Tag: christianity

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 2^nd Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 38; Evening, Psalm 119:25 to 48;

Genesis 9:18 to 29; Hebrews 6:1 to 12; John 3:22 to 36:

“They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him”” (John 3:26)

We should all learn from John.  John the Baptist did the best job he could with no illusions about keeping his position as a baptizing servant of God and pointing to Jesus of Nazareth as the coming Messiah, as a permanent position.  He told the people plainly that “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

I have held positions of some responsibility in my life. I find the greatest reward for such work is not ribbons or medals or even keeping the position too long, but rather, to meet my replacement and wish him or her God speed. All life is temporary.  And within our temporary lives are even more temporary assignments or callings. I don’t think it is healthy or prudent for the position holder, or the people under his or her charge, to hold such a relationship too long. At some point, we have to move on.

So we should take a page from John’s play-book and announce in advance that the time is surely coming when leadership will evolve.  Stepping out and away from the limelight can be its own reward. It also gives us time to discern what the Spirit is calling us to next, if it be God’s will.

Today we remember Agnes of Rome, Martyr (January 21 304) and Cecilia of Rome, Martyr at Rome , c. 280; and information for both may be found at: St. Agnes of Rome.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: For Guidance (BCP p. 832)

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Morning, Psalm 25; Evening, Psalms 9 and 15; 

Genesis 8:6 to 22; Hebrews 4:14 to 5:6; John 2:23  to 3:15:

“He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” (John 3:2)

This is the way we all approach our Lord Jesus, in the darkness of ignorance.  Nicodemus was somewhat condescending in his talk with Jesus knowing that a person cannot re-enter the womb to be born again.  Jesus was explaining a rebirth using metaphor.  This only further explains the dark cloud of ignorance in which Nicodemus found himself.

One does not know how much they don’t know.  I am thankful for a seminary education. It is not that this religious education made me smart.  Rather, it informed me of just how much I had no clue about.  I think knowing how much you don’t know is the beginning of being smart. This is a good time to recall a quote from Kallistos Ware: “It is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery.  God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of our wonder.” (Kallistos Ware)

If Nicodemus believed that our Lord Jesus was a teacher who has come from God because no one can do what our Lord Jesus does apart from the presence of God, then, I say, “behave that way Nicodemus!”  Instead of challenging Jesus, follow him.  And that goes for us too.

Today the United States remembers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocate for civil rights for all people.

Dr King was passionate about his call for justice for all people.  It is reported that he once said that “If a man can’t find something he is willing to die for, he is not fit to live.”  Indeed he did die while raising the awareness of underpaid sanitation workers in Memphis.  Fairness was something he believed in and was willing to die for, and indeed he did die for it.

How about us?  What are we willing to die for?  So often the “what” is changed to “who.”  Many of us will proclaim who we are willing to die for, a significant other, a child, a parent or a friend.   But what about an idea; – a concept of freedom, equality and justice for all people?  As Episcopalians we proclaim in our Baptismal Covenant that we “Will strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being;” (BCP 305).  I think Dr King (not an Episcopalian), lived into what we profess. He did more than just lip service to an old, regularly recited covenant. He was fit to live because of his determination for freedom, liberty and justice for all people as valid reasons to die for. And that should go for us as well.

Today we remember the Confession of Peter the Apostle (Transferred from yesterday, 18 January due to it being Sunday) and information about him may be found at;   Matthew 16:13-20

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (BCP p. 395)

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, “Peace I give to you; my own peace I leave with you:” Regard not our sins, but the faith of your Church, and give to us the peace and unity of that heavenly City, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the Second Sunday After Epiphany: Year A

John 1:29-42

“The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.”  (John 1:35 – 37)

They followed Jesus. Our Lord Jesus did not call them, at least at this point; they initiated their own seeking. When we see where our Lord Jesus is, in any situation, we too, if we are professed Christians, should use our own initiative and follow Jesus.  They however were not professed Christians.  The Christian path hadn’t started yet.  Andrew, at least, was on the John the Baptist path.

This seems to be the handing off of disciples.  Andrew and the other unnamed disciple of John leave John the Baptist and follow Jesus. This link or connected string of leadership has continued through human history, and especially in our Apostolic Christian history.  It is hard to track sometimes, but it’s here, none the less in every walk of human evolution.

