onewhoponders

Readings for Albert Schweitzer September 4, 1965

Psalm 46:1-8 Sirach 39:1-11  Ephesians 6:10-18 Luke 1:57-75

“He seeks out the wisdom of all the ancients, and is concerned with prophecies; he preserves the sayings of the famous and penetrates the subtleties of parables; he seeks out the hidden meanings of proverbs and is at home with the obscurities of parables.”  (Sirach 39:1 – 3)

“Albert Schweitzer was an accomplished musician, an insightful theologian, a pioneering medical doctor, and noted humanitarian. Schweitzer was born on January 14, 1875, in Kayserburg in the disputed Alsace-Lorraine region, the son of a Lutheran pastor. He began studying music at an early age, and took to the organ. At the age of 18, he began studying with the noted French organist Charles-Marie Widor, with whom he studied the music and theology of Johann Sebastian Bach.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for September 4)

Schweitzer was truly a renaissance man in that he was a life-long learner and was not afraid to begin a new field of study at any time during his long life. I like that about him.  But chiefly I like his attitude regarding the results of learning.  It had to lead to a modification of behavior for him, a change in the way he went about his life as a result of what he learned.

Some of my sources also reveal that he was not afraid to take issue with some commentary about the words of Jesus and how Jesus understood the timely coming of heaven.

“Schweitzer’s philosophical and theological study crystallized around the importance of ethics. Knowledge, in his view, was incomplete if it did not lead to direct action. As a result, Schweitzer decided to earn a medical degree in order to relieve human suffering. After receiving the M.D. degree in 1913, he travelled to Gabon and served as a medical doctor there as an embodiment of his commitment to follow Christ.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for September 4)

I am proud to say also that unless my studies lead to a productive behavioral change I have  wasted my time.  For me, this is the “direct action” that Schweitzer was talking about. What’s the use of learning the Golden Rule, for example, if we are going to be mean to people anyway?  We must learn, and then change or improve our approach to life.

“Schweitzer received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his “ethic of reverence for life.” He explained this ethic as “the universal, encompassing ethic of love. It is the perceived ethic of Jesus expressed in necessarily thoughtful form.” The chief calling of Christians was to work in the spirit of Jesus in order to make present the Kingdom of God. Schweitzer lived this understanding through his tireless efforts on behalf of his patients, in his public criticism of European colonialism in Africa, and in his appeals for the abolishment of nuclear tests and weapons.”    (Great Cloud of Witnesses for September 4)  I too believe we Christians can “make present” the Kingdom of God, here and now but it takes work.  It is the work derived from the wisdom of all the ancients.

 Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people.  John+

Readings for Prudence Crandall Teacher and Prophetic Witness, 1890: September 3^rd

Psalm 86:11-17 Habakkuk 3:16-19 Acts 24:10-21 Luke 9:62–10:2

“He [Jesus] said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  (Luke 10:2)

Truly this verse from Luke has meaning for Prudence Crandall whom we remember today, September 3^rd.  Crandall answered a call to a labor of love in her unappreciated efforts to educate young girls of all walks of life.

“In 1831, Crandall started a girl’s school in Canterbury, Connecticut, where she educated the daughters of the town’s wealthy families. In 1833 she admitted to her school a young African American girl named Sarah Harris, who wanted an education so that she could in turn teach other African American children. The parents of the white children at Crandall’s school were outraged and demanded Harris’s expulsion, but Crandall refused and decided to open a new school for African American girls.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for August 3)  Here the Psalmist for today also strikes and applicable chord where it is written, “The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a band of violent men seeks my life; they have not set you before their eyes.”  (Psalm 86:14)

I feel it is very important to remember these hidden heroes who do God’s work in difficult situations.  I especially think teachers are important as they shape the young minds of those who will move into leadership positions in our future.  And while Crandall was treated hatefully, she was steadfast in her resolve to do good at whatever level she could despite resentment and threats from the community.  

