onewhoponders

Daily Office Reading for Friday of Proper 5: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 69; Evening,  Psalm 73;

Ecclesiastes 11:9 to 12:14; Galatians 5:25 to 6:10; Matthew 16:21 to 28:

“Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:26)

Sadly, we have become tribal team members. Maybe our school athletic programs and teams have programmed us to think in this way for everything else we encounter.  Perhaps we are too team oriented. I can remember once when I went to a high school basketball game wherein my school played an undefeated school that in fact had not lost a basketball game in years.  We beat them that night and one of their cheerleaders fainted. She just couldn’t believe it. There were also physical altercations from students from both schools after the game. So sad.

I think we need to check ourselves.  Sports are fine, but still, just sports.  Is it possible that our lessons about sports team loyalty has taken control of all allegiances, for example, political party, church denomination, the so-called “race” we happened to be born into, and so forth? We are always competing against one another.  It’s silly and shameful.

There is the one team of God; and then there is the sorted little made-up human teams. In our Gospel lesson for today our Lord Jesus makes a clear distinction between the human team and the team of God.  When Peter began to rebuke Jesus about the God ordained path he was about to take, “He [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ (Matthew 16: 23)

It is often uncomfortable, but we too must look beyond human, made-up distinctions, to that divine allegiance we have with God.  We must realize that being created in God’s Image we are all on the same team.  Anything less than allegiance to God is just sports and should “get behind us Satan.”

“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 including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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 God, who created all human life and instructed us to live together in loving harmony, come to us again and let your Holy Spirit assist us in showing us what really matters in your kingdom. Help us dear God to put aside all thoughts of selfish pride so that we will not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another. Help us to truly love and help each other always. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 5: Year 2

Morning, Psalm  71; Evening, Psalm 74;

Ecclesiastes 11:1-8; Galatians 5:16-24; Matthew 16:13-20

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?”  (Matthew 16: 13 to 15)

All of the people who were asked who Jesus was, brought up people from their own historical past, either known, or were taught about. Not one of them left room for a New Person, one they had not seen or heard of, but was indeed prophesied about.

Today we have a taught (and teaching) Jesus who existed in the flesh in our past. But our Lord Jesus also lives with us today in the Holy Spirit.  So, who do you say our Lord Jesus is? He is the living Holy Spirit that dwells in each of us and in our Church.  We then, are the fruits of His Spirit.  Paul tells us about the fruit of the Spirit in our New Testament lessen for today from Galatians.  He says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5: 22 – 24)

Who do we say Jesus is?  More importantly, how do we say who Jesus is?  We say it by our behavior and kindness, by our compassion and caring.  Through our deeds we say who our leader is because we model ourselves after him.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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:

Come Holy Spirit who walked among us as one of us to model for us what a loving life is supposed to look like. Lead us still, in ways that are pleasing in your sight, so that as we show the world true love for all people, we also say who you are by the way we conduct ourselves. Amen

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 5: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 72; Evening, Psalm 119:73 to 96;

Ecclesiastes 9:11 to 18; Galatians, 5:1 to 15; Matthew 16:1 to 12:

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith workingthrough love.” (Galatians 5:6)

 We have already seen in Chapter 3 of Galatians that “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus,”  (Galatians 3:28).  Paul continues now challenging the sacred religious tradition of circumcision. Faith working through love means everything.  What we do to our bodies has little to do with our heavenly value.  Today we can get our bodies tattooed, pierced, tucked and “Botoxed” and while it may impress certain human interests they have no value in the next life. And I also feel such practices don’t devalue our bodies either. They are all forms of art, personal art.

My own personal observation is that once circumcision was of no importance, women become equal recipients of God’s grace in human eyes. Women have always been equal recipients of God’s grace in God’s eyes.

