onewhoponders

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 4^th Week in Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 69: Evening,  Psalm 73;

Exodus 1:6 to 22; 1^st  Corinthians 12:12 to 26; Mark 8:27 to 9:1:

“He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:29)

Our Lord Jesus had already asked his close followers, “who do the people say that I am?”   And rumors abound.  There were all kinds of responses.  Then he let the dust settle and he asked those who closely followed him “who do YOU say that I am?” 

The same question applies to us today, we who profess to be followers of our Lord Jesus as Christians. We hear all the time who people, (including some professed Christians), say who they think Jesus is. 

Some folk are so misinformed that they don’t keep the history of our Lord Jesus in New Testament when they speak of Him. Some will have him in and out of the Bible, anywhere from Adam and Eve in the garden, to being aboard the Mayflower as it came to the Americas. And some even say that he is a figment of our imagination.  Fine for them, but who do YOU (reading this blog), say that our Lord Jesus is?  And please, say who he is in your deeds rather than just your words, even as we struggle to love all people.

Say who He is in prayers and deeds as you do not return evil for evil.  Say who He is as you bless those who curse you. For this is who our Lord Jesus is, and how we live out our lives is the only way we can truly say who He is; He is the Messiah! He is the source of eternal life. He is God revealed in human form for the benefit of eternal life for all human beings.

Let us pray:

O Lord Jesus, you are the source of all life through whom all creation came into being. And you set the example for those of us who believe in you to follow. Help us we pray, to say who you are by the way we conduct ourselves in daily life, that in following your example we may teach the world about your unconditional love and abiding peace. Amen.

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

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 101 and 109; Evening, Psalm 119:121 to 144;

Genesis 50:15 to 26; 1^st Corinthians 12:1 to 11; Mark 8:11-26:

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die; but God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” So Joseph made the Israelites swear, saying, “When God comes to you, you shall carry up my bones from here.” And Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old; he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:24 to 26)

I love re-reading our ancient stories. In the ending of Genesis, Joseph tells us how God can, and will, bring good out of what was intended to be evil. There is a lot of crying with Joseph and his brothers about their sad history, but there is forgiveness with new understanding about what God has done, and is doing.

Joseph tells them that God will come to them and bring them up out of Egypt. He doesn’t say when, or how, or in whom, God will do this. And, after many, many generations of Hebrew families, and many kings of Egypt, we will get Moses. He is the second Hebrew-born, Egyptian-raised person to lead the Hebrews.  God’s action is played out in the person of Moses as it was with Joseph.

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

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 97 and 99; Evening,  Psalm 94:

Genesis 49:29 to 50:14; 1^st Cor. 11:17 to 34; Mark 8:1 to 10:

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” (1Corinthians 11:23 – 24)

In the Synoptic Gospels we learn about how our Lord Jesus wants us to remember Him, as well as here in 1^st Corinthians, where Paul reports how our Lord Jesus gives us the image of how he wants us to remember Him: by the bread and the cup.

It was the bread and wine, the body and blood, that was missing by not being able to attend Church during the onset of Covid. I never thought I, or anybody, would lose Church attendance for Lent, but we did. I missed it as did all of my flock.  As we began to come back to Church, we did so without Holy Communion. Later we resumed with bread only. Then later we returned with both kinds but there is a difference. Now we come to the rail to receive the bread and then some elect to receive wine from individual little glasses and others from the common chalice, each as they are comfortable.

Yielding to change for the sake of safety makes sense. We again receive the body and blood as commanded by our Lord Jesus. But we are using reason, one of the legs of the three-legged stool (of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason), as introduced by Richard Hooker, the 17^th Century Anglican Priest. We are a reasonable people who find ways to fulfill our Christ given destiny of eternal life.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord Jesus, as you are made known to us in the bread and wine consecrated in remembrance of you, be in us each week as we then are in you. Let our weekly intake of you sustain us to do those things that are pleasing in your sight, that fortified by your body and blood we will walk in your ways always.  Amen.

Today our Church remembers Pope Gregory the Great who had a hand in the formation of our Anglican Communion by sending Augustine to England. His bio can be found at:  Gregory the Great (satucket.com)

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

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 89:1 to 18; Evening, Psalm 89:19 to 52;

Genesis 49:1to 28; 1^st Corinthians 10:14 to 11:1; Mark 7:24 to 37:

“But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’” (Mark 7: 28)

And with this response from the Syrophoenician mother, our Lord Jesus yielded to her faith.  Some say that this event happened so that we could see God’s inclusive love for all people. Some have even said that this happened as our Lord Jesus was still learning who he was and the nature of his mission with us.  I prefer the first. 

As Jesus intentionally went to lands outside of Israel to heal and teach, it is doubtful that he would not care about this woman’s daughter.  Also, the Syrophoenician mother shows that anyone bringing their problem to our Lord Jesus, if their faith is genuine, they will not be turned away. This is especially true for intercessory prayer.

