Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2 | ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS

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Week of Proper 29: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Year 2 11 comments

Above: The Measuring of the New Jerusalem

“And Night Shall Be No More”

NOVEMBER 24-26, 2022

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Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.

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FIRST READING FOR THURSDAY

Revelation 18:1-2, 21-19:3, 9 (Revised English Bible):

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven; he possessed great authority and the earth shone with his splendour. In a mighty voice he proclaimed,

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, for every unclean and loathsome bird….

Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying,

Thus shall Babylon, the great city, be sent hurling down, never to be seen again! The sound of harpists and minstrels, flute-players and trumpeters, shall no more be heard in you; no more shall craftsmen of any trade be found in you, or the sound of the mill be heard in you; no more shall the light of the lamp appear in you, no more shall the voices of the bridegroom and bride be heard in you! Your traders were once the merchant princes of the world, and with your sorcery you deceived all the nations.

The blood of the prophets and of God’s people was found in her, the blood of all who had been slain on earth. After this I heard what sounded like a vast throng in heaven shouting:

Hallelujah! Victory and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgements! He has condemned the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication; he has taken vengeance on her for the blood of his servants.

Once more they shouted:

Hallelujah! The smoke from her burning will rise for ever!

…

The angel said to me,

Write this: “Happy are those who are invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!”

He added,

These are the very words of God.

FIRST READING FOR FRIDAY

Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:4 (Revised English Bible):

I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the Devil, or Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years; he threw him into the abyss, shutting and sealing it over him,so that he might not seduce the nations again till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be let loose for a little while.

I saw thrones, and on them sat those to whom judgement was committed. I saw the souls of those who, for the sake of God’s word and their witness to Jesus, had been beheaded, those who had not worshipped the beast and its image or received its mark on forehead or hand. They came to life again and reigned with Christ for a thousand years….

I saw a great, white throne, and the One who sits upon it. From his presence earth and heaven fled away, and there was no room for then any more. I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and books were opened. Then another book, the book of life, was opened. The dead were judged by what they had done, as recorded in these books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead in their keeping. Everyone was judged on the record of his deeds. Then Death and Hades were flung into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death; into it were flung any whose names were not to be found in the book of life.

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had vanished, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice proclaiming from the throne:

Now God has made his dwelling with mankind! He will dwell among them and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There shall be an end to death, and to mourning and crying and pain, for the old order has passed away!

FIRST READING FOR SATURDAY

Revelation 22:1-7 (Revised English Bible):

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, which yields twelve crops of fruit, one for each month of the year. The leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations. Every accursed thing shall disappear. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants shall worship him; they shall see him face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. There shall be no more night, nor will they need the light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will give them light; and they shall reign for ever.

He said to me,

These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord God who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. And remember, I am coming soon!

RESPONSE FOR THURSDAY

Psalm 100 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands;

serve the LORD with gladness

and come before his presence with a song.

2 Know this: The LORD himself is God;

he himself has made us, and we are his;

we are the sheep of his pasture.

3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and call upon his name.

4 For the LORD is good;

his mercy is everlasting;

and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

RESPONSE FOR FRIDAY

Psalm 84 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O LORD of hosts!

My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2 The sparrow has found her a house

and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young;

by the side of your altars, O LORD of hosts,

my King and my God.

3 Happy are they who dwell in your house!

they will always be praising you.

4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you!

whose hearts are set on the pilgrims’ way.

5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs,

for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.

6 They will climb from height to height,

and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.

7 LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;

hearken, O God of Jacob.

8 Behold our defender, O God;

and look upon the face of your Anointed.

9 For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room,

and to stand in the threshold of the house of my God

than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

10 For the LORD is both sun and shield;

he will give grace and glory;

11 No good thing will the LORD withhold

from those who walk with integrity.

12 O LORD of hosts,

happy are they who put their trust in you!

RESPONSE FOR SATURDAY

Psalm 95:1-7 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Come, let us sing to the LORD;

let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving

and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

3 For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the caverns of the earth,

and the heights of the hills are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands have molded the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,

and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

7 For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

COMPOSITE GOSPEL READING

Luke 21:20-36 (Revised English Bible):

[Jesus continued,]

But when you see Jerusalem encircled by armies, then you may be sure that her devastation is near. Then those who are in Judaea must take to the hills; those who are in the city itself must leave it and those who are out in the country must not return; because this is the time of retribution, when all that stands written is to be fulfilled. Alas for women with child in those days, and for those who have children at the breast! There will be great distress in the land and a terrible judgement on this people. They will fall by the sword; they will be carried captive into all countries; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by Gentiles until the day of the Gentiles has run its course.

Portents will appear in sun and moon and stars. On earth nations will stand helpless, not knowing which way to turn from the roar and surge of the sea. People will faint with terror at the thought of what is coming upon the world; for the celestial powers will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When all this begins to happen, stand upright and hold your heads high, because your liberation is near.

Jesus told them a parable:

Look at the fig tree, or at any other tree. As soon as it bud, you can see for yourselves that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all this happening, you may know that the kingdom of God is near.

Truly I tell you: the present generation will live to see it all. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Be on your guard; do not let your minds be dulled by dissipation and drunkenness and worldly cares so that the great day catches you suddenly like a trap; for that day will come on everyone, the whole world over. Be on the alert, praying at all times for strength to pass safely through all that is coming and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.

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The Collect:

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 29: Thursday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/week-of-proper-29-thursday-year-1/

Week of Proper 29: Friday, Year 1, and Week of Proper 29: Saturday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/week-of-proper-29-friday-year-1-and-week-of-proper-29-saturday-year-1/

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The Book of Revelation culminates with the destruction of the city (and empire) of Rome and the establishment of God’s order, the New Jerusalem. The Empire had persecuted Christians and destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple there. The latter was a recent memory for many members of the original audience of both Revelation and Luke. In fact, as I read Luke 21, I perceive that memories of those traumas influenced the telling of the contents. How could they not? We humans tell the past in the context of our present and recent history.

There is good news after all. Revelation is an essentially optimistic book.

“…and night shall be no more….”

–Revelation 22:5a, Revised Standard Version

Part of the text from Revelation reminded me of an anthem my church choir has sung:

Peace be to you and grace from Him who freed us from our sins,

who loved us all and shed his blood that we might saved be.

Sing holy, holy to our Lord, the Lord Almighty God,

who was and is and is to come,

sing holy, holy Lord.

Rejoice on earth, ye saints below, for Christ is coming soon.

E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come and night shall be more.

They need no light, no lamp, nor sun, for Christ will be their all.

In 1954, Paul and Ruth Manz struggled emotionally through the serious (threatening to be fatal) illness of their three-year-old son, John. Paul, a Lutheran church organist and composer, set words his wife had adapted from Revelation to music. John recovered and became a minister. He presided at his father’s funeral in November 2009.

