onewhoponders

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

Morning, Psalm 80; Evening, Psalm 77;

Genesis 44:18 to 34; 1^st Corinthians 7:25 to 31; Mark 5:21 to 43:

“Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.” (Mark 5: 25)

Jesus was on his way to heal a child when this hemorrhaging woman acted from her faith and touched Jesus and was healed. So our Lord Jesus, while on his way to do a good work, did an additional good work.  In the Cursillo movement we call this an “unexpected opportunity.”

Opportunities to do unexpected good works abound.  Our Lord Jesus models for us that there will be people in need all around us.  We may not know them but they need us.  They come to us from their faith, trusting in God to work through us for what they need. These are unexpected opportunities. Had not our Lord Jesus been going to do a good work already, the woman in need may not have ever crossed his path.  The same is true for us today.  As we go about our business to do good, God will put people in our path who need us. From that point on, God is watching us, to see how we might respond. Remember, it is their faith in God working through you that works in, and for them.

Let us pray:

Come Holy Spirit of the Ever-loving God of all Creation, keep our eyes open to those around us who may be in desperate need. And then use we pray, to make good use of any unexpected opportunities that may arise to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and 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

Gospel Reading for the Third Sunday in Lent: Year B

John 2:13-22

“Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here!” (John 2: 15 and16)

Some people, and even pastors, have tried to use these verses from John to show a violent side of Jesus. But they are wrong. Just as a net is used for fishing, and a rod and staff are used for guiding sheep, so too, a whip is used to move live stock of many varieties from one place to another. One might even say this was the “cowboy” Jesus.

What we should be paying closer attention to is the reference Jesus made about his body being the Temple. And that he would raise it again when destroyed. But then, even the writer of the Gospel according to John saw fit to put these connecting words before us so as to inform us about our own souls and bodies.

Sometimes we have things in us that we are not able to rid ourselves of. In fact, we, like those in our Gospel passage, we have become used to them and have accepted their presence in us where they should not be.

Lent is a time of cleansing. Our Lord Jesus is still trying to be in our inner temple, leading us, guiding us, and loving us. But we must pay attention to the housekeeping of our souls. We must pay attention to distractions and actions that clutter the resting place for Jesus within us.  We do this through prayer, for ourselves, and for others.

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.

Let us pray:

My Lord Jesus, who fashioned a whip to drive away those things that corrupted your temple, I ask you, do you still have that cleansing whip?  We pray you dear Lord Jesus, drive away those things that defile your temple place in our souls. Drive away racial prejudice, love of money above people, political anger, and all distractions that block our love of you, you who now dwell in that temple not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Amen.

Eucharistic Readings or the Second Saturday in Lent: Year B

Micah 7:14–15,18–20: Psalm 103:1–4(5–8)9–12: :Luke 15:11–32

“But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! (Luke 15:17)

In the beginning of this parable all was good and glorious for both sons.  Both sons had all that was needed, and then some.  As we explore this parable let us see if we can connect it with our lives today and then apply its lessons to our walk in our Christian ministry.

The younger son foresees that he will never be the one in charge and so he figures he can do better on his own. Therefore he requests of his father to give him what is his and he will be off to do his own thing. So there is separation and brokenness.

As he encounters the world with its various lures and temptations he loses everything. He is forced to take work that is incompatible with the way in which he was raised and taught in his tradition.  “But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!

In recognizing the gap between where he should be and where he is, his judgment is certain, and he crafts his words of repentance. He says to himself, I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”  (Luke 15: 18)

And even as he is walking back to deliver his well-prepared words of repentance, his father rushes out to greet him, not even paying attention to the words the son is saying but ordering the household servants to restore him back to his original self. This happens even as the elder brother begins his own broken separation with the desire to make things “better” for himself.

This cycle of wholeness and brokenness, the recognition of it, and the reorientation and restoration, connects with us today as we too, too often, try to leave the God of love.

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.

Let us pray:

All mighty and ever-loving God, who is ever vigilant in waiting for our return, come to us as we come to ourselves, that in our path to you, we may be restored into your heavenly kingdom where with our Savior Jesus Christ, you live and reign in love everlasting. Amen

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the Second Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 95 and 69: Evening, Psalm 73;

 Genesis 43:1 to 15; 1^st Corinthians 7:1 to 9; Mark 4:35 to 41:

“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. (Psalm 95:2)

Psalm 95 is the Venite. It is often sung or said in the opening of Morning Prayer. However, it is the Eve of one day that allows us the time to prepare for the Morn of next. So in our eve this evening, we prepare to receive tomorrow, Saturday,  as a gift from God.