What counts in the next life, and what will get us to the next life, is belief in God and love for our fellow human beings. When we live by a code of faith in the love of God and truly believe that God is overseeing what we are doing, and that God is good, all the time, we will live a life of love for all people.  And the truth is, we will love them even if they ink themselves, pierce themselves, tuck themselves and/or “Botox” themselves. In God’s love we will overlook their (and our) little makeovers and love them for who God made them to be with God’s indelible Word stamped forever on their hearts; even if they themselves are unawares.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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 Omnipotent Lord God, you know our inmost selves even better than we do; awaken our values of godly understanding in order that we might dismiss our concern for outward looks of human pride, and develop our inward art of love for you, and for all human kind. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 5: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 61 and 62; Evening, Psalm 68:1 to 20 (21-23) 24 to 36;

 Ecclesiastes 8:14 to 9:10; Galatians 4:21 to 31; Matthew 15:29 to 39:

“Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” (Matthew 15: 32)

Because of Covid (lest we forget), we, the Church, have come full circle back from feeding the multitude camped outside on the Church grounds. Our Bishop instructed us (the Episcopal priest of East Carolina), four years ago, to Consecrate “Both Kinds” but to give only the bread.  I had compassion on the people who have missed Holy Communion for so long but at the same time remembering we could have not gathered for church at all. At least the readings, message, prayers and the wafer are better than not having church, and it is full communion with Christ. That was four years ago this month. We are now back to full communion with wine that can be received from small glass chalices or from the Common Cup as Jesus did. It is up to individual preference.

Who’s to say what would happen should the people continue without any communion at all for much longer.  Might they too have spiritually fainted on the way?  I have witnessed firsthand how glad parishioners are to be in gathered community, even in the heat of the day when we were restricted to outside worship.  Social media Church does not come close to satisfying the spiritual hunger people have as they struggle to keep Christ in their lives.  When I dismiss them I can see the satisfaction on their faces as they walk to their cars.  All I can say is, Thank you Lord Jesus for letting me be a part of Your ministry.

We are pretty much back to some sort of normalcy now. We use the common chalice and the small individual little glass chalices.  We meet the needs of the people which includes the individual preference for wearing masks. We have been following our Lord Jesus for a long time. We don’t want to faint during our travels. We Christians need to be fed even as we are feeding others.  We live in a world of caring for others and at the same time, being cared for ourselves.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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:                                                                             

Precious Lord Jesus, who cares for us more than we care for ourselves, keep us ever mindful of the need to be with one another as friends and family with food and fellowship and thanksgiving. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 5: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 56 and 57; Evening, Psalms 64 and 65;

Ecclesiastes 7:1 to 14; Galatians 4:12 to 20; Mathew 15:21 to 28:

“But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.”  (Matthew 15:25)

This is the unbreakable hold we have on God in Christ Jesus; God can’t refuse the word “help.” Help from God may not be packaged the way we expect it however. God is really good at surprises.

It is because of the mother’s faith that Jesus heals her daughter. I believe there are two components at work here.  The first is the love she has for her daughter. The first component brings about the second, humility.  I believe for the mother, and for us, that the power of our love for someone close to us, fuels our faith and humbles us.  Too often our faith doesn’t have a focus.  This Canaanite mother however, even though not a Jewish Israelite, brings her desperation to our Lord Jesus.  She is grateful for whatever help she can get from him, explaining that even the dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Her love for her daughter and her acquired faith in the man known as Jesus, humbles her and she asks him for help.  And, He does.

This is a transitional move by God to include with the Jewish nation all people on earth. It becomes clear that it is not genetics that makes one belong to the kingdom.  It is faith. Have you heard about the healer whose name is Jesus?  Do you love someone in trouble? Does this love and faith humble you? All you need to do is pray, “Lord, help me.”  Our current Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, United States of America says, the most important prayer we can pray is, “Help.”

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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:

Dear Risen Son of the living God, from time to time we often fall into desperate situations, either for ourselves or for those we love. Help us as we come to you Lord Christ. Help those we love whom we place in your healing care. Lord, when you heal our loved ones, you heal us as well. Hear our prayer O Lord and help us we pray: Amen.