Those of us who have lived for a sufficiently long time understand the darkness of anguish. I refer not to mere childhood and adolescent alleged emergencies. No, I mean potentially soul-shattering grief. In such circumstances, one wonders how one can carry on. Christ, who suffered grievously, did more than persist–he triumphed, even over death itself. The power which made that possible can enable us to survive, continue, rebuild, and thrive. Yew, we can carry one, in Christ, of course.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/and-night-shall-be-no-more/

Posted November 18, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 24, November 25, November 26

Tagged with Luke 21, New Jerusalem, Paul Manz, Psalm 100, Psalm 84, Psalm 95, Revelation 18, Revelation 19, Revelation 20, Revelation 21, Revelation 22

Week of Proper 29: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Year 2 6 comments

Above: Map of the Roman Empire in 117 C.E.

Appearances and Other Deceits

NOVEMBER 21-23, 2022

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FIRST READING FOR MONDAY

Revelation 14:1-5 (Revised English Bible):

I looked, and there on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him were a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven like a mighty torrent or a great peal of thunder; what I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. They were singing a new song before the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, and no one could learn it except the hundred and forty-four thousand ransomed from the earth. These are men who have kept themselves chaste and have not defiled themselves with women; these follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been ransomed as the firstfruits of mankind for God and the Lamb. No lie was found on their lips; they are without fault.

FIRST READING FOR TUESDAY

Revelation 14:14-20 (Revised English Bible):

As I looked there appeared a white cloud, on which was seated a figure like a man; he had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud:

Put in your sickle and reap, for harvest time has come and earth’s crop is fully ripe.

So the one who sat on the cloud swept over the earth with his sickle and the harvest was reaped.

Another angel came out of the heavenly sanctuary, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then from the altar came yet another, the angel who has authority over fire, and he called aloud to the one with the sharp sickle:

Put in your sickle, and gather in earth’s grape harvest, for its clusters are ripe.

So the angel swept over the earth with his sickle and gathered in its grapes, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. The winepress was trodden outside the city, and for a distance of two hundred miles blood flowed from the press to the height of horses’ bridles.

FIRST READING FOR WEDNESDAY

Revelation 15:1-4 (Revised English Bible):

Then I saw in heaven another great and astonishing sign: seven angels with seven plagues, the last plagues of all, for with them the wrath of God was completed.

I saw what looked like a sea of glass shot through with fire. Standing beside it and holding the harps which God had given them were those who had been victorious against the beast, its image, and the number of its name.

They were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

Great and marvellous are your deeds,

O Lord God, sovereign over all;

just and true are your ways,

O King of the ages.

Who shall not fear you, Lord,

and do homage to your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations shall come and worship before you,

for your just decrees stand revealed.

RESPONSE FOR MONDAY

Psalm 24:1-6 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it,

the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For it is who founded it upon the seas

and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3 “Who can ascend the hill of the LORD?

and who can stand in his holy place?”

4 “Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,

who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,

nor sworn by what is a fraud.

5 They shall receive a blessing from the LORD

and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,

of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

RESPONSE FOR TUESDAY

Psalm 96 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all the whole earth.

2 Sing to the LORD and bless his Name;

proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations

and his wonders among all peoples.

4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;

he is more to be feared than all gods.

5 As for the gods of the nations, they are but idols;

but it is the LORD who made the heavens.

6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence!

Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!

7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples;

ascribe to the LORD honor and power.

8 Ascribe to the LORD the honor due his Name;

bring offerings and come into his courts.

9 Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness;

let the whole earth tremble before him.

10 Tell it out among the nations: ”The LORD is King!

he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

let the sea thunder and all that is in it;

let the field be joyful and all that is therein.

12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy

before the LORD when he comes,

when he comes to judge the earth.

13 He will judge the world with righteousness

and the peoples with his truth.

RESPONSE FOR WEDNESDAY

Psalm 98 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done marvelous things.

2 With his right hand and his holy arm

has he won for himself the victory.

3 The LORD has made known his victory;

his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.

4 He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel,

and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

5 Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands;

lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

6 Sing to the LORD with the harp,

with the harp and the voice of song.

7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn

shout with joy before the King, the LORD.

8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it,

the lands and those who dwell therein.

9 Let the rivers clap their hands,

and the hills ring out with joy before the LORD,

when he comes to judge the earth.

10 In righteousness shall he judge the world

and the peoples with equity.

COMPOSITE GOSPEL READING

Luke 21:1-19 (Revised English Bible):

As Jesus looked up and saw rich people dropping their gifts into the chest of the temple treasury, he noticed a poor widow putting in two tiny coins.

I tell you this,

he said:

this poor widow has given more than any of them; for those others who have given had more than enough, but she, with less than enough, has given all she had to live on.

Some people were talking about the temple and the beauty of its fine stones and ornaments. Jesus said,

These things you are gazing at–the time will come when not one stone will be left upon another; they will all be thrown down.

They asked,

Teacher, when will that be? What will be the sign that these things are about to happen?

He said,

Take care that you are not misled. For many will come claiming my name and saying, “I am he,” and “The time has come.” Do not follow them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not panic. These things are bound to happen first, but the end does not follow at once.

Then Jesus added,

Nation will go to war against nation, kingdom against kingdom; there will be severe earthquakes, famines, and plagues in many places, and in the sky terrors and great portents.

But before all this happens they will seize you and persecute you. You will be handed over to synagogues and put in prison; you will be haled before kings and governors for your allegiance to me. This will be your opportunity to testify. So resolve not to prepare your defence beforehand, because I myself will give you such words and wisdom as no opponent can resist or refute. Even your parents and brothers, your relations and friends, will betray you. Some of you will be put to death; and everyone will hate you for your allegiance to me. But not a hair of your head will be lost. By standing firm you will win yourselves life.

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The Collect:

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 29: Monday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/week-of-proper-29-monday-year-1/

Week of Proper 29: Tuesday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/week-of-proper-29-tuesday-year-1/

Week of Proper 29: Wednesday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/week-of-proper-29-wednesday-year-1/

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Revelation 12 and 13 contain an allegory of evil (Satan) trying and failing to destroy good. The Book of Revelation identifies the Roman Empire with the earthly minions of evil; 13:13 refers to Emperor Nero. Yet, as we read in Chapter 14, Jesus (the Lamb) is with the martyrs on Mount Zion, a scene reminiscent of Micah 4:6-8. These martyrs have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. They are on the side of God, the side which, in Chapter 14, begins the process of destroying evil and its earthly minions, identified with the Roman Empire.

Jesus says in Luke 21 that hardships will come upon the faithful. He says this in the context of his impending death. The faithful will face persecution because of their righteousness, so their hardships will not constitute divine punishment for sin. Family members will even turn on each other some of the time.

But not a hair on your head will win yourselves life.

–Luke 21:18-19, Revised English Bible

The Canadian Anglican lectionary I am following does a good job of covering the main points of Revelation in twelve days. Yet sometimes it atomizes the text too much, making writing a good devotion for each day difficult. Yet, if I stand back and stack blocks on top of each other sometimes, I see connections among them clearly. This is what I perceive as the great lesson for Monday-Wednesday: Evil might seem to have triumphed, but God will win. If one is on the side of righteousness, this is encouraging news. If not, however….