However, “In 1886 a petition endorsed by Mark Twain and signed by more than a hundred citizens of that state, expressing their regret and shame over her treatment, persuaded the Connecticut state legislature to award her a pension. Prudence Crandall died in 1890, and today she is recognized as the official State Heroine of Connecticut.” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for August 3)  So here again the words of the Psalmist for today apply, “Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed; because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” (Psalm 86:17)

The lesson here is simple.  When God calls us to do holy work we are not to worry about the negativity of the people around us.  God has often placed new work in the midst of problem areas because that is exactly where it is needed. And more than that, you may be exactly the person God wants to use to make the difference. Thank You Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people. John+

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 17 Year 1

AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15 2 Chron. 6:32-7:7; James 2:1-13; Mark 14:53-65

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvelous works.”  (Psalm 9:1)

I found this first verse of Psalm 9 most reflective of how I feel towards God.  I am thankful for my existence realizing that I didn’t have to be at all.  I am fully aware that some people seem to exist only to suffer.  And that is a shame. I don’t believe suffering is what God wants for anyone.

I do tell people of my experiences with God and how God has often communicated to me (through others) God’s love for all people. I do not understand how come we don’t let ourselves have compassion for others. Perhaps we relate to others without going through God.  I believe this is why we are commanded to love God first and then to love others as God loves us.

I believe the awareness of the presence of God ought to be the first lesson a child is taught. I think to learn to sit still and just be open to the Presence of God and to understand that one’s own existence and the existence of others has come into being because of the Creator’s initiative is so important.

It is for the opportunity to be in loving relationship with others that I give thanks to the Lord, as the Psalmist says. And “I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing to your Name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:2) 

I fully realize that there are hateful people all around us.  And this is sad.  It is not what God wants however.  The rest of us must not live in despair.  We can’t let hate win.  More of us need to “give thanks to God and tell of God’s marvelous works” as they are revealed to us in our own life experiences. Again I must say, I can never see what God is doing in the moment, but I can always look back and see what God has done.  And for this gift of realizing that God is actively present in our lives, I for one, am truly thankful.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people. John+

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday Proper 17 Year C

“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  (Luke 14:11)

Words by Mac Davis; “O Lord it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way, I can’t wait to look in the mirror cause I get better looking each day.”  Funny the way humility works.  If you brag about it, it’s lost.  Sorry Mac.

Humility is so lacking in our society today. However, it is very much needed.  We all need people who put community first.  We need more people who want to take a back seat to the needs of the welfare of family, of neighbors and of friends.

Humility is the insistence on my needs being taken care of only after the needs of others have been taken care of.  Humility is putting others first without the thought of recognition or reward for putting others first. It is just a way of life. Once we learn to reduce our needs we are better enabled to tend to the needs of others who may be in more dire straits than ourselves.

Self promoting seems to be the way of the world today. But as Christians we are called to be “other promoting.”  When I look at group photos I try to see who is in the back or partially behind someone.  It’s hard because they are usually blocked by someone “more important.”

Our Church is maintained by the humble. We are maintained by an Altar guild we never see but are cared for by them in the table being set and service materials properly placed.  We are financially functioning because unseen tellers receive, count and account for contributions every Sunday. These are just two of the many “hidden” humble who serve us from the love in their hearts.

Perhaps the most humble act today is just showing up.  You don’t have to be special, you just have to be.  Show up to visit someone sick; show up to take someone to an appointment; show up to attend a meeting.  All of these are selfless acts that are so meaningful to those you serve and remember the words from the letter to the Hebrews: “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:1 – 2)

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people. John+

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 16 Year 1

AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117 1 Kings 7:51-8:21; Acts 28:17-31; Mark 14:43-52

“Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” (Acts 28:28)

Here again is one of those weird quirks in the Bible where there is a missing verse.  There is no verse 29!  Some manuscripts include here “After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves” There is a verse 30 and 31, (For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!) What does your Bible say about verse 29?

This pretty much ends Acts.  We started with Luke speaking about Peter’s experiences and we end with Paul and his experiences.  Paul leaves us with the facts that the Gentiles will listen. Ethnically, most Christians today fall into the category of the Nations, or the Gentiles.

But this is more than labels. This is really about who will listen.  And this word listen is more than just hearing; it goes straight to believing and trusting.  It seems that God is more concerned with what we believe than what our biology is.

