Archive for July 2019
Above: The Statue of Liberty
Image in the Public Domain
What Thanksgiving Day Means to Me
NOVEMBER 28, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 126
Philippians 1:3-11
Mark 10:28-31
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Torah piety teaches the following, among other truths:
- We depend entirely on God.
- We depend on each other.
- We are responsible to each other.
- We are responsible for each other.
- We have no right to exploit each other.
The selection of readings indicates the immigrant experience in the United States of America, going back to colonial times. In the United States, we are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Even indigenous people descend from those who, long ago, in prehistory, migrated to the what we now call the Americas. I descend primarily from people who left the British Isles. My family tree also includes Germans, French Protestants, and Oklahoma Cherokees. The Cherokee DNA is outwardly more obvious in other members of my family. Nevertheless, I hear occasionally from people who say I look Greek, Jewish, or somewhat Native American.
I have hopes and dreams for my country. I want polarization to end. I want the politics of bigotry to become unacceptable, as measured via votes in elections and legislatures. I want us, individually and collectively, to be compassionate. I want high principles to define both ideals and policies. I want the rhetoric of religion to justify the best of human conduct and government policy, not the worst of both.
That is what Thanksgiving Day means to me.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND BISHOP OF DURHAM; AND FENTON JOHN ANTHONY HORT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHAN NORDAHL BRUN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN BISHOP, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND RENEWER OF THE CHURCH; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, U.S. ARCHITECT AND QUAKER PEACE ACTIVIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/what-thanksgiving-day-means-to-me/
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Above: Icon of Christ Pantocrator
Image in the Public Domain
God is the Ruler Yet
NOVEMBER 24, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 100
Revelation 1:4b-8
Mark 15:16-20
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The mockery of Jesus by the soldiers in Mark 15:16-20 is gut-wrenching to read. It also contrasts with the depiction of Jesus in Revelation 1:4b-8. Not all the earth hails God and acknowledges the Son of David. Yet Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega.
The Festival of Christ the King is about a century old. Originally set by Pope Pius XI on what Lutherans and Presbyterians called Reformation Sunday, Christ the King Sunday occupies the Last Sunday after Pentecost, five Sundays before December 25. It occupies this place in the Western Christian calendar because of the revision of the Roman Catholic calendar in 1969 and the subsequent revisions of Anglican and Protestant calendars.
The theology of Christ the King Sunday is sound. As Presbyterian minister Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858-1901) wrote after one of his nature hikes, in a poem published posthumously and transformed into the hymn, “This is My Father’s World,”
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
May we never forget this truth.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND BISHOP OF DURHAM; AND FENTON JOHN ANTHONY HORT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHAN NORDAHL BRUN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN BISHOP, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND RENEWER OF THE CHURCH; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, U.S. ARCHITECT AND QUAKER PEACE ACTIVIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/god-is-the-ruler-yet-iii/
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Above: Caduceus
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
NOVEMBER 17, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Numbers 21:4-9 or Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6
Psalm 74:1-2, 10-17
Hebrews 13:1-16, 20-21
Mark 12:35-44
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The promise of divine punishment for evil and of divine deliverance of the oppressed and righteous on the great Day of the LORD is one example of judgment and mercy being like sides of a coin. The deliverance of the oppressed is very bad news for the oppressors, who are, in a way, victims of themselves.
If we behave as we should–revere God, take care of each other, et cetera–we will not have to fear punishment from God for not doing so. We may incur punishment from human authorities, as in Tobit 1, but God did not promise a peaceful life in exchange for righteousness.
Two stories require more attention.
The cure in Numbers, cited also in John 3:14-15, in the context of the crucifixion of Jesus, our Lord and Savior’s glorification, according to the Fourth Gospel, is a textbook case of sympathetic magic. It is related to Egyptian imagery of kingship, divinity, and protection from cobra saliva. A commonplace visual echo is the caduceus, the medical symbol.
Pay attention to what precedes and follows Mark 12:41-44. Our Lord and Savior’s condemnation of those who, among other things,
eat up the property of widows,
precedes the account of the widow giving all she had to the Temple. Immediately in Chapter 13, we read a prediction of the destruction of the Temple. I conclude that Jesus found the widow’s faith laudable yet grieved her choice.
May our lives bring glory to God and lead others to faith and discipleship. May we, in our zeal, not go off the deep end and embarrass God and/or accidentally drive people away from God or get in the way of evangelism. And may we never mistake an internal monologue for a dialogue with God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND BISHOP OF DURHAM; AND FENTON JOHN ANTHONY HORT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHAN NORDAHL BRUN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN BISHOP, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND RENEWER OF THE CHURCH; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, U.S. ARCHITECT AND QUAKER PEACE ACTIVIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/judgment-and-mercy-part-xiv/
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Above: Icon of Jesus Cursing the Fig Tree
Image in the Public Domain
Curses and Punishments
NOVEMBER 10, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Numbers 14:1-27 or Malachi 1:1; 2:1-10
Psalm 73:12, 15-23
Hebrews 12:1-9, 22-24, 28-29
Mark 11:12-33
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What is the chief and highest end of man?
Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.
–The Westminster Larger Catechism, quoted in Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), The Book of Confessions (2007), 195
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We read of the opposite behavior in today’s readings, with pious material in Psalm 73, if one consults the complete text. Priests are supposed to lead people to God. A fig tree is supposed to show evidence of figs in development outside of fig season. People are supposed to trust God, especially after witnessing dramatic, mighty divine deeds and manifestations.
The two-part story of the cursed fig tree bookends the Temple Incident, as scholars of the New Testament like to call the Cleansing of the Temple. The literary-theological effect of this arrangement of material is to comment on corruption at the Temple just a few days prior to the crucifixion of Jesus. One does well to apply the condemnation to corruption anywhere.
Perhaps we usually think of punishment as something we do not want. This makes sense. In legal systems, for example, probation, fines, and incarceration are forms of punishment. Parents sometimes punish children by grounding them. However, the punishment of which we read in Numbers 14 (comprehension of which depends on having read Chapter 13) was to give the the fearful, faithless people what they wanted–never to enter the Promised Land. As an old saying tells us, we ought to be careful what we wish for because we may get it.
What do we really want and what do we really need? May God grant us what we really need. May we be grateful for it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND BISHOP OF DURHAM; AND FENTON JOHN ANTHONY HORT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHAN NORDAHL BRUN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN BISHOP, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND RENEWER OF THE CHURCH; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, U.S. ARCHITECT AND QUAKER PEACE ACTIVIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/curses-and-punishments/
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Above: Saint John on Patmos, by the Limbourg Brothers
Image in the Public Domain
The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant
NOVEMBER 1, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 24
Revelation 7:9-17
John 11:32-44
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Three of the four readings for this day come from the context of tribulation. The other reading (Psalm 24) is a text composed for the procession of the Ark of the Covenant.
God is the King of Glory, as Psalm 24 attests, but appearances contradict that truth much of the time. The apocalyptic tone on Isaiah 25:6-9 and Revelation 7:9-17 confirms the discrepancy between appearances and reality. In John 11, with the story of the raising of Lazarus, immediately precedes the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (John 12). Furthermore, the Gospel of John tells us, the raising of Lazarus was the last straw before the decision to execute Jesus (John 11:47f).
Despite the violence and other perfidy of the world, we read, God will remain faithful to the righteous and will defeat evil. That will be a day of rejoicing and the beginning of a new age. To be precise, it will be a day of rejoicing for the righteous and of gnashing of teeth for the unrighteous.
That day seems to be far off, does it not? Perhaps it is. I dare not add my name to the long list of those who have predicted the date of the parousia. I do, however, rejoice that the Church Triumphant exists and constitutes that great cloud of witnesses surrounding the Church Militant.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/the-church-militant-and-the-church-triumphant/
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Above: Christ Giving Sight to Bartimaeus, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
Spiritual Blindness
NOVEMBER 3, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Numbers 13:1-2, 17-32 or 2 Kings 5:1-17
Psalm 71:1-12
Hebrews 11
Mark 10:46-52
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Proper faith is optimistic, not foolish. It acknowledges difficulties and trusts in God. Proper faith casts out improper fear.
The story of blind Bartimaeus (Son of Timaeus, literally) is instructive. In the context of the Gospel of Mark, it immediately precedes the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mark 11). One may state that Bartimaeus to follow Jesus at a very difficult time. The character’s physical blindness functions as a commentary on the spiritual blindness of the Apostles earlier in Chapter 10. One may conclude that, for Jesus, healing physical blindness was easier than healing the spiritual blindness of people around him.
The most basic commandment of Jesus to take one’s cross and follow him. The details of that order vary person to person, depending on who, where, and when one is. The principle is timeless, though.
May God forgive all of us for our spiritual blindness and heal us, so that we may follow him as well as possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/spiritual-blindness-part-iv/
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This is post #950 of ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS.
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Above: Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann
Image in the Public Domain
Grace
OCTOBER 27, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Numbers 11:4-29 or 2 Kings 4:8-37
Psalm 70
Hebrews 10:16-25
Mark 10:17-31
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Grace, who is good, works in a variety of ways to meet human needs, tangible and intangible. Gratitude is always an appropriate response. Gratitude assumes a range of expressions. One may choose the form of gratitude that best suits any given circumstance, but gratitude is not optional; it is far more than a merely good idea.
One form of gratitude is keeping commandments. If we love God, we will keep divine commandments. If we love Jesus, we will keep his commandments. Depending entirely on God is one of those commandments. Practicing humility is another one.
These are extremely difficult commandments to keep. They are impossible to keep if one relies on human agency. We do not have to do that, fortunately. We cannot do that under any set of circumstances, anyway. We can, however, succeed by relying on grace. Will we accept it and the responsibilities that accompany it?
I used to have a shirt that read,
GRACE HAPPENS.
(The garment wore out after too many washings, as garments do.)