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/appearances-and-other-deceits/

Posted November 18, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 21, November 22, November 23

Tagged with Luke 21, Micah 4, Psalm 24, Psalm 96, Psalm 98, Revelation 12, Revelation 13, Revelation 14, Revelation 15

Week of Proper 28: Friday, Year 2, and Week of Proper 28: Saturday, Year 2 14 comments

Above: The Expulsion of the Money Changers from the Temple, by Giotto di Bondone

Divine Judgment and Human Discomfort

NOVEMBER 18 and 19, 2022

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FIRST READING FOR FRIDAY

Revelation 10:8-11 (Revised English Bible):

The voice which I had heard from heaven began speaking to me again; it said,

Go and take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and the land.

I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He answered,

Take it, and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.

I took the scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it did taste as sweet as honey, but when I swallowed it my stomach turned sour.

Then I was told,

Once again you must utter prophecies over many nations, races, languages, and kings.

FIRST READING FOR SATURDAY

Revelation 11:1-14 (Revised English Bible):

I was given a long cane to use as a measuring rod, and was told:

Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshippers. But leave the outer court of the temple out of your measurements; it has been given over to the Gentiles, and for forth-two months they will trample the Holy City underfoot. I will give my two witnesses authority to prophesy, dressed in sackcloth, for those twelve hundred and sixty days.

They are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to injure them, fire issues from their mouths and consumes their enemies; so shall anyone die who tries to do them injury. These two have the power to shut up the sky, so that no rain falls during the time of their prophesying; and they have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with every kind of plague whenever they like. But when they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will wage war on them and will overcome and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, whose name in prophetic language is Sodom, or Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days people from every nation and tribe, language, and race, gaze on their corpses and refuse them burial. The earth’s inhabitants gloat over them; they celebrate and exchange presents, for these two prophets were a torrent to them. But at the end of the three and a half days the breath of life of God came into their bodies, and they rose to their feet, to the terror of those who saw them. A loud voice from heaven was heard saying to them,

Come up here!

and they ascended to heaven in a cloud, in full view of their enemies. At that moment there was a silent earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake; the rest, filled with fear, did homage to the God of heaven.

The second woe has now passed; but the third is soon to come.

RESPONSE FOR FRIDAY

Psalm 119:65-72 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

65 O LORD, you have dealt graciously with your servant,

according to your word.

66 Teach me discernment and knowledge,

for I have believed in your commandments.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,

but now I keep your word.

68 You are good and you bring forth good;

instruct me in your statutes.

69 The proud have smeared me with lies,

but I will keep your commandments with my whole heart.

70 Their heart is gross and fat,

but my delight is in your law.

71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted,

that I might learn your statutes.

72 The law of your mouth is dearer to me

than thousands in gold and silver.

RESPONSE FOR SATURDAY

Psalm 144:1-10 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Blessed be the LORD my rock!

who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;

2 My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield in whom I trust,

who subdues the peoples under me.

3 O LORD, what are we that you should care for us?

mere mortals that you should think of us?

4 We are like a puff of wind;

our days like a passing shadow.

5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down;

touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Hurl the lightning and scatter them;

shoot out your arrows and rout them.

7 Stretch out your hand from on high;

rescue me and deliver me from the great waters,

from the hand of foreign peoples,

8 Whose mouths speak deceitfully

and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.

9 O God, I will sing to you a new song;

I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.

10 You give victory to kings

and have rescued David your servant.

GOSPEL READING FOR FRIDAY

Luke 19:45-48 (Revised English Bible):

(Set shortly after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem; the Last Supper occurs in Chapter 22)

Then Jesus went into the temple and began driving out the traders, with these words:

Scriptures says, “My house shall be a house of prayer;” but you have made it a bandits’ cave.

Day by day he taught in the temple. The chief priests and scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, wanted to bring about his death, but found that they were helpless, because the people all hung on his words.

GOSPEL READING FOR SATURDAY

Luke 20:27-40 (Revised English Bible):

Then some Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and asked:

Teacher, Moses, laid it down for us that if there are brothers, and one dies leaving a wife but not child, then the next should marry the widow and provide an heir for his brother. Now there seven brothers: the first took a wife and died childless, then the second married her, then the third. In this way the seven of them died leaving no children. Last of all the woman also died. At the resurrection, whose wife is she to be, since all seven had married her?

Jesus said to them,

The men and women of this world marry; but those who have been judged who have been judged worthy of a place in the other world, and of the resurrection from the dead, do not marry, for they are no longer subject to death. They are like angels; they are children of God, because they share in his resurrection. That the dead are raised to life again is shown by Moses himself in the story of the burning bush, when he calls the Lord “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” God is not the God of the living; in his sight all are alive.

At this some of the scribes said,

Well spoken, Teacher.

And nobody dared put any further question to him.

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The Collect:

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 everlasting 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.

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 28: Friday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/week-of-proper-28-friday-year-1/

Week of Proper 28: Saturday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/week-of-proper-28-saturday-year-1/

The Church’s One Foundation:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/the-churchs-one-foundation/

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As I have written already in at least one blog post, there is a difference between a negotiation and a rescue operation. There is justice, which mercy serves sometimes. Other times, however, punishment must fall. That is the context for Revelation 7-10, which, in vivid imagery, describes God, whose power reaches from the land to the sea to the waterways to the stars, sheltering the martyrs and inflicting punishment on the wicked. The sense of doom upon the wicked is palpable in the symbolic language, the details of which I will not unpack here. Rather, I choose to focus on the main idea, which I have stated already.

We read of John of Patmos eating a scroll containing words of judgment. (This is similar to Ezekiel 2:8-3:3–follow this link. John agrees with doom upon the Roman Empire yet regrets the fact that Christians will continue to suffer. Speaking of suffering, the two witnesses in Revelation 11 indicate the continuation of martyrdom. (I suspect, by the way, that memories of the First Jewish War and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple influenced Revelation 11.)

Jesus, in Luke’s Gospel confronts the money changers, who used religious sensibilities to create opportunities to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor. He used words and force. Nevertheless, I support that money changers were not absent for long.

Why do the good suffer? Why does God not prevent it? Why does not God not stop all economic exploitation? Ask God, not me. But John of Patmos offers some comfort: The wicked will suffer the consequences of their actions in time. Furthermore, God will hear the cry of those who suffer.

I write hagiographies. My most recent one tells the story of St. James Intercisus, who became a martyr circa 421 C.E. because he confessed his faith to the Persian monarch. The king’s men tortured, dismembered, and killed the saint slowly and painfully, hence his posthumous surname, Intercisus, or “cut into pieces. His death was unnecessary; the king could have decided differently.