What I get from Acts is that both Peter and Paul are Israelites who were commissioned to carry the message of eternal life and salvation through Jesus the Son of God to ALL people.  We are given a temporary window of opportunity (this life) to have eternal life and all we have to do as believe, but also, behave in accordance with our Christian beliefs.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people.  John+

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 16 Year 1

AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22 1 Kings 5:1-6:1,7; Acts 28:1-16; Mark 14:27-42

“So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and the two of them made a treaty.”  (1 Kings 5:12)

God promised Solomon wisdom and bestowed wisdom upon him.  Solomon then worked with Hiram, king of Tyre and they formed a constructive friendship that had begun with Hiram’s friendship with David, Solomon’s father. It seems to me that part of Solomon’s wisdom was the understanding that he would need other people to accomplish what he wanted to do.  Even Solomon with all his wealth could not build a house to God without the help of people outside his control and his beliefs.  Perhaps this could be our wisdom as well.

There were many levels and all kinds of craftsmen and other workers going about the business of building the House to the Lord.  They had people working with cutting down trees from the forests of Lebanon.  They had ship’s crews transporting the wood to Israel. They had stone cutters and stone finishers such that no tool of iron was heard in and around the assembly site in Jerusalem. But everything went together really well as if by the very hand of God,

I think the same is true today.  In order to have a viable church we must have agreement among the leadership like Solomon and Hiram and we must have influence with the people who have the talent that can bring the church together and continue to maintain it. Some of the support for the church comes from within the church and some from around the church through other community help organizations such as schools, urban ministries, and well known and established charitable organizations like the Red Cross and United Way and others. All such efforts are to the glory of God and there is no need to always re-invent the wheel. 

We just had our “Crank Up.”  This is what we call our annual “fill the needs of the Church” recruitment program.  We will only know the success of our efforts as time goes by. But this recruitment is reaching to people already in the pews.  David went to Tyre. Perhaps today our churches need to humble ourselves and reach to agencies outside its walls that have the shared goal of helping the needy. 

Finally, there is the idea of building a house for God within ourselves.  This should be the first house built.  Solomon already had a house for God within himself before he ventured out. Solomon prayed for understanding and so should we.  We need, inside ourselves, that house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. Once this house is established the brick and mortar house will not be far behind and the one already established will not only be viable, it will have vitality.

Let us ponder anew what the Almighty is doing. John+

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 16: Year 1

AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50 1 Kings 3:16-28; Acts 27:27-44; Mark 14:12-26

“Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”  (Acts 27: 31)

When I read Paul’s words I think of the Titanic!  The situation was reversed.  All who stayed on that ship lost their lives.

Our Church is a ship.  Sometimes this ship travels through rough seas.

I’m still remembering Augustine from last night.  I preached on him at my Healing service.  “Augustine asserted that the Church was “holy,” not because its members could be proved holy, but because holiness was the purpose of the Church, to which all its members are called.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for August 28). As I live deeper into both Paul and Augustine I see both the ship and the church as anchors for safety. 

Paul was sent to the Gentiles and it was the centurion and the soldiers he was trying to save in this particular event. This ship motif is a perfect metaphor for extending salvation to those outside Israel.   Augustine proclaims the church, not so much the people ourselves that are holy but the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within the Church that makes it holy.  The church is the gathered community. There is safety in the collective body of Christ

There are some similarities between the ship’s crew and the churches parishioners.  Both come to know their fellow travelers.  Some they get along with, some they don’t.  At some level everybody knows they need each other to make the ship or church work properly.  No one can do it alone.

The temptation to leave the ship or church always lurks in the minds of the frustrated ones.  Paul advises us that unless we stay we cannot be saved. To quote the Hymn, “The Churches one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.”  Therefore, it is Jesus Christ that we are holding on to, not the brick and mortar structures or even floatation devices that could take the path of the Titanic.