Friday evening is particularly special for me. As the labors of a worship service are work for those who organize and conduct it, I think it is good that we Christians worship on Sundays, the first day of the week.  Abraham Joshua Heschel says in his book, “Sabbath,” the Sabbath is a gift from God and we should appreciate it and honor it.  So I don’t think, as a matter of regular practice, even the work of worship should be done on the Sabbath morning. The Sabbath should be of day of comfort and meditation and perhaps some individual or small group reflective study or pondering.

There are exceptions to this. First responders, the military, hospital and prison staff, must make allowances for the Sabbath. But even they should be afforded at least every other Sabbath to enjoy this gift from God.  Jesus reminds us that the Sabbath was made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)

Let us as families and friends come before the Lord with thanksgiving on the Sabbath and then also prepare to come before the Lord on Saturday Eve for Sunday Morn in corporate community worship and raise a loud shout to God with Psalms.

God created all that is, and in the Gospel according to John, nothing came into being that didn’t come through him. You and I were literally prayed into being. And therefore all of us are people who came into being as a response to God’s prayer.

“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

Morning, Psalm  71; Evening,  Psalm 74;
Genesis 42:29 to 38; 1^st Corinthians 6:12 to 20; Mark 4:21 to 34:

“He did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.” (Mark 4: 34)

This morning I am driving to Stoneville, North Carolina for Education for Ministry (EfM) training. The focus of this training will be to go deeper into what we call Theological Reflection (TR). Jesus spoke to the people in parables but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

We mentors of EfM are also disciples of Christ, not to be confused with the denomination of the same name, and are gathering at a Roman Catholic retreat center as Episcopalians to have everything explained to us in a closed community (private). It is wonderful to be with like-minded servants of our Lord while finding and developing more meaningful ways to mentor people of faith into knowing the love of Christ.

The TR of EfM assists us in examining our troubling situations and moves us to resolve problems in ways that helps us apply our lives in more Christ-like ways. When life brings unexpected and troubling events into our lives it becomes necessary to come together in community where we can prayerfully and intimately resolve them. I believe TR is something all people of faith should seek as it has us to go deeper into our individual feelings.  It is inside our own hearts and minds that we meet Jesus in private. 

To find out more about EfM see  https://theology.sewanee.edu/education-for-ministry//

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 2^nd Week of Lent: Year 2

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

Genesis 42:18 to 28; 1^st Corinthians 5:9 to 6:8; Mark 4:1 to 20:

“Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say nothing of ordinary matters? If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?” (1 Corinthians 6: 3 – 4)

I believe that people who are regular church attendees make the best police persons, military personal, and lawyers and judges. There should always be some kind of community moral compass in place and activated in such work as police, military and the judicial system. 

Humane treatment and decency should always be at the forefront of all public service or conflict. People that do such work should come from a community of faith. I don’t believe such a faith community has to be Christian.  But it should be a community whose beliefs recognize the godly value of all people regardless of ethnicity, religion, nationality, language, or sexual orientation.  Yes, we must appoint or elect judges to make decisions about how to proceed in terms of what to do about offenders. However, compassion must be given to people, even those who themselves show no compassion. Being tough on crime does not mean being hateful to those who are different or who have made mistakes or even those who show no desire to improve.

Preachers or priests, or imams, or rabbis, must be mindful of the message they plant in the hearts of their listeners, from whom such public servants are called.  We all have the same loving God.  We have found different ways to relate to and worship God.  But just as we look up to God, we must also look to our right and left at our neighbor and remember to love them through this same God. I agree with Saint Paul, I think our judges (and other public service providers and military) should come from people who have an understanding of some kind of loving worship community. The religious leaders who plant the seeds of morality have a huge responsibility for making sure such seeds are loving and inclusive.

Today we remember Anna Julia Haywood Cooper; Educator (1859 to 1965).  Her story can be found at Anna Julia Hayward Cooper (satucket.com).  Her story really speaks to the need for people to have a moral and spiritual integrity. “Anna Julia was an academically gifted child and received a scholarship to attend St. Augustine Normal School and Collegiate Institute, a school founded by the Episcopal Church to educate African-American teachers and clergy.” (borrowed from the site above).  This part saddens me knowing that St Augustine just lost its accreditation.

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

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 2^nd Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 61 and 62; Evening,  Psalm 68:

Genesis 42:1 to 17; 1^st Corinthians 5:1 to 8; Mark 3:19b to 35:

“And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

Our Lord Jesus is saying that those who come to God in the way he does are also his family.  I have a huge biological family in Tennessee but life paths and vocational calls have pulled me away from my Tennessee roots. One such vocational call is the Church.

It’s Church.  I have friends here in North Carolina who are not members of my Church; some are not members of any church, but I still accept them as friends.  My Church family however shares with me our understanding of God in our lives and the lives of our collective community.  For me, the good news about our Church is that we love providing Christian hospitality to all people.  Yes, there may be individuals who some of us may have a problem with, but for the most part, all are welcome.  We don’t care about what others believe or don’t believe. Our Baptismal Covenant requires us to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves and to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being:” (BCP 305). To all this (and more), we answer “I will with God’s help.” 