Ultimate judgment belongs to God. May we mere mortals acknowledge this reality, accept it, and act accordingly.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/divine-judgment-and-human-discomfort/

Posted November 17, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 18, November 19

Tagged with Economic Justice, Luke 19, Luke 20, Psalm 119 Teth, Psalm 144, Revelation 10, Revelation 11, Social Justice, St. James Intercisus

Week of Proper 28: Thursday, Year 2 11 comments

Above: The Logo of the Moravian Church

Image Source = JJackman

The Worthy Lamb

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

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Revelation 5:1-14 (Revised English Bible):

I saw in the right hand of the One who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides, and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice,

Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?

But there was no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth able to open the scroll to look inside it. And because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and look inside, I wept bitterly. One of the elders said do me:

Do not weep; the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the shoot growing from David’s stock, has won the right to open the scroll and its seven seals.

Then I saw a Lamb with the marks of sacrifice on him, standing with the four living creatures between the throne and the elders. He has seven horns and seven eyes, the eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent to every part of the world. The Lamb came and received the scroll from the right hand of the One who sat on the throne. As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each of the elders had a harp; they held golden bowls full of incense, the prayers of God’s people, and they were singing a new song:

You are worthy to receive the scroll and break its seals, for you were slain and by your blood you bought for God people of every tribe and language, nation and race. You have made them a royal house of priests for our God, and they shall reign on earth.

As I looked I heard, all round the throne of the living creatures and the elders, the voices of many angels, thousands on thousands, myriads on myriads. They proclaimed with loud voices:

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth, wisdom and might, honour and glory and praise!

Then I heard all created things, in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea, crying:

Praise and honour, glory and might, to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb for ever!

The four living creatures said,

Amen,

and the elders prostrated themselves in worship.

Psalm 149:1-5 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Hallelujah!

Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker;

let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his Name in the dance;

let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people

and adorns the poor with victory.

5 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;

let them be joyful on their beds.

Luke 19:41-44 (Revised English Bible):

When Jesus came in sight of Jerusalem, he wept over it ans aid,

If only you had known this day the way that leads to peace! But no; it is hidden from your sight. For a time will come upon you, when your enemies will set up siege-works against you; they will encircle you and hem you in at every point; they will bring you to the ground, you and your children within your walls, and not leave you one stone standing on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s visitation.

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The Collect:

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 28: Thursday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/week-of-proper-28-thursday-year-1/

This is My Father’s World:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/this-is-my-fathers-world/

At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/at-the-lambs-high-feast-we-sing/

Agnus Dei:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/agnus-dei/

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Who is worthy to pronounce the destiny of the earth and all who live on it? John of Patmos tells us that only one is. That one is Jesus, the incarnate Second Person of the Trinity, the victorious sacrificial lamb with complete power (seven horns) and omniscience (seven eyes). Agents of the Roman Empire killed Jesus, but he did not remain dead for long.

The reading from Luke comes from that part of Chapter 19 set immediately after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. I read the text again and wonder to what extent memories of the First Jewish War and the Roman destruction of the city in 70 C.E. influenced the writing of those words in Greek. The devastation must have seemed as bad as the end of the world to many people. So, at the end of the First Century C.E., the Romans were firmly in power, in charge of what Tacitus referred to as a “desert called peace.” Yet, John of Patmos said, God was firmly in control and the slain Jesus was very much alive, victorious, and powerful–and beyond the range of human-inflicted harm.

As the Reverend Maltbie Davenport Babcock wrote,

God is the ruler yet.

And, as the Moravians say,

Our lamb has conquered; let us follow him.

Amen.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/the-worthy-lamb/

Posted November 15, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 17

Tagged with Luke 19, Maltbie Davenport Babcock, Moravian Church, Psalm 149, Revelation 5, Tacitus

Week of Proper 28: Wednesday, Year 2 5 comments

Above: The Vision of John on Patmos

The King Who Endures

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

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Revelation 4:1-11 (Revised English Bible):

After this I had a vision: a door stood open in heaven, and the voice that I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said,

Come up here, and I will show you what must take place hereafter.

At once the Spirit came upon me. There in heaven stood a throne. On it sat One whose appearance was like jasper or cornelian, and round it was a rainbow, bright as emerald. In a circle about this throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on them were seated twenty-four elders, robed in white an wearing gold thrones. From the throne came flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. Burning before the throne were seven flaming torches, the seven spirits of God, and in front of it stretched what looked a sea of glass or a sheet of ice.

In the centre, round the throne itself, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, the second like an ox, the third had a human face, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and eyes all round and inside them. Day and night unceasingly they sing:

Holy, holy, holy is God the sovereign of all, who was, and is, and is to come!

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to the One who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders prostrate themselves before the One who sits on the throne and they worship him who lives for ever and ever. As they lay their crowns before the throne they cry:

You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power, because you created all things; by your will they were created and have their being!

Psalm 150 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Hallelujah!

Praise God in his holy temple;

praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts;

praise him for his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the blast of the ram’s-horn;

Praise him with lyre and harp.

4 Praise him with timbrel and dance;

praise him with strings and pipe.

5 Praise him with resounding cymbals;

praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath

praise the LORD.

Hallelujah!

Luke 19:11-28 (Revised English Bible):

While they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable, because he was now close to Jerusalem and they [the crowd who disapproved of him eating with Zacchaeus] thought the kingdom of God might dawn at any moment. He said,

A man of noble birth went on a long journey abroad, to have himself appointed king and then return. But first he called then of his servants and gave each a sum of money, saying, “Trade with this while I am away.” His fellow-citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We do not want this man as our king.” He returned however as king, and sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came and said, “Your money, sir, has increased tenfold.” ”Well done,” he replied, “you are a good servant, trustworthy in a very small matter, you shall have charge of ten cities.” The second came and said, “Here is your money, sir; I kept it wrapped up in a handkerchief. I was afraid of you because you are a hard man: you draw out what you do not put in and reap what you do not sow.” ”You scoundrel!” he replied. ”I will condemn you out of your own mouth. You knew me to be a hard man, did you, drawing out what I never put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money on deposit, and I could have claimed it with interest when I came back?” Turning to his attendants he said, “Take the money from him and give it to the man with the most.” ”But sir,” they replied, “he has ten times as much already.” ”I tell you,” he said, “everyone one has will be given more; but whoever has nothing will forfeit even what he has. But as for those enemies of mine who did not want me for their king, bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.”