As we come to terms with our mortality and our place in the universe we come to the realization that there is a Master Planner, a Higher Power, the Great Architect of the universe. In every understanding of God there must be an acknowledgement that we are to come together for the unified and agreed purpose of honoring God; this is the Church.  It is a humbling experience. We are admitting that we, in and of ourselves, are not the end-all to our own salvation. We need to come together at some level of agreement about God for our own salvation. We are on a journey and we need to stay on the ship of our choice to be saved even if we are upset with some of the crew or fellow passengers from time to time. I have been stationed aboard naval ships twice.  At sea is sometimes rough, but pulling into port is wonderful.  This is a time of forgiving each other and having a good time. Thank You Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through God’s people. John+

Readings for Augustine of Hippo Bishop and Theologian (28 August 430)

Psalm 87 Hebrews 12:22-29  John 14:6-15

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14: 6 – 7)

“Augustine, perhaps the greatest theologian in the history of Western Christianity, was born in 354 at Tagaste in North Africa. In his restless search for truth, he was attracted by Manichaeism and Neoplatonism, and was constantly engaged in an inner struggle with his personal morals. Finally, under the influence of his mother Monnica, Augustine surrendered to the Christian faith in the late summer of 386. He was baptized by Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, on Easter Eve in 387.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for August 28)

John 14:6 -7 reflects the life of Augustine well as he was a deeply contemplative man who struggled to know who God is. He studied many of the spiritual paths of his day.  Finally his mother, Monnica, was able to convince him to be baptized.  Shortly after he was baptized Monnica died. We should be ever thankful for her contribution to Christian theology; she is another mother who gave us her son. While Monnica was coaxing him into baptism perhaps for his own soul, the Church has benefitted greatly because of her bringing him into the Christian fold.

“Augustine asserted that the Church was “holy,” not because its members could be proved holy, but because holiness was the purpose of the Church, to which all its members are called.”  (Great Cloud of Witnesses for August 28)  Even today we refer to our Church as God’s one holy catholic and apostolic Church.  The Church is here for us sinners.  I thank God that there is a place like the Church for us.

Augustine also said “Do not think that God makes no use of evil.” He contends that “evil will either persuade you join it, or will cause the not-so-evil among us abandon their evil ways and follow you and do good.”  Augustine’s point is that while God does not cause evil, God is watching how we relate to evil. Do we give in and join, or do we resist and draw people away from evil? This message is given every Wednesday in Holy Week here at St Paul’s.  It makes us think about what lurks around us and in us.  We must always be on guard.

 After all his searching and visiting various faith traditions, Augustine finally listened to his mother and was baptized into the Christian faith, and we Christians have benefited from that.  Thanks Monnica. At the time of her death she knew that she would not get back to her home in north Africa. She told Augustine not to worry because the Lord would find her wherever she was. She was a woman of amazing faith.   Augustine of Hippo died on August 28, 430.

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John+

“Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.  And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’ (Mark 13: 35 – 37)

From the Mark Reading for today comes this caution from Jesus, “Keep awake.”  I have read in some translations where this read, “Keep Alert.”  And to that an old friend of mine added “everybody needs a little “Lert.”  It has no particular meaning but somewhat funny to say.

Jesus’ caution however has a very important meaning and Jesus points out that this message is for all people. I think it means to be sober about our daily lives.  I don’t think it literally means to not sleep.  That would not be wise or healthy. I think it has something to do with how we live our daily lives.

Lately I have been pondering that I am the habits I keep and I am the food that I eat.  Now the latter part of this is not new.  Many health enthusiasts have been saying for a long time that we are what we eat.  The implication here is that if we eat junk, we are junk. If we eat healthy foods, we are, or should be, more healthy.  So, from a spiritual perspective, if we eat Holy Food (Communion) we are a Holy People! 

Now the first part has to do with being the habits I keep.  Here is where I try to stay committed to a daily routine of exercise, prayer and study, I really mean every day. Having said that I also, as you can tell from my blogs, I ponder and or study scripture every day.  This study is a form of praying.  It is a way of staying awake and attentive to the Presence of the Holy that dwells in me and in the world out there. Yes, I sleep. I have to. I need it.  But I also need to live a liturgical life.

Just as we have certain ritualistic procedures to perform in the Holy Eucharist so too we should have set ways of conducting our day to day habits. I will use myself as an example.  I rise every day at four am.  I dress for physical success, that is, my sweats. I then go to the kitchen and start the coffee brewing.  While coffee is brewing I go to the garage and workout. Its pushups, pull ups, sit ups, dips, leg lifts, squats, and toe touching bends at the waist.  This is my morning liturgy.  I thank God every time I complete each set of exercises.  So when I finish each I say aloud, “Thank You Jesus.”  It is my first prayer of my daily liturgy.