Gospel Reading for Sunday of Proper 5: Year B

 Mark 3:20 to 35

“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

I consider biological family to be like culture; we are born into it without choice. However, as we live, grow, love and learn, we can modify, add to, adapt and transform both family and culture.

As I have served in the military for 30 years I have become a part of the U.S. military culture and many of my retired military friends are family to me. So too, the members of the Episcopal Church are family to me. This new found family of mine also includes my brothers in freemasonry. We are family because we are God-fearing men who live to do the will of God. This in no way means that I reject my biological family. It simply means that the family and culture of my choosing is as dear to me as those I was born into without choice.

I think a house divided happens when someone close to us decides not to do the will of God. This is sad regardless of blood or oaths. Sometimes our own country could be looked at as a house divided with all the political rhetoric going. Family or nation, we must put God first and stay this way regardless of small differences.

As I write these words my biological brother is here visiting with me. My time with him is wonderful and I am thankful to God for him. My brother and I disagree about some things but we love each other and will not let seeing things differently pull us apart.  We can have it both ways. We can have our birth families and we can also have our “grown-into” families. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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:

Dear Brother Lord Jesus, we give you thanks for connecting us to our eternal Father and true Parent. We pray that you bring to all of us as we live, grow, love and learn, a clearer understanding of what real family means, that is, those who do the will of the Father. Amen

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 4: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalms 138 and 139 ;

Ecclesiastes 5:8 to 20; Galatians 3:23 to 4:11; Matthew 15:1 to 20:

“But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,heirs according to the promise.”  (Galatians 3: 25 – 29)

For me, having no longer a disciplinarian means that being baptized in Christ, I become my own disciplinarian.  It means that I should know well what it means to err on the side of love and compassion. Jesus is my plumb line. Jesus is the straight line, I am the crooked line struggling to be straight as I align myself with my Lord Jesus.

Paul gets rid of the human descriptors of ethnicity be it Jew or Greek.  Along with these we can add black and white.  We are no longer black or white.  It is so hard to get us to realize this – on both sides. We have the biblical story of Paul’s letter to Philemon about Onesimus and accepting him as a brother and no longer a slave.  We also have the post biblical account of Perpetua and her raising of Felicitas from being her slave to being her sister in Christ.  This is what it means to be “no longer” slave.  It is important to note here that the slave has no vote in this freedom.  No, it has to come from the conscience of the one who considers himself free – free to do the right thing.

All of this equally goes for male and female freedoms as well.  God resides in both sexes.  And we need what God has given us in both sexes.  Male and female we are made in God’s Image. (Gen. 1:27)

From here we go back to Abraham, again, not genetically, but faithfully.  Paul says, and I believe, we Christians are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.  It must be remembered also that being Christian does not mean that we are better than non-Christians.  It is the non-Christian that we serve and support and love as well as ourselves. Ours is a humble walk as was Abraham’s and as was the walk of our Lord Jesus.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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 God, Creator, Sustainer and Lover of all creation, be in us who profess Christ Jesus and work through us to be co-creators with you in caring for creation and those who do not have the same understanding that we do. Allow us to be humble participants of peace and love and unity, ridding ourselves of all human separations for Christ’s sake, Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 4: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 40 and 54; Evening, Psalm 51;

Ecclesiastes 5:1 to 7; Galatians 3:15 to 22; Matthew 14:22 to 36:

“But when he noticed the strong wind,he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  (Matthew 14: 30)

In the midst of danger don’t take your eyes off the Savior.  While we try to stay focused on our Lord always, we often drift away. But when we are lured away from God by some troubling force, we are especially vulnerable.

We have now gone to a sad place where we actually want to look at the news and social media only to cringe in fear.  Like Peter we move our eyes off of our Lord Jesus, who invites us out to walk with him in love, and we stare into the destructive winds of hate and evil in the midst of our nation and the world. And we too cry out, “Lord, save us!” And he does. The ones who call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.

