onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 13: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 87 and 90; Evening, Psalm 136; 

Judges 9:22 to 25 and 50 to 57; Acts 4:32 to 5:11; John 2:13 to 25:

“But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.” (John 2: 24 – 25)

This Gospel says that our Lord Jesus knows what is in everyone.  This reminds me of Jesus’ remark about Nathanael when he saw Nathanael approaching him. “When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1: 47).  Yes, we perhaps can fool one another, but we can’t fool Jesus.  Jesus knows what is in you.

Sometimes, I think we try to even fool ourselves.  If we tell ourselves the same lie often enough we will start to believe it.  At some point in our lives we need to be honest with ourselves, even if not honest with others. Perhaps if we start with ourselves, in time, we will expand out to others as well.  We have no choice with Jesus; He already knows what is in us.

I am no Nathanael.  But I am a work in progress.  I am in the crowd prepared to throw a stone at someone guilty when I hear my Lord Jesus say “let those who have not sinned cast the first stone.”   And that makes the stone fall from my hand. (John 8:7).  Once again he knew that each person who wanted to stone the woman carried their own sin. And the truth is, they each knew of their own sin also.

My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we all fall short.  We are probably not Nathanael. But most of us are works in progress.  We must persevere.  More than just being aware of our sin, Jesus wants to cure us of our sins. We must ponder, persevere and pray, “Help Me Lord Jesus.”

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

Most Holy Lord Jesus, as you already know what is in each of us, help us to acknowledge it ourselves and then help us to strive to perfect our short-comings in order that we might be more like Nathanael in whom you found no faults. Amen.

Morning, Psalm 88; Evening,  Psalms 91 and 92;
Judges 9:1 to 16 and 19 to 21; Acts 4:13 to 31; John 2:2 to12:

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2: 5)

I confess, I am a Mary fan. Mary was a thinking person, a pondering person. Perhaps it was this pondering quality that impressed God and why God chose her to be the Mother of our Lord Jesus. Mary gave birth to her Lord who in turn gave her eternal salvation, and also us today who believe.

We will learn as we read the Gospels that Jesus can multiply fishes and loaves.  Therefore, Mary never ran out of food during the thirty or so years that she shared a house with her Son.  All she had to do was ask, and it was done.  We can see then that when the wedding hosts ran out of wine, it was natural for Mary to let Jesus know about the situation with full expectation that he would respond.  This too is true for us today.  We must ask with full expectation that our Lord Jesus will respond, but the response requires our obedience.

While Jesus sort of rebuffs her requests, she has already turned away from him and looking intently into the eyes of the “servants”, into our eyes, and she says to us, “Do whatever he tells you.”  For me, this is the most powerful, albeit shortest, sermon in the Bible.  All we need to do is make our needs known and then do whatever he tells us.  From Mary I learn that as Christians, we ponder, we pray and we obey.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom. 

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us remember the sad story of Edith Stein today: Edith Stein (satucket.com)

Let us pray:

A Collect for Fridays

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen. (BCP 99)

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 13: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 145; Evening, Psalms 85 and 86; 

Judges 8:22 to 35; Acts 4:1 to 12; John 1:43 to 51:

“Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’  Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ (John 1: 48 – 49)

I would surely like to know what Nathanael was experiencing under the fig tree such that it made him realize that Jesus was truly the Son of God! We don’t get to know what was going on with Nathanael. I wonder if he was praying, or having a nervous breakdown, or some mystical experience wherein God gave him some kind of revelation. Nathanael follows Jesus as a result of his friend Philip coming to get him. 

Jesus calls 7 of the Apostles:  Simon and Andrew  (Matthew 4:18 – 20),   John and James – (Matthew 4: 21 – 22) Matthew himself (AKA Levi)  (Matthew 9:9),   Philip ( John 1:43)  Nathaniel, from above (John 1: 50 – 51). Then there is one who Jesus called but who rejected Jesus’ call: the Rich young man: (Mark 10:21 -22).  However, of all whom he called,  Simon Peter, John and James seem to be the chosen three who went with him in the deepest sense of his work: the healing of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration (which I said more about two days ago on this blog): and these three were also present at his passion prayer on the night he was arrested in which these three could also not stay awake.

