onewhoponders

Eucharistic Readings for Sunday: 5 May 2019 Easter

Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)Psalm 30Revelation 5:11-14John 21:1-19

John

 ^“A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” “He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (NRSV John 21:16-17)

 Volvió a preguntarle: —Simón, hijo de Juan, ¿me amas? Pedro le contestó:—Sí, Señor, tú sabes que te quiero.  Jesús le dijo: —Cuida de mis ovejas. ¹⁷ Por tercera vez le preguntó: —Simón, hijo de Juan, ¿me quieres? Pedro, triste porque le había preguntado por tercera vez si lo quería, le contestó: —Señor, tú lo sabes todo: tú sabes que te quiero. Jesús le dijo: —Cuida de mis ovejas. (Spanish NT: John 21:16-17)

Σίμων  Ἰωάννου, ἀγαπᾷς με; λέγει αὐτῷ· Ναί, κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. λέγει αὐτῷ· Ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου. ¹⁷ λέγει αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον· Σίμων Ἰωάννου, φιλεῖς με; ἐλυπήθη ὁ Πέτρος ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον· Φιλεῖς με; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Κύριε, πάντα σὺ οἶδας, σὺ γινώσκεις ὅτι φιλῶ σε. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου. (Greek NT:John 21:16-17)

My Pondering

As can be seen from the above, there is significant difference between the English wording; and the Spanish and Greek wording.  In English the word “love” is used by Jesus and Peter all three times.  But in Spanish, Jesus uses the word “amas”(love) the first and second time and Peter uses“quieres”(want).  On the third time Jesus uses the word “quieres.” So likewise in the Greek NT, Jesus asks with the word ἀγαπᾷς (Agape, sacrificial love) the first two times while Peter answers with  “φιλεῖς” (Philos-like) but Jesus asks the third time, meeting Peter where he is, with the word “φιλεῖς.”

This shows how much can be lost in English. There are levels of affection that are not always properly expressed in English. (Eros – Philos – Agape – different Greek expressions of love) This is so important given that Jesus is the “Word” of God in human form. Like Peter, we too are not able to meet Jesus where Jesus meets us. So Jesus changes the language to make it easier for us. This is why Peter was hurt, not so much because it was the third time, but rather, because of the realization that he is not able to return the level of love that Jesus has for him. Neither are we.  Jesus more than just wants us or to likes us. Jesus loves us, sacrificially and unconditionally, (agape tu), loves you, sacrificially, and unconditionally.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr. –

Readings for Martyrs of the Reformation Era

2 Corinthians 4.5–12Psalm 87John 12.20–26

“For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.”  (2 Corinthians 4:11)

The Roman Catholic Church commemorates the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales on this date: men and women who were executed for treason between1535 and 1679 for their allegiance to the Catholic Church. In recent years, the Church of England has shared this commemoration, broadening it to all of the English saints and martyrs of the Reformation era. This commemoration remembers not only Anglican martyrs like Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley, who died for their adherence to the Church of England, but those Catholics who were killed by Anglicans – along with all other Christians who were persecuted by their fellow Christians for their beliefs, most notably the Anabaptists and the Quakers. (from Lesser Feasts & Fasts 2018)

My Pondering

This is a new addition to the Lesser Feast and Fasts.  But I think a much needed one.  Our beloved Episcopal Church has made, and will probably continue to make, mistakes.  We have had U.S. Confederate Priests who owned slaves.  Our church has been on the wrong side of “respecting the dignity of every human being” many times.  I believe however, we are getting better.  We are not perfect yet and may never be but we are trying.

As the Roman Catholic Church commemorates the wrongful death of forty men and women and our English Church also includes Roman Catholic English saints and martyrs of the Reformation we are getting better.  It was so painful for me to read about an Amish – Mennonite person who turned back after being chased to help an English sheriff out of quick sand only to be arrested by that same sheriff and eventually burned at the stake.  That’s wrong on all Christian levels.

