Tag: jesus

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 12: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 69; Evening, Psalm 73;
2^nd  Samuel 5:1to 12; Acts 17:1 to 15; Mark 7:24 to 37

“But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone:” (Mark 7: 28 to 30)

This is probably one of the greatest examples of humility in the Bible. The Gentile (Syrophoenician) woman and mother of a young possessed daughter will go to whomever she can in order to rid her daughter of a demon.

The lesson for us is to not boast about our ethnicity, race, culture or ancestry.  I continue to preach that it is not what you are, that means anything, but rather, who you are.  The only blood relationship that mattered to the Syrophoenician woman is her direct offspring; her daughter. Will her daughter appreciate her mother’s courage and devoted love for her when she is old enough to realize what her mother did to save her?  Who knows?

I agree with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” It is the content of one’s character that determines who a person really is.

Our Lord Jesus felt the faith, love and humility of the Syrophoenician mother.  Our Lord Jesus still feels the faith love and humility of each of us no matter our race, country of origin, language, or ancestry.  We, all of us, are people brought forth in the spiritual image of the Creator.

We were brought forth by love, to love. All barriers set up by humankind such as race, language, nationality, and sexual orientation, have their origin in the desire to disrupt our God-given gift of love for one another. We are most especially gifted to love those who differ from us in looks and language.  Too often, what a person looks like and, or, where they are from, makes us judge them harshly.  This ought not to be.  Let us look upon our brothers and sister as they express their joy in their vocations, their hobbies, their love of family, or their significant other.  We should not want anybody to be sad or miserable. When our neighbor is joyful, we can share in their joy.  Sharing in the healthy joy of others shows God the content of our character.

Today we remember Joseph of Arimathaea (August 1 NT) and his information may be found at Joseph of Arimathaea.

“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:

Dear Holy and ever-living and ever-loving God, in whom we trust with our very existence, help us we pray to put aside everything that divides us from one another in order that we may fully embrace real love for all people as did our Lord Jesus with His compassion and love, for Your mercy’s sake. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 12: Year 1

 Morning, Psalm 71; Evening, Psalm 74;
2^nd  Samuel 4:1 to 12; Acts 16:25 to 40; Mark 7:1 to 23:

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them:” (Acts 16: 25).

Before I get to the holy habits of Paul and Silas and their systematic worship of prayer and song, let me remind us about the habits of David. He regularly killed those whom he felt wronged him, as can be seen from our 2^nd Samuel reading for today.  He had sinful habits of “getting even.”  I find this most ungodly. David killed, or had people killed who thought they were doing what he wanted them to do.  I understand that it was a time of no communications technology and  commander’s intent was not always known.  Perhaps more effort could have been made to ensure his troops understood that he did not want everybody killed, but rather brought before him.  Don’t get me wrong. I honor the contributions of David, especially the Psalms he wrote. But every biblical hero we have, had flaws, except our Lord Jesus.

Paul and Silas, who had been bound and whipped with rods, sang songs to God and they prayed when they could. I hope two things for myself. First, I hope I have the steadfast dedication to love, worship an honor God, even if only half as much as Paul and Silas did. Second, I really hope and pray that I am never tested like they were.

Saul, with the direction of the Risen Lord, was transformed from one who, like David of old, was moved from supporting having people killed to one who desired all to have hope for eternal life. As Paul and Silas sang and prayed, the prisoners around them listened and witnessed their inner strength. Hope was spread throughout the dark and dirty chamber of confinement. The men were transformed so much so that when the earthquake occurred and everyone’s chains were unfastened, they didn’t flee, as I think I would be inclined to do.  But no, they were drawn to the light that Paul and Silas were illuminating. The prisoners as well as the jailer realized and experienced a power greater than the limitations of human life with its mortal hurts and pains.  The jailer himself went from wanting to kill himself to having his whole household baptized.

Witnessing the power of our Lord Jesus is transformative. David was a man of writing Psalms and harp playing.  Paul wrote letters, prayed and sang hymns, even as he had to remember Steven being stoned earlier when he assisted in such an act of sin; (Acts 8:1).  David and Paul, like ourselves, can be transformed. We too can experience conversion. It seems that the prescription for such healing has something to do with praying and singing hymns. It may take us a while, but it works. And when we sing and pray, it not only changes us, it improves the lives of those around us.