For some of us, Jesus comes to get us. For many of us, a friend brings us to Jesus. But the lesson here is that our Lord Jesus already knows, “the trouble we’ve seen.”  Jesus meets us under our own vine and fig tree, for He truly is “Rabbi, or Teacher, the Son of the living God!”  Ponder about this.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Today our Church remembers St Dominic, his information can be found at http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Dominic.htm

Let us pray:

Most Holy Lord Jesus, you know us better than we know ourselves and love us more than we love ourselves. We need you today more than most of us realize and yet your patience is everlasting. Be in our Communal bread crumbs each week and lead us to you each week closer and closer as Nathanael followed Philip, so that we too will see you as our ultimate Teacher and Savior of the world, Amen

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 13: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:97 to 120; Evening, Psalms  81, and 82;

Judges 7:19 to 8:12; Acts 3:12 to 26; John 1:29 to 42:

“And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”  And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”  (John 1: 32 – 34)

We have to go to the Gospel of Matthew to witness a more detailed baptism of Jesus by John.  There was some back-and-forth about who should baptize who. But in the end, John baptized Jesus.  (Matthew 3: 13 – 17)

I love the Spirituality of the Gospel of John.  Perhaps the Spirit has descended on others before but it was temporary. However, on this man, Jesus, the Spirit remained.  John the Baptist is not about building his own reputation, he is about letting the world know that the Savior of the world has come near.  John speaks the truth as best he knows it.  He gives great detail explaining to us that the One who sent him to baptize with water, is the same One who informed him about how to identify the Messiah, the Anointed One, Jesus. He was told that the Spirit would descend on Him, and remain on Him.

In the Service of Holy Baptism, the candidate is asked, “do you desire to be baptized?”  Those too young to answer for themselves are presented, and answered for, by their parents and/or sponsors individually.  New Christians are baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  After which, they are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own FOREVER: The Spirit descends on us and remains, forever; (BCP 303 – 308). Our baptism contains a covenant that regulates or Christian life. As the Baptized, we are servants of Jesus, the Jesus we see in all persons, baptized or not.  We are servants of the next person we face, in our homes, or on the street.  Regardless of who baptized us, we are baptized into the household of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Baptism is responsibility, Baptism is enough, and Baptism is Salvation. What does your Baptism mean to you?

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:                                                   

Risen Lord Jesus, as you have set the example for those who choose to follow you in a life of loving servanthood, stay with us and guide us as a light shining in the darkness in order that we will see the Way and follow your path in this life and the next. Amen.

The Transfiguration New Testament Readings

2 Peter 1:13 to 21 and Luke 9:28 to 36:      

“This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”  (2^nd Peter 1:17) and, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”   (Luke 9:35)

These are almost identical messages. Both identify Jesus as Son with emphasis on “My Beloved”  from Peter, and “My Chosen One,” from Luke, ( who I am sure got his information from Peter).

Today we remember the Transfiguration; when Jesus was revealed before Peter, James and John. It is said that he spoke with Moses and Elijah who were men long past, but yet alive. Of the two, Moses is said to have died, died before he got to see the Promised Land. However, He is in the most Promised Land, Heaven.

This Transfiguration of our Jesus, to me, is like the Burning Bush experience of Moses. When we have it, it changes us forever. Many saints have had these moments in their lives. When we have them, we too are on Holy Ground; we too, are on the Mountain Top. Thank You Jesus.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

Most Holy Jesus, God Incarnate, call us close to see you as revealed in the Transfiguration and let us too hear the voice of God declaring who you are and that we must listen to you so that we too may dwell with Abraham, Moses and Elijah and Yourself, forever and ever, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 13: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 80; Evening, Psalm 77 ;

Judges 6:25 to 40; Acts 2:37 to 47; John 1:1 to 18:

“That night the Lord said to him, ‘Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred pole that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, in proper order; then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt-offering with the wood of the sacred pole that you shall cut down.’ So Gideon took ten of his servants, and did as the Lord had told him; but because he was too afraid of his family and the townspeople to do it by day, he did it by night. When the townspeople rose early in the morning, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the sacred pole^* beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.”  (Judges 6: 25 – 28)

While all of the Daily Office Readings are wonderful, my pondering gravitated towards the lesson I read in Judges.  Gideon has been called by God to let go, let go of the beliefs of his parents to ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.  This is not new.  Abram too was called from his father’s house to a place that God would show him, (Genesis 12:1).  So God calls us from darkness to light and to more light, and to further light.