It is one thing to pray for ourselves and what we might think we need. But God really pays attention to our plea for the needs of others. Also, in the experience, Jesus shows that He does not have to be physically present where He is needed, moreover, He also knows who we are talking about through our own heart without us having to specifically name or identify them. God reaches through us to comfort and heal those who asks us to pray for them or even their unknown (to us) loved ones. So we do it, we pray for them and God responds.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, healing Word of God through Whom all creation came into being. We ask in your Name Lord Jesus because you promised that whatever we ask in your Name it will be done for us. Please walk through our hearts of faith to those we love with your healing powers and restore those we love to health of body mind and spirit. In your Name we pray: Amen.

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

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the 4^th Sunday in Lent: Year B

John 3: 14 to 21

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

For most Christians this verse in the Gospel according to John is the most quoted or posted of all references of the Gospel.  People will hold up signs with “John 3:16” written on them and “John 3:16” will be written on walls and on transport vehicles and so on. But I invite you to go deeper into the “him” of this passage. Who is him? Is it Jesus, or God? Is there a difference?  The Gospel according to John 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:” (John 1: 1 and 2).

From this we see Jesus as fully God and yet he comes among us to point to God in order that we might believe in God. Yes, taking on human packaging through Mary so as to be with us, Emanuel, but as one of us, he shows us the loving Creator of all life.

As we step deeper into the words of John 3:16, “him” can be deceptive. This is God showing us God. God should be worshiped and glorified, but most importantly, God should be believed in and obeyed.

Let us Pray:

Most Holy Lord God, who came among us to save us, increase our faith so that by our faith we may trust in your loving goodness all the days of our lives in order that on our last earthly day, we may be born again into Your glorious realm where there is no more crying or dying, but rather, an eternal life of love forever and ever, Amen.

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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent: Year 2

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

Genesis 47:27 to 48:7; 1^st Corinthians 10:1 to 13; Mark 7:1 to 23:

“Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them.” (Mark 7:1 and 2)

In the Gospel we are always on notice that when the Pharisees approach our Lord Jesus, the encounter  is normally confrontational. This meeting at the beginning of Chapter 7 of Mark is no different.  However, as we live today in the lessons of the Covid 19 virus the message over and over again is to wash our hands and wash them often. 

Our Lord Jesus will speak of the ill intent of the Pharisee’s attempt to discredit him.  He will also let us all know that if we are not careful there is an unholy kind of dirt that may be in us, in our hearts, and it will do much damage if it comes out in our words and actions against our neighbors.  He says, in effect, that it is not what goes into a person that defiles them but rather, what is crafted in them and then comes out of them in an evil and sinful way that defiles them.

I have a book of Russian Theologians, honorable priests, bishops and monks out of whom comes all goodness. All of the ones in my book were well before the present regime in Russia. What comes out of the present regime, and the clergy who support it, is what pollutes the great Russian religious history. As they continue to wage war with Ukraine the Russian leadership needs to return to their rich Russian religious heritage and live peacefully with their neighbors, and so should we all, personally and nationally. But first, we must seek help from outside ourselves.

Let us Pray:

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP 355)

Today we remember Gregory of Nyssa (9 March 395). See Gregory of Nyssa (satucket.com) for more details.

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

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 3^rd Week in Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 88; Evening, Psalms 91 and 92;
Genesis 47:1 to 6; 1^st Corinthians9:16 to 27; Mark 6:47 to 56:

“ It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High” (Psalm 92:1)

Psalm 92 is a Psalm of praise and thanksgiving. Reading it is a good way to start one’s day and indeed, one’s weekend. Giving sincere thanks requires some reflection. We must consider how blessed we are. Even in bad times, reflection will reveal how things could have been worse. And, if we are surviving difficult times, perhaps God has in store for us better times ahead.

This Psalm goes on to say that there are many ways to express thanks to God.  We give thanks and praise to God “On the psaltery, and on the lyre, and to the melody of the harp.”( Psalm 92:3). As one learning to play various musical instruments, I particularly like this verse.

Instruments or not, we all can, and should, give praise and thanks to our Creator. We didn’t have to be at all. But here we are. Perhaps life is not good for all. This is when those of us who are doing well should look around and find ways to make life better for those who are not so well off.

Let us Pray:

We give You thanks dear God for all You are blessing us with, the little we are aware of, and the great abundance hidden from us until revealed later. You always treat us better than we deserve and are merciful towards us when we are sinful and neglect Your ways. You love us and bless us in spite of our shortfalls. For all this, and for all the good You give us that we can’t see, we give you thanks. From before the foundations of creation, You are God. Amen.