After this I drink water and take a cup of coffee upstairs to re-chew my pondering cud for my onewhoponders blog.  All of this is “staying awake” to me. I have a set pattern of how I do things.  In this way I live my life in an intentional, liturgical way. There truly is a method to my madness.

I do have free time during the day for family and friends but I am put back on track for guitar and piano practice which I also try to practice every day. Music is another way for me to pray.  I also like operating my model trains before bed.  These set patterns or liturgies keep me grounded while also keeping me awake to what God in Christ Jesus is doing in me and in our world. And our liturgical rhythms should be an integral part of God’s work in the world. We pray, “Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name.” (BCP p. 372) This is the nexus of where the two liturgies meet; the personal and the communal. Staying awake also means staying awake to what God is doing in you personally. God should happen in you before you happen out there.

Let us ponder anew what the Almighty is doing. John+

A Reflection from Reading Paul’s letter to Philemon

I did  a presentation last night at one of our local, historically African American Episcopal parishes, remembering that it was four hundred years ago that the first slaves were brought to the American colonies from Africa. I was assigned to read and reflect on Paul’s letter to Philemon.

Paul was writing to a person who was indebted to Paul. Paul claims a superior status to Philemon, at least as members of the new Christian Church, and even the congregation that meets in Philemon’s home. Paul says, “I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.”  What if Paul had not been jailed and given a chance to ponder this? Many of the saints that I have studied were imprisoned or under some kind of arrest or convalescing from an illness wherein they received spiritual insight. So Paul’s appealing to Philemon comes from Paul’s own lockdown and opportunity to ponder.

Paul continues, “But I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced.”  Paul wants Philemon to change from within, not from without.  This is an opportunity for Philemon to cleanse his soul. This is an opportunity for Philemon to evaluate what it means to walk in the Way of Christian relationship.

Slaves don’t end the desire to have slaves. There may be uprisings and revolts but the real demise of slavery is to destroy it in the heart of folk. The so called slave masters who decide to turn and follow the real Jesus, end slavery, and better yet, end the idea of slavery as immoral and sinful.

Jonathan Daniels, a white seminarian who died saving Ruby Sales in 1965, had every opportunity to not get involved with the racism that was going on in Alabama.  But he returned to that place because of a turning in his heart. And while it cost him his life, he was a major turning of the heart for many white people to take a look at what real Christianity looks like.

Howard Thurman, in his book, Jesus and the Disinherited, (whose grandmother did not care for Paul’s writings) when asked to go and speak to a mostly white audience about racism and discrimination,  asked “why?”  He argued that “Negros did not commit the sin here. I and my kind were the victims in this travesty. But I’ll go.” I think this is what Paul is saying to Philemon. He is having Philemon to look at Onesimus as victim and wants him to be moved from victim to brother. Much of our victimization today is based on skin color, perhaps not so much for Onesimus.

The paradigm of skin color transcends race and is a false god, but unfortunately gained negative traction. This traction is made manifest even within African American Communities. The Brown paper bag test is something I grew up with as a child in Nashville, Tennessee.  As I lived between two predominately African American colleges (Fisk University, and [at the time] Tennessee A&I, later to be Tennessee State University) my mother would say that if the skin color of a student was paper-bag brown or lighter they probably attended Fisk, but if darker, they attended A&I. Most of the time it proved to be true, at least in the 50’s and 60’s. The new Baal for us is Race. And it too is a false god. And it pervades even down through those taught to worship it, even against themselves.

Other gods of discrimination and oppression manifest a modern slavery with their respective masters. There is the slavery of Religion in this country where false Christianity tries to use the whip on other walks of faith. There is Nationality where American citizens consider all other nationalities less than children of God. There is Sexual Orientation where heterosexuals make no room for gays and lesbians to live in comfort. There is Mental Illness where so-called sane people try to overlord those with intellectual or emotional challenges. All of these are manifestations of modern day slavery.

We as Christians are called to break the false gods that enslave people, no matter what our station in life is.  Paul says “in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced.”  Every one of us needs to ponder about who we are enslaving. At some level we all may be Philemon, left to ponder about what to do about our relationship with our Onesimus. And now as Paul ends his letter, so I too close:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.  Amen.

Blessings, John+