“When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”  (John 1:38).  It is pointed out here that our Lord Jesus did not ask them “Who” they were looking for. Our Lord Jesus often asks what is it you want me to do for you.  He asks this of James and John; and of the blind man, and of others.  For God, the “what” always seems to come before the who.

So, what are you looking for?  Utter some word in your heart that describes “what” you are looking for.  Might it be peace?  Might it be love?  Might it be joy? Might it be wealth?  Might it be health? Might it be revenge (you fill in the blank)?  If what you are looking for is not loving, it may not be our Lord Jesus that you want to take the initiative to follow.

But if we are following our Lord Jesus, then why? Are we following our Lord Jesus just to abide with him?  Our Lord Jesus asks you a very provocative question, “What are you looking for?”  What do you want me to do for you?  Sometimes we can’t do discernment because we didn’t ask ourselves the right question.  What am I looking for?

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: Second Sunday after the Epiphany (BCP p. 215)

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Week 1 of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 16, and 17; Evening,  Psalm 22;

Genesis 6:1 to 8; Hebrews 3:12 to 19; John 2:1 to 12:

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.”  (Genesis 6:5)

Full disclosure, I am not a Bible literalist. But I do believe that within most of our Bible stories, and within some of the fake facts, are real truths. One such truth is that left unschooled by good parents, preachers and school teachers of love, our moral compasses will point south; that is, to immorality. We must be vigilant about being good and teaching what is good, Nephilim notwithstanding.

This is a repeated Biblical lesson for us today. From our Hebrews reading for today we get the same instruction: “Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12 and 13)

While the preacher to the Hebrews reminds us of Moses and our Genesis reading shows signs of hope with the coming of Noah, the Mother of our Lord Jesus preaches the perfect, albeit brief, sermon. She tells us, the servants of the Lord, to “do whatever he tells you,” (John 2:5). Our Lord Jesus is God’s final act of salvation, even beyond Noah and Moses. I believe God still loves creation and wants to save it, and ourselves with it.

“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

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: For the Human Family (BCP p. 815)  

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 1^st Week after the Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 18:1 to 20; Evening, Psalm 18:21 to 50;

Genesis 4:17 to 26; Hebrews 3:1 to 11; John 1:43 to 51:

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today,  if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors put me to the test,  though they had seen my works”  (Hebrews 3:7 – 9)

Today if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.  I think it takes a minute to discern where the inside voice is coming from.  We can call it conscience, or in my case, pondering, or whatever.  The point from the Hebrews reading is that we need to at least acknowledge the voice and heed it.

I have found that listening deeply requires me to check my emotions.  I have to ask myself, how am I feeling?  Am I disturbed about something?  Am I nervous about something?  I must also ask myself if I am overjoyed about anything.  All of these moods or emotions could alter what the Spirit is saying to me.  Such clearing of the mind requires contemplation, meditation and often just sitting quietly alone.  I recall the words of Blaise Pascal who said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” I modified his words to read, “All of humanity’s problems stem from each person’s refusal to sit quietly in a room alone.

Aside from the gender reference I want us to acknowledge that it is not so much the inability to sit alone, but our flat-out refusal to do so.  I think this is the hardness of heart that the Hebrew writer warns against.  Sometimes we can be so stubborn as to not allow ourselves to be open to pondering about what is right and loving to do. You should try it.  Sometimes we just need to shut everything off and be still. And yes, know that God is God (Psalm 46:10).  A hardened heart is a blockage to the voice of the Holy Spirit. We all, from time to time, need to step away from the fear of change and the conviction that we are right, and be open to what the Spirit is saying to us.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: For Quiet Confidence (BCP p. 832)

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 1^st Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:1 to 24; Evening,  Psalms 12, 13 and 14;
Genesis 4:1 to 16; Hebrews 2:11 to 18; John 1: 35-42:

“Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.” (Hebrews 2: 17 and 18)

This explanation from the letter to the Hebrews reinforces my belief that God gets to understand the human condition through His Incarnate self in the life and death of our Lord Jesus.

When God walks among us and suffers with us, God develops mercy for us. It is through, and because of, our Lord Jesus that we are redeemed of our sins and saved in eternal life.