I have told the story of Absalom Jones, first African American Episcopal priest.  He was invited to join Richard Allen in the formation of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.  But he didn’t.  He stuck with this church, the Episcopal Church.  You can’t make something better by leaving it.  Good people must stay in their neighborhoods to make it good and better.  Good people must stay in their work places to make it good and better.  The same holds true for our houses of worship, good people must stay in their church to make it good and better.

I recommend that you read the whole section of the 2 Corinthians 4: 5 – 12. It really applies to our Church as it dies to the old, sad and sinful ways and is born again, over and over into the life of Christ. Or as St Paul says, “For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.”  (2 Corinthians 4:11)

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Readings for Athanasius of Alexandria 373

Psalm 71:1-81 John 5:1-5Matthew 10:22-32

Matthew

“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.” (Matthew 10: 26)

My Pondering

I read much about Athanasius while attending seminary.  He fought vigorously for his belief in Jesus the Incarnate Word being of the same substance as God the Creator.  Five times he went into exile for his personal safety because of his beliefs.  Athanasius was very persuasive at the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 wherein we have our Nicene Creed today.

There is some confusion among my sources about which day we remember him.  Since I missed him for the second of May I am remembering him today, the third of May.

“Athanasius wrote voluminously: biblical interpretation, theological exposition, sermons, and letters. His treatise, On the Incarnation of the Word of God, is a still widely read classic. In it, he writes, “The Savior of us all, the Word of God, in his great love took to himself a body and moved as Man among men, meeting their senses, so to speak, half way. He became himself an object for the senses, so that those who were seeking God in sensible things might apprehend the Father through the works which he, the Word of God, did in the body. Human and human-minded as men were, therefore, to whichever side they looked in the sensible world, they found themselves taught the truth.”” (Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 2)

While the Prologue to the Gospel of John is not the supporting Gospel for remembering St. Athanasius I think it fits so perfectly.  John’s Gospel opens with, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-3)  I think these words influenced Athanasius in his understanding of who Jesus is as Jesus is the Incarnation of the Creator.  It works for me too.

So how does what we believe, about who Jesus is, affect how we walk our faith life?  For me, seeing the Creating Word of God taking on human flesh and sharing everything that we go through makes us special within God’s created world.  We are so special that the Creator stepped inside the Creator’s creation to model for us how we should live within creation.  We are to let the earth feed us with its nutrients and we should care for the earth as God’s prized possession. And we should care for one another as Jesus modeled this for us regardless of the nationality or belief of the other. And when people feel differently about how we believe we must remember Matthew’s words, “have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.” (Matthew 10: 26)

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Daily Office Readings for Week of 2 of Easter; Thursday Year 1

AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50 Dan. 2:31-49; 1 John 2:18-29; Luke 3:1-14

Luke

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler^* of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler^* of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler^* of Abilene, ²during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” (Luke 3:1-2)

My Pondering

It is in reading this opening of the third chapter of the Gospel of Luke that we learn about what God values. We have the human hierarchy of the Roman Emperor, the regional governor for the Emperor, the puppet king of Galilee, and his brother serving in a nepotistic position as ruler of two minor areas, and yet another self-serving ruler in charge of yet another area.  All of these political positions are in place while the spiritual charge was left to two who cared more about their high priestly family status than the needs of the people.

While all of these men reigned in their respective domains, the Word of God goes to a man who has emptied himself of all self-indulgence and human status: this is John the Baptizer, living in the wilderness. There is a lesson here for all of us.

If we are already full of ourselves, there is no room for God.  I have heard somewhere that a full cup has no value.  It has no value until it is emptied.  An empty cup can be filled and therefore has value as a cup – a cup with potential. 

We are the same way.  If we are full of ourselves or the world, or even the church as it stands apart from Jesus, we are worthless as an instrument for God.  Anything God tries to pour into us just rolls off the top.