I think this resonated with me so much because I too had to let go of old and false beliefs in order to behold the real truth about God.  My parents would have me believe in the human constructed system of racism even though they themselves were considered on the bottom rung of the racial divide.  It has taken time, but God has called me away from believing such nonsense.

What I have also pondered about the Gideon story is that there is often the requirement to give up something in order to obtain something. And it may not be an action that we are bold enough to do openly.  Gideon did his deed at night so as to avoid notice.  I chose to give up any so-called black expectations people may have had of me in order to be who I really am, who God made me to be.

Racial discrimination is today’s  altar of Baal and the un-sacred poles of some of our parents outdated superstitions.  We must remove them in order to make room for the real Truth: the Truth that is God. Stepping out of our expected behavior of darkness into the light of true belief territory is not easy, but it is very necessary.  And the truth will make us free.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

Holy God, holy and mighty, creator of all life, open our human eyes to see the equality of all people and all human likeness in you our Creator. Let us see in Jesus the level playing field where we are judged by our moral attitude and loving kindness as Jesus modeled for us, He who lives and reigns with you forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel Reading for Sunday of Proper 13; Year B

 John 6:24 to 35

“Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves:” (John 6: 26)

Jesus has just informed them that they witnessed a sign of who he is in the increased amount of food, both fish and bread.  After which, he walked on the water but granted, all of them did not see that. Yet, as they locate him the next day, they demand a sign from him and they use God feeding their ancestors the manna.  So they said to Jesus, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?” (John 6:30)

I wonder if we too are standing in the middle of miracles and yet can’t see them.  Our Lord Jesus taught the people, healed the people, and fed the people.  Are we sometimes so fixated on one kind of miracle that we can’t see other signs that our Lord Jesus is doing right in front of us?

The people were all about food miracles even remembering the manna of Moses.  Perhaps they should have been more focused on what they believed. Jesus tells them and us, the work that pleases God is the work of believing. It is not body sweat, but rather, soul sweat. Believing is work. It is the work of the heart. What you believe shapes everything you do.

Now having said that, I must say that what we believe does not necessarily mean it is true. We believed at one time that the earth was flat, but it is not. We believed that the Sun moved over the earth, but in truth, the earth moves around the sun.

So, can we control what we believe?  We say that we believe in God, and that we believe in Jesus. But does that translate into loving our neighbor, not as we love ourselves, but rather, as our Savior Jesus, loves us and our neighbors, and asks us to do likewise?

We are fed with faith by the hand of God and set forth to do the work of believing in God. We should not so much be concerned with facts, but rather with truth. God is Truth and has brought us into being in ways that science is trying to figure out. We are in search of the God of Truth, hopefully, not because we were filled with the loaves, but rather because we have seen the signs.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

Lord God of our Fathers; God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us.” Amen.  (Taken from BCP 372 Eucharistic Prayer C)

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 12: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 75 and 76, Evening, Psalms  23 and 27;

Judges 5:19 to 31; Acts 2:22 to 36; Matthew 28:11 to 20:

“‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know, this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.”  (Acts 2: 22 – 24)

Peter painfully reminds the Israelites of both who Jesus was, and is, and, their part in going against the goodness of God in handing him over to be killed.  Even though those who actually crucified him were outside their faith, they indeed were also responsible. 

The important thing to remember for us today, we who call ourselves Christians, is that our Lord Jesus was, and is, the living will of God. Today we can only read of “the deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through” our Lord Jesus among the people. We must read and believe.

Today, as Christians, we must believe in the living Jesus.  Our belief then is made manifest in how we conduct ourselves in everyday life.  We do not return evil for evil.  We seek fairness and justice for all people. But first and foremost, we must love God.  For some of us, without regular Church services during the restrictions of the pandemic, it was difficult.  But Church was never intended to be first.  First, faith starts at home and in the heart of the individual. The story of Jesus is shared so that the hearer might grab on and believe.  And in believing, the faithful might come together in Church community.  But even without the gathered Church, we are still held accountable to the precepts of our Baptismal Covenant, our allegiance to the teachings of Christ.  