My Pondering is from the Episcopal Church perspective.  I don’t apologize for that.  I have found spiritual family in this Church.  Our current Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Michael Curry, says that “we are the Episcopal path of the Jesus movement.” There are many paths but this path best suits me. I believe everybody should have a worship family of some kind.  Even if you say you believe in little green frogs, fine, but if you do, you should be found down by the pond every now and then.

Today our Church remembers George Herbert: priest and poet (1633)  He is one of my spiritual heroes and someone I try to emulate. You can find him at George Herbert (satucket.com).

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and 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

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

Morning, Psalms 56 and 57; Evening,  Psalms 64 and 65;
Genesis 41:46 to 57; 1^st Corinthians 4:8 to 20(21); Mark 3:7 to19a

“Have mercy on me, O God, for my enemies are hounding me; all day long they assault and oppress me.”  (Psalm 56:1)

This Psalm, as does many of the Psalms of lament, ask for mercy from God. I especially ask for God’s mercy for Ukraine, her people now dispersed, and for the good Russian people who have protested against the criminality of their governmental leadership.

With things the way they are, the NATO nations not getting involved, only God and heaven above can help Ukraine now. However, they may do it through us. This kind of help can only come from the prayers of you and me and people all over the world, including the people within Russia,  Our prayers are for our God of mercy to sustain the Ukrainian resistance. It has been more than a year now.

I pray for God to intercede and turn their suffering into some kind of peace if not a distant joy.  How can they ever be happy again?  The first verse of Psalm 57, also for today, is likewise appropriate: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful, for I have taken refuge in you; in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge until this time of trouble has gone by.” (Psalm 57:1)

So I pray that this time of trouble quickly goes by and peace and reconciliation is restored. I don’t know how this is done. I just pray that it gets done, and soon. Please come to their help O Lord. We, the world, will be looking and listening for your presence in this matter.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and 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

Gospel Reading for the Second Sunday of Lent: Year B

Mark 8: 31 to 38

“But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but on man’s.” (Mark 8: 33)

This is a popular quote from the Gospel. It is often used when people sense that they are being tempted to do something immoral or selfish.

In this Gospel reading our Lord Jesus goes on to talk about putting others before self.  He talks about self-denial.  This is not self-denial in order to boast about it, but rather, it is the personal habit of ensuring your brothers and sisters have what they need as you trust that they are looking out after you and your needs as well. This then is harmonious living. It is living in love as God in Christ Jesus meant for us to have. It is God’s purpose for us.

Jesus is saying that if we live our lives in loving care for others, God will make sure our lives are not lost. God ensures that we who care for others before ourselves will be eternally in a place where all souls practice this way of everlasting life. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it:” (Mark 8: 35).

The lesson here is simple. God made us social creatures. He did not make us to be kings and queens over our brothers and sisters. Jesus came among us to model this equality dream and purpose of God for us. Even Jesus came among us to serve rather than to be served.

So yes, we must from time to time endure hardships. We will, in our Christian walk, be uncomfortable sometimes. But when it is suggested that we not experience a little hardship or discomfort to help those in need, we too must say, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but on man’s.”

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and 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

Daily Office Readings for Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalms 138 and 139:
Genesis 41:1 to 13; 1 Corinthians 4:1 to 7; Mark 2:23 to 3:6:

“Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath;” (Mark 2:27)

Most all Christians of today realize and understand that our Lord Jesus, as God Incarnate, came to us in the Hebrew (Jewish) culture. He lived and worshiped in that same tradition honoring its rich and God sanctioned rituals including Remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping it Holy as Commanded by God. Jesus never changed that.

Today most of the world recognizes Saturday as the seventh day of the week. The seventh day is still a Sabbath Day. As Christians we worship on the first day of the week, Sunday.  This is a human construct which I believe was created to again distinguish a difference between Christians and Jews. Why? We are Judea Christians.

As the elements of a worship service is work for those who organize and conduct it, I think it is good the worship on Sunday, it is, after all, work.  Abraham Joshua Heschel says in his book, Sabbath, the Sabbath is a gift from God and we should appreciate it and honor it.  So I don’t think even the work of worship should be done on the Sabbath. The Sabbath should be of day of comfort and meditation and perhaps some individual or small group reflective study or pondering.  

There is the reality that some of us will, out of human necessity, have to work. First responders, the military, police and medical staff, for example, must stay attentive to their duties on Saturdays. However, they should be afforded at least every other Sabbath for personal time with God.

And as far as we Christians are concerned, our Lord Jesus says in our Mark reading for today, “so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.’(Mark 2:28).

Today is our Sabbath gift from God. How are you using it?

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and 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