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The Collect:

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 28: Wednesday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/week-of-proper-28-wednesday-year-1/

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/immortal-invisible-god-only-wise/

Not Far Beyond the Sea:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/not-far-beyond-the-sea/

O God, Our Help in Ages Past:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/our-god-our-help-in-ages-past/

We Sing for All the Unsung Saints:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/we-sing-for-all-the-unsung-saints/

Let Saints on Earth in Concert Sing:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/let-saints-on-earth-in-concert-sing/

A Prayer for the Dead:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/a-prayer-for-the-dead/

Our Father, By Whose Servants:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/our-father-by-whose-servants-by-george-wallace-briggs/

For All the Saints:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/for-all-the-saints-by-william-walsham-how/

Now the Laborer’s Task is O’er:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/now-the-laborers-task-is-oer/

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The first three chapters of Revelation are relatively straight-forward, given that the book is an apocalypse, and therefore told in symbolic language. Now, however, in Chapter 4, we begin to encounter denser symbolism. I opened up commentaries and tried to sort out the symbols. Along the way I learned three or four ways to interpret some of the same symbols. In such cases, I have chosen to follow one interpretation. For the sake of succinctness, we read of God, enthroned in glory and majesty in Heaven. The martyrs are there, as is the Holy Spirit in its completeness. The four living creatures, imagery borrowed from ancient sources and elsewhere in the Bible, see everything. The living creature like a lion represents the power of the Son of God. The one like an ox indicates the sacrificial nature of the Son of God. The living creature with a human face represents the incarnation of the Son of God. And the one like an eagle in flight symbolizes the gift of the Holy Spirit. God, the center of attention, is sovereign.

We turn now to the reading from Luke. Archelaus and two brothers inherited parts the “kingdom” of their father, Herod the Great, when he died in 4 B.C.E. But Archelaus, in order to claim his inheritance, had to visit his overlord, the Emperor Augustus. He was the figure on whom Jesus based the king in Luke 19. The setting for the Parable of the Pounds (similar to the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30) is after our Lord’s visit with Zacchaeus at Jericho but prior to his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. So the standard interpretation of the parable is, “Choose Jesus, or else!” Yet I cannot bring myself to identify the king in the parable with God.

The lectionary readings for this day present us with conflicting types of kingship: omnipotent and benevolent (in Revelation) and cruel and subject to higher human authority (in Luke). The former is forever, but the latter is temporal. Archelaus, despite the power he wielded, died. His position in life depended on the identity of his father and the favor of the Roman Emperor, two factors he could not determine. He was a glorified governor or procurator. And, as far as I can tell, he is mostly forgotten these days; I, an eager student of history, had to look him up.

God endures. Thanks be to God!

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/the-king-who-endures/

Posted November 15, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 16

Tagged with Archelaus, Luke 19, Matthew 25, Psalm 150, Revelation 4

Week of Proper 28: Tuesday, Year 2 3 comments

Above: Fire

Tested in the Fire

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

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Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22 (Revised English Bible):

To the angel of the church at Sardis write:

These are the words of the One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know what you are doing; people say you are alive, but in fact you are dead. Wake up, and put some strength into what you still have, because otherwise it must die! For I have not found any work of yours brought to completion in the sight of my God. Remember therefore the teaching you received; observe it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know the moment of my coming. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not polluted their clothing, and they will walk with me in white, for so they deserve. Anyone who is victorious will be robed in white like them, and I shall never strike his name off the roll of the living; in the presence of my Father and his angels I shall acknowledge him as mine. You have ears, so hear what the Spirit says to the churches!

…

To the angel of the church at Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful of God’s creation: I know what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either cold or hot! Because you are neither one nor the other, but just lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. You say, “How rich I am! What a fortune I have made! I have everything I want.” In fact, though you do not realize it, you are a pitiful wretch, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire to make you truly rich, and white robes to put on to hide the shame of your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so that you may see. All whom I love I reprove and discipline. Be wholehearted therefore in your repentance. Here I stand knocking at the door; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and he and I will eat together. To anyone who is victorious I will grant a place beside me on my throne, as I myself was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. You have ears, so hear what the Spirit says to the churches!

Psalm 15 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle?

who may abide upon your holy hill?

2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,

who speaks the truth from his heart.

3 There is no guile upon his tongue;

he does no evil to his friend;

he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

4 In his sight the wicked is rejected,

but he honors those who fear the LORD.

5 He has sworn to do no wrong

and does not take back his word.

6 He does not give his money in hope of gain,

nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

7 Whoever does these things

shall never be overthrown.

Luke 19:1-10 (Revised English Bible):

Entering Jericho Jesus made his way through the city. There was a man there named Zacchaeus; he was superintendent of taxes and very rich. He was eager to see what Jesus looked like; but, being a little man, he could not see him for the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycomore tree in order to see him, for he was to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said,

Zacchaeus, be quick to come down, for I must stay at your house today.

He climbed down as quickly as he could and welcomed him gladly. At this time there was a general murmur of disapproval.

He has gone in to be the guest of a sinner,

they said. But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,

Here and now, sir, I give half my possessions to charity; and if I have defrauded anyone, I will repay him four times over.

Jesus said to him,

Today salvation has come to this house–for this man too is a son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what is lost.

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The Collect:

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 28: Tuesday, Year 1 (More About Zacchaeus):

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/week-of-proper-28-tuesday-year-1/

Lord, Help Us Walk Your Servant Way:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/lord-help-us-walk-your-servant-way/

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My Son, if you aspire to be a servant of the LORD,

prepare yourself for testing….

Bear every hardship that is sent you,

and whenever humiliation comes, be patient;

for gold is assayed in the fire,

and the chosen ones in the furnace of humiliation.

–Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 2:1, 4-5, Revised English Bible

The church at Laodicea was lukewarm and overconfident in its wealth. It was really nothing but a chapel of complacency. But the church is not supposed to function as a chapel for the complacent. At least the church at Sardis tried to so something. Unfortunately, it did not finish anything. Zacchaeus, in contrast, committed to a course of action, one which exceeded the minimum qualifications under the Law of Moses.

There is frequently a cross-fertilization between religion and culture. Sometimes culture dilutes excellent religious principles. Consider racism, for example. One of the classics is H. Shelton Smith’s In His Image, But…, a book about racism in Southern U.S. religion. That title summarizes the hypocrisy of racism in religion, does it not? And Philip Yancey, in Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church (2001), beginning on page, 11, writes about recovering from the racism he learned in church and culture in the Deep South of the 1950s and 1960s. He writes:

As a child I did not question the system we lived under because no one around me questioned it. (page 13)

Bigotry of any form has no legitimate place in Christianity. It might be acceptable within one’s culture or subculture, but ought never find approval within the church. When religion soaks up the worst of culture, religion has ceased to be salt in the world.

So, embracing love for our fellow human beings and devotion to Jesus, may we follow him. We will stick out when we do this, and may we do so positively. And may we complete what we have begun, regardless of the humiliation and other hardship we may face because of our actions for God. Then we will be true to the crucified one.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/tested-in-the-fire/

Posted November 14, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 15

Tagged with Civil Rights, Gold, H. Shelton Smith, Luke 19, Philip Yancey, Psalm 15, Racism, Revelation 3, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 2, Social Justice

Week of Proper 28: Monday, Year 2 9 comments

Above: Christ Healing the Blind Man, by Eustache Le Sueur

The Imperative of Active Love

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

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Revelation 1:1-3; 2:1-5 (Revised English Bible):

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him so that he might show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who in telling all that he saw has borne witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Happy is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and happy those who listen if they take to heart what is here written; for the time of fulfillment is near.