Peter reminds us, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.” (Acts 2: 32 – 33)  Peter’s words are not limited to his time and day: they are meant for us today as well.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us Pray:

Risen and eternal loving Jesus, you brought God to us in human form but too many of us did not heed you teachings. Come to us now in your Holy Spirit and continue your lessons to us that we might at last belive and change our ways and live to learn love over law. In your most holy Name we pray, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 12: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 69:; Evening, Psalm 73

Judges 5:1 to 18; Acts 2:1 to 21; Matthew 28:1 to 10:

Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”  (Matthew 28: 10)

Encounters with the Resurrected Jesus differ according to the Gospel account we read.  In Matthew, the disciples are instructed to return to Galilee and there, Jesus will meet them.  Luke and John have Jesus meeting them in Jerusalem of Judea.  Mark is unclear about location in his extended version.  I like the Galilee meeting.  Galilee is where Jesus began his ministry and walked throughout Galilee preaching the Good news, and healing many, and casting out demons, for three years.  This place moved me as I sat in a boat in Lake Galilee in February of 2018 with a full view of the land that Jesus walked.  I took a picture of it and it is the scene at the top of each new One Who Ponders blog.

So Jesus says return to your beginnings and you will see me.  They were Galileans, for the most part, fishermen by trade.  Galilee is where they were grounded in their faith.  How about you?  Where were you when you were first told about our Lord Jesus?  Where is your Galilee?

Your Galilee may be more than a single, physical location.  Jesus’ instruction to return to Galilee may be an invitation to go back to the time (and place) when you first decided to follow him.  As Galilee is a vast area with several notable towns where our Lord Jesus taught and performed signs and wonders; like the Sermon on the Mount at Mount Tabor; the raising of a woman’s son in Nain; where he was raised by his mother Mary in Nazareth; the feeding of the multitudes near Capernaum where he chose to live, and other places as well. 

Your Galilee may be a vast area or collections of life-altars also.  Going back may be a serious meditation on your own Galilee experience.  My own Galilee includes St Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Nashville, Tennessee; Paris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot in South Carolina; St Anne’s Episcopal Church in Memphis Tennessee; Virginia The Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia; and St Paul’s in the Pines Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. All of these are the building blocks of my spirituality. What and where are your life-altar places that make up your Galilee experiences?  These are the places that Jesus is asking you to return to in order to meet him again. Ponder on these places.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom. 

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

Risen Jesus who longs to be with us again, as we journey back to the personal days of our foundational faith, hold us close once again in order that we may never stray again. In your most holy Name we pray, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 12: Year 2

Morning, Psalm  71; Evening, Psalm  74; 

Judges 4: 4 to 23; Acts 1:15 to 26; Matthew  27: 55 to 66:

“At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.”  (Judges 4: 4 –  5)

Women, in particular the strength of women, is often overlooked in the Bible.  Today, in our Daily Office Readings from the book of Judges we have two women who are revealed as very strong human beings.  Deborah the Prophet and Jael who I would bet was a builder of tents inasmuch as she could drive a tent peg with the best of men.

While the Bible says that Deborah sat under a tree named after her, I believe it was her presence that gave the tree the name after her time with us.  And all Israel came to her for judgment, for guidance and direction. They needed her presence so much that Barak, son of Abinoam, would not go to war unless she accompanied him. (verse 6). 

God has always included women in the carrying out of life and in the promise of salvation.  Men have too often overlooked this important fact. But this does not negate what God intends for all people in the fulfillment of what God is doing. This is true even in the conflict of war itself.

During a battle with Sisera, who was the cowardly leader opposing Barak and Deborah, he fled to the protection of Jael.  “But Jael wife of Heber took a tent-peg, and a hammer and went softly to him as he slept and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground—he was lying fast asleep from weariness—and he died.” (Judges 4: 21)

Some of this language never comes up in “polite” company or our Sunday Lectionary.  But it is among our ancient writings. It definitely shows God’s hand at work in women and that God’s wrath can also be made manifest in the leadership and courage of women.  We need to see, and be aware of, God’s will being made manifest in all human beings.  This is the way God, has worked, is working, and always will work.

Today we remember Joseph of Arimathaea which can be found at http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Joseph_Arimathaea.htm,

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools. As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

O God, open our minds and keep us mindfull that your will, will be done through anyone you choose. Lead us Dear God by your Holy Spirit to those whom you have chosen to lead us, without regard of gender, ethnicity, or orientation. Lead us to you through whomever you raise up to lead us. Amen.