Today we remember Ignatius of Loyola, Mystic, Educator, Preacher and Founder of the Jesuits (July 31 1556) and his information may be found at Ignatius of Loyola.

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:

O Lord, God Almighty, be with us in our prayers and keep us ever mindful of our need to pray daily. Help us to meditate on Your loving kindness towards us that we also may show loving kindness to all as did our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 12: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 61 and 62; Evening, Psalm 68:1-20(21-23)24-36;
2^nd Samuel 3:6 to 21; Acts 16:6 to 15; Mark 6:30 to 46:

“On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there:” (Acts 16:13).

Paul was in Philippi but apparently there was no synagogue. So Paul went outside the gate by the river.  I ponder about whether or not this was the normal custom that an Israelite, or Christian, or any traveling worshiper looking for his or her faith community might do if there was no designated place for prayer.

I feel like there is something wonderful about being outside in nature that provides a closeness to God. I especially connect with the Holy at the beach or in the mountains.  But I have also felt a closeness to God in open plains as well.  God is everywhere.  Buildings built especially for the purpose of drawing us into the spiritual sense sometimes fail.  We perhaps, maybe just need to get outside more often and save buildings for rainy days.  Our Lord Jesus performed most of his healing and teaching outside.  Every part of this earth is sacred and holds a spiritual conduit to God.

Lydia is a person to ponder. While she obviously has a spacious home, large enough to house Paul and his companions, she herself was outside for worship. She was a business woman and a prominent member of her community. But it seems that going down by the water to pray is as ancient a human calling as is keeping a fire going.  It sometimes can’t be explained, it just is.

Lastly, there is something else in the verse that I want to explore, or ponder about. When we read words like “When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us:” (Acts 16: 15) 

 I wonder who the “us” were that the writer is talking about?  Many believe that it was Luke who wrote the Gospel named after him as well as the Acts of the Apostles.  Perhaps Luke is a hidden tag-a-long on Paul’s journeys.  He records everything but does not mention himself. For me, this is another lesson in the humility of invisibility. I am learning that I don’t need to be the center of things and certainly should not bring attention to myself for some kind of human credit. The only credit we should care about is how God sees the love in our hearts.

Today we remember Mary and Martha of Bethany, (July 29) and the First Ordination of Women to the Priesthood in the Episcopal Church (July 29, 1974) and their information may be found at: Mary & Martha of Bethany; and First Ordination of Women to the Priesthood in The; respectively.

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. 825)                    

O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper12: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 56 and 57, ; Evening, Psalms 64 and 65;
2^nd  Samuel 2:1 to 11; Acts 15:36 to 16:5; Mark 6:14 to 29:

“The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and set out, the believers commending him to the grace of the Lord:” (Acts 15: 39 and 40).

Splitting in the Christian Church is as old as the Church itself.  There is a little evidence of this at the Resurrection of our Lord when Thomas was not with the eleven and had to be told that they had seen the Risen Jesus. If we look closely we can see a little divisiveness in many places.

As our Church grew it split more and more. I have traced the thread that leads to the Episcopal Church of the United States.  The Church starts at the foot of the Cross. From there it moves to Rome. But some who doubted that path never made it to Rome but rather went to Egypt, Asia, and other places. 

From the Church in Rome came the Western and Eastern Churches. From the Western Church came the Roman Catholic Church and from this Church came the Church of England. From the Church of England came the Episcopal Church of the United States of America.

Even our Episcopal Church has had a split as those of us who opposed the leadership of women; and also could not accept the full embrace of our brothers and sisters whose sexual orientation is not heterosexual, felt that they could no longer worship with us.

Many of our splits are not well thought out.  While it sounds old fashioned to say “What would Jesus do?” there is truth in it.  Any step away that encourages us not to love another is not Christ-like. Women had leadership positions with Jesus and we have no language from Jesus regarding homosexual rejection.  I feel like, sadly, we look for reasons (any reason), to separate from the main body of Christ. 

My hope and prayer is that at some level, no matter how small, we began the process of coming back together. It may take another thousand years or more. But I would like to see a Christian body reject the notion of splitting because something didn’t go their way. I would like to see something like a Lutheran, Methodist, and/or Episcopal merger. Wow! This would reverse what Paul and Barnabas did 2000 years ago.  If we could let our love of Jesus hold us together regardless of our selfish desires for the path of the Church, we would indeed be more Christ-like.