Terrible and other unfortunate events happen, of course, but so does grace. We can never escape grace, happily. If we accept it, we also accept certain obligations to extend it to others. Therefore, it alters people around us. So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/grace-part-ii/
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Above: Engagement and Wedding Rings, 1922
Image in the Public Domain
Good Society, Part II
OCTOBER 20, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Numbers 6:22-27 or 2 Kings 4:1-7
Psalm 69:1-3, 7-18
Hebrews 9:1-14; 10:19-31
Mark 10:1-15
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Four of the five readings occur in the context of adversity. Two of these mention women and children.
Women and children were often the most vulnerable people in the Bible. This was especially true if the women were widows and the children were minors and/or orphans. The test/trap question about divorce in Mark 10:1-12 brought divorced women into the mix.
One of the greatest contributions of Richard Horsley to Biblical scholarship is focusing on practical considerations in the teachings of Jesus. In this case, consider the economic hardships of Jewish peasants in Roman-occupied Palestine. Horsley’s work on Christ’s thoughts about divorce in that cultural context informs my thinking.
Divorce was a leading cause of dire poverty among women, most of whom were already poor. Without the protection of marriage, their options were bad. Most widows knew that situation, too, unless they had a male relative (perhaps an adult son) to protect them. The family unit provided security.
The juxtaposition of the teaching on divorce and the statement about children and humility is not accidental. It tells another way the divine order differs from human societies.
Divorce remains a leading cause of poverty in the female population. Divorce is necessary or preferable sometimes, as in cases of domestic violence, alcoholism, attempted murder, et cetera. Nevertheless, it and marriage are matters to take seriously, for the good of all involved and for the good of society.
If more people practiced the Golden Rule more often, the world would be a better place and fewer people would suffer physical and/or emotional damage. May we deal graciously with each other as we pray that God will do the same to us.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/good-society-part-vii/
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Above: Christ Blessing the Children, by Adolphe Joseph Thomas Monticelli
Image in the Public Domain
Good Society, Part I
OCTOBER 13, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Leviticus 19:1-18 or 2 Kings 2:1-15
Psalm 68:1-6, 32-35
Hebrews 7:22-8:12
Mark 9:38-50
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MAKE LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR GREAT AGAIN.
–A sign I saw on a bulletin board in the copy room at St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia, in 2019
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What else am I supposed to think when I cannot possibly reconcile the Biblical commandment to welcome the strangers among us with news stories about refugees at the southern border of the United States treated as criminals and worse than feral four-legged animals?
The divine law–the one we, as human beings, are supposed to have written on our hearts–teaches the following timeless principles, among others:
- We depend entirely on God.
- We depend on each other.
- We are responsible to each other.
- We are responsible for each other.
- We have no right to exploit each other.
The Law of Moses abounds with culturally-specific examples of those timeless principles. We can think of effective, culturally-specific ways of fulfilling those timeless principles in our societies, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, et cetera. Whenever, wherever, and whoever one is, one has a divine vocation to practice the Golden Rule. When one’s life ends, others will continue that vocation.
I ask you, O reader, to read Leviticus 19:1-18. Identify the timeless principles and the culturally-specific examples of them. Then ponder your society. How could your society improve with the application of the timeless principles? Ask yourself what the best tactics may be. Examine yourself spiritually, also. How could you improve with the application of the timeless principles? Trust God to help you do so.
Society is people. Society shapes people and influences their opinions. However, people also shape society.
May we shape our societies for the better–for the common good and the glory of God–with the help of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/good-society-part-vi/
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Above: Effects of Acid Rain on a Forest in the Czech Republic, 2006
Photographer = Lovecz
The Sins of the Fathers
OCTOBER 6, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Exodus 34:1-10 or 1 Kings 22:29-43
Psalm 62:1-8, 11-12
Hebrews 5:12-6:12
Mark 9:30-37
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The key mark of discipleship is servanthood.
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Some themes recur in the readings for this week:
- God is faithful.
- Trust in God.
- Do not commit apostasy.
- People reap what they sow.
- Christ is the exemplar of the type of service that defines greatness.
Exodus 34:7 requires unpacking. The principle that God punishes or forgives members of subsequent generations based on the sins of an ancestor exists also in 1 Kings 21:29, Nehemiah 9:17, Deuteronomy 5:9, Numbers 14:18, Psalm 103:8, Joel 2:13, and Jonah 4:2. Yet we read the opposite view–individual moral responsibility–in Ezekiel 18 and Jeremiah 31:29-30. The Bible contradicts itself sometimes.
The best explanation for the opinion we read in Exodus 34:7 comes from Professor Richard Elliot Friedman: effects of one’s actions are apparent generations later. I recognize ways in which actions of two of my paternal great-grandfathers influence me indirectly. This is one example of something, that, from a certain point of view, looks like intergenerational punishment and reward by God.
The decisions of others influence us. Some of them even restrict our options. We may suffer because of the decisions of those who have preceded us; we may suffer because of their sins. This is the way of the world. Yet we are morally responsible for ourselves and each other, not those who have died. No, they are responsible for their sins, just as we are responsible for ours.
May we–individually and collectively–refrain from visiting the consequences of our sins on those who will succeed us. We owe them that much, do we not?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 25, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/the-sins-of-the-fathers-part-ii/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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