian missions: “It is a startling and solemnizing fact that even as late as the twentieth century, the Great Command of Jesus Christ to carry the Gospel to all mankind is still so largely unfulfilled . . . The church is confronted today, as in no preceding generation, with a literally worldwide opportunity to make Christ known.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for 3 October)

One does not have to be clergy to be honored in Christian community. In fact, I think a lay person who participates in the secular world but still follows his or her passion for spreading the Gospel should be given extra recognition. “The World Council of Churches, the founding of which was largely driven by Mott’s efforts, elected him its life-long Honorary President in 1948. Although Mott was a Methodist, the Episcopal Church recognized his work by making him an honorary canon of the National Cathedral. Mott died in 1955.”   (Great Cloud of Witnesses for 3 October)

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 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+