All of the great ones from Saul of Tarsus to Mother Teresa of Calcutta and others, are who they are, because they emptied themselves of worldly priorities and self serving goals. God needs to make use of you too.  But first you must give up devoting yourself to choices that lead to nowhere.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Eucharistic: Readings for Saints Philip and James  1 May
Psalm 119:33-40; Isaiah 30:18-21; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; John 14:6-14

John

“Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?”  (John 14:8-9)

My Pondering

I feel so bad for Philip.  His experience is one of public ridicule.  Poor guy, he only wanted clarification, maybe.  I think I feel so bad for Philip because I see myself in him.  I am notorious for asking questions of which, I should have known the answer.  And like Philip, I also consider myself somewhat of a dot connector of people.

Philip is the one who goes to get Nathanael and introduces him to Jesus. (John 1:45)  Philip also connects some Greeks to Jesus by way of Andrew. (John 12: 20 – 22)   So Philip is one who brings people to Jesus.  Seems like there ought to be some kind of Order named after him, one whose primary purpose is to bring people to Jesus.

JAMES THE LESS: James the son of Alphaeus (Alpheus) appears on lists of the Twelve Apostles (usually in the ninth place), but is never mentioned otherwise. He is called James the Less, or James Minor, or James the Younger. (See M 10:3; P 3:18; L 6:15; A 1:13)  (James Kiefer)

Philip is mentioned a fair amount and James, this particular James, not mentioned at all outside of being one of the twelve.  But both walked with Jesus.  I have learned to not value only what was written.  There is much that goes on in all of our lives that is never recorded in human journals.  God however, knows what we are doing and the good we have done and continue to do. 

Yes, we may sometimes ask the wrong questions or do something that was a mistake.  But an old boss of mine who selected me for advancement told me that the only ones who never make mistakes are the ones who never do anything.  He appreciated my attempts at trying to do something for the good of our mission.  While not everything turned out great he could always count on me to attempt some type of improvement.

We are recorded where it counts. Whether we turn out to be more like Philip or James, we are members, non-the-less, of the body of Christ.  Our good, written and unwritten, deeds are the building blocks for our home in heaven.  How much material have you sent up for the heavenly builders?

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Readings for Sarah Josepha Buell Hale 1879

Psalm 96Jeremiah 30:17-19, 22Philippians 1:27–2:2Matthew 5:1-12

Jeremiah

“Out of them shall come thanksgiving, and the sound of merrymakers. I will make them many, and they shall not be few;    I will make them honored, and they shall not be disdained.” (Jer. 30:19)

My Pondering

“Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, who we remember today, was born in New Hampshire in 1788 to Captain Gordon Buell and Martha Buell, both of whom were advocates for equal education for both sexes. In 1813, she married David Hale, a promising lawyer who shared her intellectual interests. In 1822, David died four days before the birth of their fifth child.” (From The Great Cloud of Witnesses)

After her husband died she wore black for the rest of her life.  She also dedicated the rest of her life to improving the status of women in this new country.  She worked for women’s education, and editing a magazine. She also wrote poetry.

In 1830, she published a book of verses for children aimed at the Sunday school market; it included the now-famous “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” originally called “Mary’s Lamb.”  (From The Great Cloud of Witnesses)  “In 1823, with the monetary support of her (then late) husband’s Freemason lodge, she published a collection of her poems entitled The Genius of Oblivion.”   (Wikipedia)

Sarah Hale also worked towards national goals that she thought would help bring the country together. “She is perhaps most famous for the nationalization of the Thanksgiving holiday, toward which she worked many years and which finally received presidential sanction under Abraham Lincoln.” (From The Great Cloud of Witnesses)

From what I understand, Thanksgiving was being celebrated in her home state of New Hampshire.  Hale worked to make it national.  But as is said by the Prophet Jeremiah, “Out of them shall come thanksgiving, and the sound of merrymakers. I will make them many, and they shall not be few.”  Hale wanted what she had in her home state to be realized by everybody in the country.

What tradition do you have that would help the rest of us be more appreciative of what we have?  Is there some time you have set aside for a special purpose?  It does not have to become national, but if you realize some value in what you do, write about it and share it.  You can never tell how you might enhance someone’s life. God has given us to each other.  Sarah Hale shared herself with us.  I will remember her at Thanksgiving and say “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with new wonder!