“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

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the Third Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 42 and 43; Evening,  Psalms 85 and 86;

Genesis 46:1 to 7 and 28 to 34; 1^st Corinthians 9:1 to 15; Mark 6:30 to 46:

“You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37)

The crowd has been following our Lord Jesus until late in the day.  They were tired and now hungry.  The disciples warned Jesus to send them home so that they could feed themselves.  Jesus said no, “You give them something to eat.”

True Christians take responsibility for what needs to be done. Our Lord Jesus has them to take stock of what they have, five loaves and two fish. Admittedly not enough without God getting involved but Jesus takes it, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it. This is the same four-fold table action at Holy Communion. The Priest or Bishop takes the presented sacraments, blesses them, breaks the bread and pours the wine, and then distributes the Lord’s body and blood to the waiting people.

The lesson here is not to be concerned about what we don’t have, but to take stock of what we do have; and then to bless it to God, divide it up, and distribute it as we are able. With God, all things are possible. This action should be repeated at family meals as well.  Breakfast or supper should be first prepared, prayed over in thanksgiving to God, portioned out, and given to family members, all according to their needs from the eldest to the youngest with love.

Perhaps the most important lesson our Lord Jesus is teaching is that we should not push our problems aside. Hungry and tired people needing sustenance is probably as serious as it gets. We have hungry people all around us today. And even if someone gives them a meal, it is rarely “blessed by the giver.”  So, when we provide the hungry with a meal, bless it for them.  I believe blessed food makes the body healthier. The hungry are not the problem of somebody else, Our Lord Jesus says to us; “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37)

Let us Pray:

Dear Lord God Almighty, as you have blessed us, so like Abraham, let us also be a blessing. Remind us dear God, to not only bless what we are about to share, but to also bless those who are unaware of the power of blessing. Help us daily dear God to be mindful of what we have no matter how little it is and that all things come from you, and to you we give back through giving to others. In Christ Name we pray: Amen.

Today our Church remembers Perpetua and Felicity; Martyrs at Carthage (7 March 202). You can find them at: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Perpetua.htm.

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

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent: Year 2

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

Genesis 45:16 to 28; 1^st  Corinthians 8:1 to 13; Mark 6:13 to 29: 

“But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling-block to the weak.” (1^st Corinthians 8:9)

Paul here is talking about not eating food dedicated to idols. But we can all look deeper into our own lives as thinking Christians. Reason is one of the three legs of the three-legged stool that Richard Hooker used as a metaphor for us to think about in terms of our Church; Scripture, Tradition and Reason.  They all carry the same and equal guidance in our Church tradition as taught in our Anglican/Episcopal faith. We have the Holy Scriptures, our Church liturgy and leadership, and we each have our God-given sense of morality and right behavior given to us by God in Christ Jesus.

Personally, I like to have a beer every now and then.  But I will not stop at a store and purchase beer while wearing clericals (clergy shirt with tab or collar).  North Carolina, being part of the Southern “Bible belt” where beliefs are pretty fundamental, right or wrong, I don’t want people who think ill of me, or of my Church.  If the people in my community saw me purchasing beer, dressed as clergy they might think me to be a hypocrite.

Are there any practices or enjoyments that you have that could become a stumbling-block to the weak? The field of misleading activities are wide ranging; the movies we enjoy, the books we read, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the company we keep, and on and on. I think we will be okay in our individual ways if we use moderation and discretion, but we must use caution with regard to what we reveal about ourselves, in person, and especially on social media platforms. “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling-block to the weak.” (1^st Corinthians 8:9)

Let us pray:                                        

All mighty God, who set us an example of how to conduct ourselves in Jesus Christ, help us to live in community with moderation and discipline. Keep us ever mindful that we are always teaching in our everyday activities even when we think no one is watching. Lead us and guide us O Lord to do those things that are pleasing in your sight. Amen.

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

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 78:1 to 39; Evening,  78:40 to 72;

Genesis 45:1 to 15; 1^st Corinthians 7:32 to 40; Mark 6:1 to 13:

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him.” (Mark 6:3)

Just because we know someone and their family, and our opinion of them is not very favorable to us, does not mean that God is not making good use of them for a better life in the community in which that person lives. But in this case, we’re talking about God Incarnate. His community thought they knew everything about Jesus solely because they knew his earth family and had already decided that he was not Godly.  They were so wrong.  Besides that, God is able to use anybody to do God’s work, which includes you.

When we judge someone as unusable by God, we are not judging them, we are judging and limiting the power of God.  God can use any human, (and in some cases our pets or even animals in nature, or a burning bush) to affect our path or direction in life.  Every one of us must be open, and remain open, to God’s desire to use us for the good of the community in which we live, or quite possibly, for a distant community we have yet to be a member of.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord God of all Goodness and love, assist us in our desire to be instruments of your plan to bring peace and harmony among all people, those we know, and especially those who have yet to know you. Help us to show those who think they know us how you have improved our lives for the better and that that same improvement is here for them as well. We ask this in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who told us to ask in His Name. Amen.

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