Jesus says, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me,” (Hebrews 2:13). We are given to our Lord Jesus through our faith, that is, in believing in the Presence of Christ in our everyday lives.  Our belief in our Lord Jesus makes us, through Holy Communion, be of the same flesh and blood, and therefore, brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus. “Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things,” (Hebrews 2:14).

Thanks to our Lord Jesus all we have to do is believe and participate on the Communal practice of our Church in order to belong to the family of God.  Other faith traditions have different kinds of faith connections with God. For us, we have Christ crucified. This is why “he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.” 

Every day we should live our lives in thanksgiving for God being one of us in order to experience what we are going through and then extending mercy. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Today we remember Richard Meux Benson, Religious, (1915) and Charles Gore, Bishop of Worcester, Birmingham and Oxford, 1932 and Their information may be found at: Richard Meux Benson & Charles Gore

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (BCP p. 397)

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 1^st Week after the Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 5 and 6; Evening, Psalms 10 and 11;

Genesis 3:1 to 24; Hebrews 2:1 to 10; John 1:19 to 28:

“John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know.”  (John 1: 26)

We don’t always know who is in our midst.  I wonder if John made eye contact with Jesus as he said the words “Among you stands one whom you do not know.”  John knew Jesus, it is said that they were cousins.  I ponder if Mary and Elizabeth were sisters?

Knowing someone is more than just knowing who their relatives are, their parents, siblings and so forth. Knowing a person implies, at some level you know what they like and dislike, what they value and their preferences of foods, music, habits and hobbies.  In the case of our Lord Jesus, it also means you know He is God Incarnate.  No one around John knew that about our Lord Jesus except for Cousin John.

I have been around some of my friends for a very long time only to find out that when a certain topic came up, they surprised me with how they acted.  Then I realized that I didn’t really know them at all.  So when John says “Among you stands one whom you do not know,” he’s right. But let’s not confuse knowing a person with knowing “of” a person. 

Sometimes it’s good to know something about a person in order to know how close you want to be with them.  The more similar attitudes you both have about various subjects the closer you become.  But even with this, I like to be close with people who differ with me in some areas.  I always want to hear an opposing view point. It keeps me honest. It may even cause me to shift in my pondering as I hear what the Spirit is saying to me through someone with a different perspective.  We don’t mature if we stay stagnated with people of the same mind. We must listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, through us, and through others. The Late Colon Powell, former Secretary of State said, if two of you are of the same mind, one of you is redundant.

We also might get from John’s words for us today that when we are in a large group, there may be a person or two in our midst who are directly from the court of heaven! Those we don’t know could be from anywhere. We never know who, or when, God might have angels among us whom we can actually see if we take the time. Interaction with the Presence of God baptizes us in the Holy Spirit.

Today we remember Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor (January 13, 367)  and his information may be found at: Hilary of Poitiers

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (BCP p. 815)

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 1^st Week of Epiphany: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 1, 2 and 3; Evening, Psalms 4 and 7;

Genesis 2:4 to 25; Hebrews 1:1 to 14; John 1:1 to 18

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

It is perhaps difficult if not impossible for us to wrap our minds around all matter and all life being created through the Being of God we now call our Lord Jesus.  This message is also reflected in John’s Gospel account which we have assigned for today as he writes, “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:3).

So God creates and maintains the universe through our Lord Jesus who walked among us to model for us how we should live in creation with God and one another. I believe we humans have three missions in life. First, we are to ever strive to develop and maintain our faithful connection with the Creator, “Our Father in Heaven.” Second, we are assigned as caretakers of this earth our island home.  And lastly, we must recognize that we live in covenant relationship with one another for the purpose of being co-maintainers of the earth, God’s prized jewel in the universe.

The more I ponder about these things the more focused I am about our call to exist and do the work God has put before us. God has made this earth like a Grandfather clock and has put us here to “rewind” and clean it ever so often. Yes, we may use it to mark the time, but we also must keep it running. This clock planet is not just for us humans.  The rhythms of its musical chimes are the living pulse of all on, and in, this blue round home we call earth.   If we don’t stop polluting it, it will shut down.  If we don’t stop polluting relationships, they too will continue to shut down. Let us practice the teachings of the heir of all things.

Today we remember Aelred of Rievaulx, Abbot (January 12, 1167) and his information may be found at: Aelred of Rievaulx

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:  For Joy in God’s Creation (BCP p. 814)

O heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.