Today we remember Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer (1750) and his information may be found at: Johann Sebastian Bach.

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 Church (BCP p. 816)

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.

The Gospel Eucharistic Reading for Sunday of Proper 12: Year C

Luke 11:1-13

“And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’  I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.” (Luke 11: 5 – 8)

God has hard-wired us to seek and to assist. It is our human nature to solve mysteries, be it the rotation of the universe or the cure for cancer. We look for answers.  We have inquiring minds and we want to know stuff. Today Google is flooded with people finding information about myriads upon myriads of all kinds of things.  We are born to ask, both for what we need and for what we want. 

Within the tradition of humanity is also the concept of hospitality.  From time to time we all find ourselves in need.  When thus found, we need the help of others. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is our human condition.  Every person that hears the request of another has to deal with how they will respond to each situation.  I have a very dear friend who carries in his upper left pocket 2 or 3 small envelopes which contain a dollar and a Bible verse in each.  When a person approaches him for money he hands the person an envelope and bids them peace. I myself will adopt this response. A dollar or two is not much but it is a response. It helps satisfy that human need to respond. Even if the timing is bad, we will help if we listen to our hearts. We have this drive to respond to the need of others (friend or stranger). I believe there are more Good Samaritans among us today than there used to be.  We are born to help.

So we ask for help, and when we can, we render help to others.  This is God’s desire for us to be a loving community.  Yes, we still have way too many bad apples.  But we don’t give up because of them.  We endure. We pursue what is good and upright.  When we need help we ask for it.  It is not a matter of pride that we should suffer loss.  We ask someone to help us and we also may help another down the road.  All resources come from God.  We’re just borrowing from God.  And we should keep our eyes open for our brothers and sisters who may not ask, yet be in need.

Being born to ask, and born to help, also means that we are born to live in harmony with each other.  I know people who are too proud to ask for the help they need.  And perhaps if they are criticized about it, they ought to feel reluctant to ask.  So those of us who can help must be vigilant in making sure that we are “grateful” to know that an unexpected opportunity has come to us. And never, never shame, or in any way speak down or look down on anyone who needs our help.  One day it could be us.  If we can Google about the universe, we surely can ask about, and respond to, our needs, and the needs of others in our midst.  We want to take comfort in knowing that we live in a community that takes care of God’s own. We are all, God’s own.

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. 231)

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 11: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 119:49 to 72; Evening, Psalm 49;
 1^st Samuel 25:23 to 44; Acts 14:19 to 28; Mark 4:35 to 41:

“He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4: 39 and 40)

As one who ponders, I ponder about what “rebuking” language our Lord Jesus might have used to still the wind and the sea. Did the writers of our Gospel put human, regional words in the divine mouth of God Incarnate so as to make it more palatable for us?  Remember that our Lord Jesus spoke in Aramaic.  This was translated into Greek as originally written in our New Testament, and then later the Greek into Latin, and the Latin into the tongues of various peoples across the known world.  How much was lost? How much was miss-translated? How much was added to make it more palatable?

Our Lord Jesus being fully God and fully human only has to wish it done, and it is done. Of all in creation, humanity is the only being that God attempts to reason with.  We are the only ones who God tries to appeal to, to reckon with. And for us, and for our sakes, our Lord Jesus does indeed use our words when speaking directly to us. I’m still curious about how God addresses creation outside of humanity.

God could have made us as subservient as the wind and the sea and all others in creation. But obedience then would not have been our choice so much as a God-given instinct. But we have autonomy and in our autonomy a little piece of God dwells in us.  God wants to see how that little piece of God in us makes us different from all else in creation, and hopefully, in a good and loving way.

That little piece of God in us is what we English speakers call faith. (I invite non English speakers to examine their own word for faith). Why then do we too often fear one another and other forms of existence in creation? We, all humanity, are connected through the divine Presence of God that dwells in us.  And nothing, within, or outside of humanity, can separate us from the love of God. We are God’s own, in this world, and with faith, in the next world as well. This is why our frustrated Lord Jesus asks, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Today we remember John Cassian, Abbot at Marseilles (433) and his information may be found at: John Cassian.

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.