…

To the angel of the church at Ephesus write:

These are the words of the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven gold lamps: I know what you are doing, how you toil and endure. I know you cannot abide wicked people; you have put to the test those who claim to be apostles but are not, and you have found them to be false. Endurance you have; you have borne up in my cause and have never become weary. However, I have this against you: the love you felt at first you have now lost. Think from what a height you have fallen; repent, and do as once you did. If you do not, I will come to you remove your lamp from its place.

Psalm 1 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,

nor lingered in the way of sinners,

nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2 Their delight is in the law of the LORD,

and the meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,

bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither,

everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked;

they are like the chaff which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes,

nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the ways of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Luke 18:35-43 (Revised English Bible):

As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man sat at the roadside begging. Hearing a crowd going past, he asked what was happening, and was told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Then he called out,

Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.

The people in front told him to hold his tongue; but he shouted all the more,

Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came up Jesus asked him,

What do you want me to do for you?

He answered,

Sir, I want my sight back.

Jesus said to him,

Have back your sight; your faith has healed you.

He recovered his sight instantly and followed Jesus, praising God. And all the people gave praise to God for what they had seen.

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The Collect:

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Some Related Links:

Week of Proper 28: Monday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/week-of-proper-28-monday-year-1/

A Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/911-a-prayer-of-st-francis-of-assisi/

A Franciscan Blessing:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/a-franciscan-blessing/

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Procedural Comments on the Monday-Saturday Posts for the Weeks of Propers 28 and 29:

The Canadian Anglican lectionary I am following leads me through Revelation for the last two weeks of the church year every other year. This being the first post of that series, I make some procedural comments here and now.

Religious imagination is important, for the most effective way to communicate some religious truths is imaginatively, as in poetry and other symbolic language. Word pictures can be more vivid than dry explanations. I recognize and embrace this fact. You, O reader, also need to know that I am not an avid consumer of prophesy-themed content, much of which is full of bologna (to use a polite term) anyway. My training is in history and the analysis of texts. So, when I approach a part of the Bible, I want to know, in context, what the message was or the messages were to the original audience. Then I extrapolate to today.

That said, here is some of what we know:

The author was one John of Patmos, an exile who did not write the Gospel of John. He probably composed the Revelation, or Apocalypse, of John in the 90s C.E., a time of sporadic persecutions throughout the Roman Empire.
The main purposes of the book were to encourage persecuted Christians and Christians who might face persecution, and to remind them of the contrast between Christianity and the dominant Greco-Roman culture.
The Apocalypse’s language is symbolic. Fortunately, we can decode it. “Babylon,” for example, is the Roman Empire. And sometimes the text decodes language, as in 1:20.
Revelation is an essentially positive book, one which tells us that God will win and evil will face destruction.
Protestant Reformers Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli detested Revelation. They would have removed it from the New Testament, had that been possible.

Now I proceed to my comments specific to this day’s assigned readings.

KRT

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The blind man in Luke 18:35-43 called out for Jesus as people told him to be quiet. But the man refused to obey them. His persistence paid off, for the got our Lord’s attention and regained his sight. Those who told the man to be quiet–to cease to be inconvenient and annoying–did not act out of love for him.

Active love is of the essence in today’s post. The message to the church at Ephesus commended it for holding to orthodoxy during persecution yet condemned it for waning in either devotion to Christ or care for each other or both. The church did, however, have an opportunity to repair its ways, thereby avoiding dispossession by Jesus. This message reminds me of Matthew 25:31-46, in which the test of devotion is active love.

The lesson remains as germane for us today as it was for ancient Christians. None of us can do everything, but each of us can do something, at least some of the time. The challenge is to do what we can as opportunities present themselves. Fortunately, helping others can assume many forms. Some women grow their hair long then sell it for use in wigs for women who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy. And certain professions are inherently human service-oriented. I have heard of medical professionals who prefer to work in an Emergency Room setting out of a religious obligation. Furthermore, volunteer opportunities abound, providing opportunities outside time on the clock. And comedy can help people through difficult times; sometimes we need to laugh.

Purely intellectualized orthodoxy is not helpful; it must find compassionate expression. Likewise, good deeds themselves are inadequate; love must animate them for the maximum effect. (See 1 Corinthians 13.) If I, for example, affirm that each person bears the image of God, I make an orthodox doctrinal statement rooted in Genesis 1:27. (I do affirm it, by the way.) But, if I do not act on that proposition, it is useless. How ought that item of orthodox doctrine inform my life? I cannot, in good conscience, approve of racism if I really believe that each person bears the image of God. (I have an interest in civil rights.)

May our love for God and our fellow human beings deepen and become more active as time passes. I wonder how much the world will improve as that happens. By grace, may we and those who succeed us on this planet learn the answer.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/the-imperative-of-active-love/

Posted November 12, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 14

Tagged with 1 Corinthians 13, Faith and Works, Genesis 1, Love, Luke 18, Matthew 25, Psalm 1, Revelation 1, Revelation 2

Week of Proper 27: Friday, Year 2, and Week of Proper 27: Saturday, Year 2 3 comments

Above: Mother Teresa Plaque

Image Source = Michal Manas

Being of God

NOVEMBER 11 and 12, 2022

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FIRST READING FOR FRIDAY

2 John 1-13 (Revised English Bible):

The Elder to the Lady chosen by God and her children whom I love in the truth, and not I alone but all who know the truth. We love you for the sake of the truth that dwells among us and will be with us for ever.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

I was very glad to find that some of your children are living by the truth, in accordance with the command we have received from the Father. And now, Lady, I have a request to make of you. Do not think I am sending a new command; I am recalling the one we have had from the beginning: I ask that we love one another. What love means is to live according to the commands of God. This is the command that was given you from the beginning, to be your rule of life.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and antichrist. See to it that you do not lose what we have worked for, but receive your reward in full.

Anyone who does not stand by the teaching about Christ, but goes beyond it, does not possess God; he who stands by it possesses both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you who does not bring this teaching, do not admit him to your house or give him any greeting; for he who greets him becomes an accomplice in his evil deeds.

I have much to write to you, but I do not care to put it down on paper. Rather, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your Sister, chosen by God, send your greetings.

FIRST READING FOR SATURDAY

3 John 1-14 (Revised English Bible):

The Elder to dear Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

Dear friend, above all, I pray that things may go well with you, and that you may enjoy good health; I know it is well with your soul. I was very glad when some fellow-Christians arrived and told me of your faithfulness to the truth; indeed you live by the truth. Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are living by the truth.

Dear friend, you show a fine loyalty in what you do for our fellow-Christians, though they are strangers to you. They have testified to your kindness before the congregation here. Please help them on their journey in a manner worthy of the God we serve. It was for love of Christ’s name that they went out; and they would accept nothing from unbelievers. Therefore we ought to support such people, an so play our part in spreading the truth.

I wrote to the congregation, but Diotrephes, who enjoys taking the lead, will have nothing to do with us. So when I come, I will draw attention to the things he is doing; he lays nonsensical and spiteful charges to receive follow-Christians himself, and interferes with those who would receive them, and tries to expel them from the congregation.