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Readings for April 29 Catherine of Siena 1380 from The Great Cloud of Witnesses

Readings from Common of Saints

Psalm 29Exodus 3:11-15Romans 11:33-36Matthew 28:18-20

Exodus

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:11-12)

My Pondering

It is the greatest of my pleasures to bring to some reader’s attention the precious saints that gave their lives in witness to the Gospel of Jesus.  Such a saint is Catherine of Siena whom we remember this day.  From the Great Cloud of Witnesses we learn that she was the youngest of 25 children and was a sickly child.  However she was dedicated to loving Jesus from very early in her childhood.  And with various conflicts with her family about her choice of vocation, she was finally allowed to pursue a life of contemplation.

What really amazed me about Catherine is the part she played in an attempt to re-unify the Church of Rome during her day.  “During the great schism of the papacy, with rival popes in Rome and Avignon, Catherine wrote tirelessly to princes, kings, and popes, urging them to restore the unity of the Church. She even went to Rome to press further for the cause.” (From The Great Cloud of Witnesses)  Now she was not clergy.  But as a committed and vowed lay person she acted as directed by God to bring the faithful leadership back to Rome.

For me, she is reminiscent of Moses who was sent to Pharaoh in Egypt for the benefit of the enslaved Israelites.  It seems God always uses some of us, not for our own benefit but for the benefit of the many. Catherine was just such a person. She, and we, could say the same thing that Moses said, “who are we that we should try to fix the problems of the church or the world?”  But God reminds us as God reminded Moses, “I will be with you.”  With God with us we are in good shape no matter what it may look like in worldly terms. We should not fear trouble or even death.  God brings us back from death to live and love for all eternity. We just need to do the best works we can in this life.

“Besides her many letters to all manner of people, Catherine wrote a Dialogue, a mystical work dictated in ecstasy. Exhausted and paralyzed, she died at the age of thirty-three.” (From The Great Cloud of Witnesses)

Catherine got out of the way of God working in her young life.  I wish I had the visions she received from Jesus. Then again, there are great responsibilities associated with receiving such visions.  Perhaps I should be careful of what I ask for.  Nah, give me the vision Lord and I’ll do the work you give me to do.  Amen.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Eucharistic Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 5:27-32 Revelation 1:4-8 John 20:19-31 Psalm 118:14-29 or Psalm 150

John

“But Thomas (who was called the Twin – also Didymus) one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” (John 20:24-25a)

My Pondering

We know that of the twelve, Judas has died.  All the rest, the eleven now, stayed together. Most of the time, after the resurrection, it is revealed that they huddled together in a room behind a locked door. The writers make that point to let us know that the door was locked but the Resurrected Jesus appeared with then anyway.

So why was Thomas not with them?  I recall Thomas as one who suggested that they all go to Jerusalem and die with Jesus. (John 11:16) So he was no coward.  Also Thomas was not afraid to speak up when Jesus made statements about his followers knowing the where he was going. Thomas spoke up and said that in fact they did not know and he wondered how could they know the way.   (John 14:5)  This shows something of the character of Thomas.  He was a person of dedication, integrity, courage, and honest about what he knows and does not know.  Perhaps he was tired of the weakness of the other ten.  He was tired enough to be away from them as they stayed locked up in their room.

Now these men who came out of their self imprisonment approach Thomas with news of the Resurrection. Thomas doubts the people who also doubted the person who first brought the news to them, Mary Magdalene.  Yet they come to Thomas with the same words, “We have seen the Lord.”