When we take our focus off of our Lord Jesus we set ourselves up for fear and misunderstanding.  Jesus is all about love.  We are all invited to step out of the boat floating in the sea of fear and hatred. And as long as we maintain our focus on our Lord Jesus, we walk with Him through troubled waters.  But if we turn our attention to worldly fears and concerns, we sink into the sludge of sadness and despair.  Therefore, in the midst of danger don’t take your eyes off the Savior.

“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 including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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:

Dear Lord Christ, who saves us daily, give us that determination to always focus on your presence with us and most especially in our trying times.  Help us to avoid looking at the threatening winds that are trying to distract us, and please extend to us your saving hand when we need it. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 4: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 50; Evening, Psalms  8 and 84

Ecclesiastes 3:16 to 4:3; Galatians 3:1 to 14; Matthew 14:13 to 21:

“Just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:6 – 7)

Above all identifiers of who I am, I consider myself first and foremost a believing descendant of Abraham.  Biologically, Abraham (son of Terah of Ur: Genesis 11: 26 – 32) was from what we now call Iraq.  I claim no genetic relationship to him in that way. This faith-based believing relationship is more important to me than being African American or any descriptor of human identification. What I claim is a spiritual and believing relationship to Abraham in the Holy Spirit of God.  We underestimate the power of faith and in particular the power of believing.

Believing is everything to me.  This doesn’t mean that I never drift off course.  Sadly, I do.  But even in my waywardness I believe.  It’s funny how different Bible verses over the years take on more importance as one grows stronger in the faith.  I am going through some sadness now regarding the political unrest in America.  So what stands out for me now is John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.” These are comforting words.  Abraham too had stressful days but he always believed in God. Paul’s letter to the Galatians reminds us that as believing descendants of Abraham we have a most important heritage.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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: (Using BCP p. 289)

 O God, whose wonderful deeds of old shine forth even to our own day, you once delivered by the power of your mighty arm your chosen people from slavery under Pharaoh, to be a sign for us of the salvation of all nations by the water of Baptism: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may be numbered among the offspring of Abraham, and rejoice in the inheritance of Israel; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 3: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:49 to 72; Evening, Psalm 49;

Ecclesiastes 3:1 to 15;  Galatians 2:11 to 21; Matthew 14:1to 12:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵ a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; ⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.  (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 8)

Personally I don’t believe there is ever a time to hate. I could probably deal with the rest of the verses. Having said that, I believe I could even engage in war for a just cause and yet, not hate the people I am fighting.

I am still in the process of writing a short book about human stations in life.  I have developed an acronym for it.  It is SPERC (sounds like “SPERK”) It stands for Study, Practice, Exercise, Rest and Chores.  At no time during the day can I be found not existing in one of these states of being. As I am doing this writing I am in study.  Study also includes prayer and all pondering.  Practice includes those activities that I do with my hands like playing music, practicing golf and other games.  Exercise is about my daily exercises that I believe most people don’t do.  I find that by doing regular exercises I maintain my ability to fulfill other parts of my SPERC program.  Rest includes all peaceful states of being and most especially sleep.  And lastly there are Chores.  Chores are those activities necessary to maintain personal and environmental upkeep like cooking, driving, cleaning the house, cutting the grass and all other necessary actions for healthy living.

I am retired now, but I have plenty to keep me busy.  Writing (Study) is one of those states of my SPERC being.  There is never a moment in my day that I am not in one part or another of my SPERC self.  The writer of Ecclesiastes is correct; there is a time for every matter under heaven.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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:

Almighty God, who brought us into being and is with each of us every moment of our lives, comfort us we pray, to be aware of your precious presence with us and make us both aware of you, and thankful to you, for all that you are doing for us, both the known, and the unknown. And then lead us into right pathways for your Name’s sake.  Amen.