Dear friend, follow good examples, not bad ones. The well-doer is a child of God; the evildoer has never seen God.

Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone, and even by the truth itself. I add my testimony, and you know that my testimony is true.

I had much to write to you, but I do not care to set it down with pen and ink. I hope to see you very soon, when we will talk face to face. Peace be with you. Your friends here send you greetings. Greet each of our friends by name.

RESPONSE FOR FRIDAY

Psalm 119:1-8 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Happy are they whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the LORD!

2 Happy are they who observe his decrees

and seek him with all their hearts!

3 Who never do any wrong,

but always walk in his ways.

4 You laid down your commandments,

that we should fully keep them.

5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct

that I might keep your statutes!

6 Then I should not be put to shame,

when I regard all your commandments.

7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart,

when I have learned your righteous judgments.

8 I will keep your statutes;

do not utterly forsake me.

RESPONSE FOR SATURDAY

Psalm 112 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Hallelujah!

Happy are they who fear the Lord

and have great delight in his commandments!

2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches will be in their house,

and their righteousness will last for ever.

4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright;

the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

5 It is good for them to be generous in lending

and to manage their affairs with justice.

6 For they will never be shaken;

the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

7 They will not be afraid of any evil rumors;

their heart is right;

they put their trust in the Lord.

8 Their heart is established and will not shrink,

until they see that desire upon their enemies.

9 They have given freely to the poor,

and their righteousness stands fast for ever;

they will hold up their head with honor.

10 The wicked will see it and be angry;

they will gnash their teeth and pine away;

the desires of the wicked will perish.

COMPOSITE GOSPEL READING

Luke 17:26-18:18 (Revised English Bible):

[Jesus said to his disciples,]

As it was in the days of Noah, will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They ate and drank and married, until the day that Noah went into the ark and the flood came and made an end of them all. So too in the days of Lot, they ate and drank, they bought and sold, they planted and built; but on the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained from the sky and made an end of them all. it will be like that on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

On that day if anyone is on the roof while his belongings are in the house, he must not go down to fetch them; and if anyone is in the field, he must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life will gain it.

I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed: one will be taken, the other left. There will be two women grinding corn: one will be taken, the other left.

When they heard this they asked,

Where, Lord?

He said,

Where the carcass is, there will the vultures gather.

Jesus told them a parable to show that they should keep on praying and never lose heart.

In a certain city there was a judge who had no fear of God or respect for man, and in the same city there was a widow who kept coming before him to demand justice against her opponent. For a time he refused; but in the end he said to himself, “Although I have no fear of God or respect for man, yet this widow is so great a nuisance that I will give her justice before she wears me out with her persistence.” The Lord said, “You hear what the unjust judge says. Then will not God give justice to his chosen, to whom he listens day and night? I tell you, he will give them justice soon enough. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

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The Collect:

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 27: Friday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/week-of-proper-27-friday-year-1/

Week of Proper 27: Saturday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/week-of-proper-27-saturday-year-1/

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The authorship of 2 John and 3 John is a matter of scholarly debate; did John the Evangelist compose them? The answer is irrelevant for my purposes, but the epistles are, by the way, indisputably products of the Johannine tradition.

The brief epistles, taken together, address to related problems: heretical, wandering preachers and power-hungry local elders. Wandering preachers were commonplace, and some, such as Demetrius (in 3 John 12) were orthodox. Yet many others were not. These were the “deceivers” who “have gone out into the world” and did not “acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” (2 John 7). As for power-hungry local elders, Diotrephes, who did not welcome and who interfered with Demetrius, was especially troublesome. Diotrephes exhibited an especially malicious streak.

I ask that we love one another. What loves means is to live according to the commands of God. This is the command that was given you from the beginning, to be your rule of life.–2 John 5b-6, Revised English Bible

Yes, one can commit good deeds for bad reasons, and one can be a moral Atheist. One can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned without acknowledging God or commit all of the above good deeds while acknowledging God. It is also true that history and current events contain instances of people who have slaughtered others in the name of God. To do the right thing for the right reason is essential, and to add the dimension of faith to this equation brings credit to religion and hopefully to God. I contend that, if one is really of God, one will act out of love, not hatred. All who do otherwise yet claim to be otherwise are imposters, some of whom lie even to themselves.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/being-of-god/

Posted November 11, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 11, November 12

Tagged with 2 John, 3 John, Love, Luke 17, Luke 18, Psalm 112, Psalm 119 Aleph

Week of Proper 27: Thursday, Year 2 7 comments

Above: Onesimus

Paying It Forward

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

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Philemon 1-25 (Revised English Bible):

From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and our colleague Timothy, to Philemon our dear friend and fellow-worker, together with Apphia our sister, and Achippus our comrade-in-arms, and the church that meets at your house.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God always when I mention you in my prayers, for I hear of your love and faith towards the Lord Jesus and for all God’s people. My prayer is that the faith you hold in common with us may deepen your understanding of all the blessings which belong to us as we are brought closer to Christ. Your love has brought me much joy and encouragement; through you God’s people have been much refreshed.

Accordingly, although in Christ I might feel free to dictate where your duty lies, yet, because of that same love, I would rather appeal to you. Ambassador as I am of Christ Jesus, and now his prisoner, I, Paul, appeal to you about my child, whose father I have become in this prison. I mean Onesimus, once so useless to you, but now useful indeed, both to you and to me. In sending him back to you I am sending my heart. I should have liked to keep him with me, to look after me on your behalf, here in prison for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your kindness might be a matter not of compulsion, but of your own free will. Perhaps this is why you lost him for a time to receive him back for good–no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave: as a dear brother, very dear to me, and still dearer to you, both as a man and as a Christian.

If, then, you think of me as your partner in the faith, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he did you any wrong and owes you anything, put it down to my account. Here is my signature: Paul. I will repay you–not to mention that you owe me your very self. Yes, brother, I am asking this favour of you as a fellow-Christian; set my mind at rest.

I write to you confident that you will meet my wishes; I know that you will in fact do more than I ask. And one last thing: have a room ready for me, for I hope through the prayers of you all to be restored to you.

Epaphras, a captive of Christ Jesus like myself, sends you greetings. So do my fellow-workers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit!

Psalm 146 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Hallelujah!

Praise the LORD, O my soul!

I will praise the LORD as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth,

for there is not help in them.

3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth,

and in that day their thoughts perish.

4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help!

whose hope is in the LORD their God;

5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them;

who keeps his promise for ever.

6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,

and food to those who hunger.

7 The LORD sets the prisoner free;

the LORD opens the eyes of the blind;

the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down.

8 The LORD loves the righteous;

the LORD cares for the stranger;

he sustains the orphan and the widow,

but frustrates the way of the wicked!

9 The LORD shall reign for ever,

your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.

Hallelujah!

Luke 17:20-25 (Revised English Bible):

The Pharisees asked Jesus,

When will the kingdom of God come?