Yes Thomas does say that unless certain criteria are met he would not believe.  But maybe this was more about his relationship with the ten than a real doubt about the risen Jesus.  While Jesus invites Thomas to touch him we don’t have it in writing that he actually does.  Just seeing Jesus was enough to see that the others were in fact telling the truth and Thomas proclaims Jesus as his Lord and his God. (John 20:28)

What does it mean for us today to hear “We have seen the Lord”?  I think whenever we are blessed enough to see something good happen, when it was against all odds, we have seen Jesus raised.  When we see life given back to someone who was dying, or a life saving operation, or an accident that could have been much worse, we have seen the Lord.  Jesus is made manifest in the many miracles that happen all around us.  And they are happening all the time.

Sometimes, like Thomas, we are not so sure of the sources that report the miracle.  But we must remember, it’s really not about them, it’s about Jesus and his invitation to just believe even if we have not seen but have been told.  And because we have been told, and yet not seen, we believe and are blessed.  Thank You Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Readings for Saturday of Easter Week 27 April 2019 Easter

Acts 4:13-21 Mark 16:9-15,20 Psalm 118:14-18 or Psalm 118:19-24

Acts

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.  When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.  So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another.  They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it.  But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” (Acts 4: 13 – 17)

My Pondering

Because the earth turns out to be round and not flat as believed by early Bible writers, and thus does not have four corners, does not mean that God does not exist. And because the sun does not orbit around the earth as believed by early writers of the Bible, but in fact the earth moves around the sun, does not mean that God does not exist.

I have a strong faith.  However, I pray that God assists my intellect when I’m faced with some new-to-me fact of God’s love that I did not know. So that when it is shown to me, I find a way to evolve, to “re-ponder” my faith into a way that will adapt for the sake of my soul and my love for others. 

In the passage above we have men who acknowledge that good has been done.  But rather than accept it and adjust, they wish to quiet it and keep it from the people.  There comes a time when we must acknowledge the evidence presented to us.  This does not mean the giving up of one’s faith, but rather to ponder anew what the Almighty can do.

These men in the Acts passage above are all about maintaining their religious power. They want to keep from spreading among the people something good that they themselves can’t deny.  Rather than finding ways to be a part of this Good News, they want to suppress it. Do they not have loved ones who could benefit from this healing power made manifest in Jesus’ Name?

There are many religious sects today that operate from this kind of controlling fear and forbid their members from visiting or participating in any other faith tradition. The fear is that if they see something they think is better, they are lost.  I am reminded of an old saying, “If you love something, let it go, if it comes back to you, it’s yours, if it does not, it never was.”

I belong to the Christian Tradition that operates our Washington National Cathedral. Many diverse faiths have been, and continue to be, invited to speak from our pulpit. Jesus is about love and inclusiveness, not fear and controlling.  Thank You Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.

Readings for Friday in Easter Week

Acts 4:1-12   John 21:1-14   Psalm 116:1-8 or Psalm 118:19-24

Acts

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is

`the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.’  (Comes from Psalm 118:22)

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:8 -12)

My Pondering

I have learned from buying furniture that comes unassembled in a box with various loose pieces to not throw anything away – at least until the furniture is completely assembled.  The very piece you think has no use is the very piece that holds everything together.  So it is with people too.

There was a small parish that needed to raise funds to do various carpentry projects around the building.  Much attention was given to the high dollar folk in the congregation.  And almost disregard was given to the poor or out of work parishioners.  One of the out-of-work parishioners, it turns out, was a carpenter, who, at the time, had both the talent and the time to make a huge difference in how much money they would need. We can’t dismiss anybody.

Each and every one of us contains a treasure that God has put in us.  The Creating Word has placed in each of us something the rest of us needs.  There are no trash people.  It takes longer to see what God has put in some, but it is there. I fear that some people turn to do bad things because they don’t know that God has blessed them with a much needed gift.  It’s in you and it’s in me. We need each other. God made us that way.

Jesus is the only one who has the one something that all people need, salvation. Since it is through Jesus that we all came into being, it is also through Jesus that we all have eternal live.  And he was the piece that was thrown away!   Thank God that death was overturned. Now some of the most important pieces of that boxed furniture (you and me) will be held together forever.  Remember, `The stone that was rejected by the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ Thank You Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.”  John Thomas Frazier Sr.