He answered,

You cannot tell by observation when the kingdom of God comes. You cannot say, “Look, here it is,” or “There it is!” For the kingdom of God is among you!

He said to the disciples,

The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look! There!” and “Look! Here!” Do not go running off in pursuit. For like a lightning-flash, that lights up the earth from end to end, will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must endure suffering and be rejected by this generation.

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The Collect:

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 27: Thursday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/week-of-proper-27-thursday-year-1/

The Feast of Saint Onesimus, Bishop and Martyr (February 11):

http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/feast-of-st-onesimus-bishop-and-martyr-february-11/

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May we, in our consideration of the Letter to Philemon, turn off the proverbial tapes running inside our heads. Rather, may we take our cues from the text itself; it is our primary source. As a person trained in historical methods, reading one’s primary sources closely and accurately matters to me greatly. And, as we engage in this close (and hopefully accurate) reading, may we recall that we are reading just one side of an ancient correspondence. Paul did not mention certain details because Philemon already knew what they were. I suspect that the Apostle did not imagine that people would read this letter in translation nearly two thousand years later. If he had thought otherwise, he might have added more details.

So, what can we know, according to the text? We can know the following:

Paul wrote from prison, distant from where Philemon lived.
Philemon, Paul’s friend, hosted a congregation in his home.
Onesimus, who owed Philemon a debt, had spent an undefined period of time with Paul, to the Apostle’s delight.
Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter, in which he (Paul) offered to pay the debt and asked Philemon to take Onesimus back “as a brother.”

Widely accepted assumptions include that Onesimus was a slave–and a fugitive who had stolen from Philemon. I thought that until earlier today, when I poured over commentaries, most of which reflected the received wisdom. But what if the received wisdom is wrong? Professor Allan Callahan, writing in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2003), argues that the text does not support the received wisdom. He points to verse 16, which, in English translation, asks Philemon to received Onesimus

…no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother….

Callahan points out the following:

Just as Paul says that the Galatians are no longer slaves but sons in the family of God (Gal. 4:7), so also Paul insists here that Onesimus be received as though he were no longer as a slave but a brother in Philemon’s family of faith; as has the force of “as if” or “as though.”

So Onesimus might not have been a slave. If this is true, almost two thousand years of Christian interpretation of this epistle has been mostly wrong. If so, so be it. Tradition can be mistaken.

Tradition can also be correct. We read in the hagiographies that both Philemon and Onesimus became bishops and martyrs. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople lists Onesimus as Bishop of Byzantium from 54 to 68 C.E., and therefore a predecessor of the current Ecumenical Patriarch.

This is a story about redemption and the good for many that flows from it. Paul redeemed Onesimus, through whom many people found faith in Jesus. Paul, in turn, was able to do this because of a direct action by God. So, when God acts in our lives, may we embrace the responsibility, to help others directly, to pay it forward, and so to aid still others indirectly.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/paying-it-forward/

Posted November 11, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 10

Tagged with Luke 17, Onesimus, Philemon, Psalm 146, Slavery

Week of Proper 27: Tuesday, Year 2, and Week of Proper 27: Wednesday, Year 2 3 comments

Above: A Nurse with Infant Orphans

Image Source = Michielvd

Proper Behavior and the Golden Rule

NOVEMBER 8 and 9, 2022

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COMPOSITE FIRST READING

Titus 2:1-3:15 (Revised English Bible):

For your part, you must say what is in keeping with sound doctrine. The older men should be sober, dignified, and temperate, sound in faith, love, and fortitude. The older women, similarly, should be reverent in their demeanour, not scandalmongers or slaves to excessive drinking; they must set a high standard, and so teach the younger women to be loving wives and mothers, to be temperate, chaste, busy at home, and kind, respecting the authority of their husbands. Then the gospel will not be brought into disrepute.

Urge the younger men, similarly, to be temperate in all things, and set them an example of good conduct yourself. In your teaching you must show integrity and seriousness, and offer sound instruction to which none can take exception. Any opponent will be at a loss when he finds nothing to say to our discredit.

Slaves are to respect their masters’ authority in everything and to give them satisfaction; they are not to answer back, nor to pilfer, but are to show themselves absolutely trustworthy. In all this they will add lustre to the doctrine of God our Saviour.

For the grace of God has dawned upon the world with healing for all mankind; and by it we are disciplined to renounce godless ways and worldly desires, and to live a life of temperance, honesty, and godliness in the present age, looking forward to the happy fulfillment of our hope when the splendour of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus will appear. He it is who sacrificed himself for us, to set us free from all wickedness and to make us his own people, pure and eager to do good.

These are your themes; urge them and argue them with an authority which on one can disregard.

Remind everyone to be submissive to the government and the authorities, and to obey them; to be ready for any honourable work; to slander no one, to avoid quarrels, and always to show forbearance and a gentle disposition to all.

There was a time when we too were lost in folly and disobedience and were slaves to passions and pleasures of every kind. Our days were passed in malice and envy; hateful ourselves, we loathed one another.

But when the kindness and generosity of God our Saviour dawned upon the world, then, not for any good deeds of our own, but because he was merciful, he saved us through the water of rebirth and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, which he lavished upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, justified by his grace, we might in hope become heirs to eternal life.

That is a saying you may trust.

Such are the points I want to insist on, so that those who have come to believe in God may be sure to devote themselves to good works. These precepts are good in themselves and useful to society. But avoid foolish speculations, genealogies, quarrels, and controversies under the law; they are unprofitable and futile.

If someone is contentious, he should be allowed a second warning; after that, have nothing more to do with him, recognizing that anyone like that has a distorted mind and stands self-condemned in his sin.

Once I have sent Artemas or Tychicus to you, join me at Nicopolis as soon as you can, for that is where I have decided to spend the winter. Do your utmost to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their travels, and see that they are not short of anything. And our own people must be taught to devote themselves to good works to meet urgent needs; they must not be unproductive.

All who are with me send your greetings. My greetings to our friends in the faith. Grace be with you all!

RESPONSE FOR TUESDAY

Psalm 37:1-6, 28-29 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers;

do not be jealous of those who do no wrong.

2 For they shall soon whither like the grass,

and like the green grass they fade away.

3 Put your trust in the LORD and do good,

dwell in the land and feed on its riches.

4 Take delight in the LORD,

and he shall give you your heart’s desire.

5 Commit your way to the LORD and put your trust in him,

and he will bring it to pass.

6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light

and your just dealing as the noonday.

28 Turn from evil, and do good,

and dwell in the land for ever.

29 For the LORD loves justice;

he does not forsake his faithful ones.

RESPONSE FOR WEDNESDAY

Psalm 91:9-16 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge,

and the Most High your habitation,

10 There shall no evil happen to you,

neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

11 He shall give his angels charge over you,

to keep you in all his ways.

12 They shall bear you in their hands,

lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder;

you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.

14 Because he is bound to me in love,

therefore I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;

I am with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and bring him to honor.

16 With long life will I satisfy him,

and show him my salvation.

COMPOSITE GOSPEL READING

Luke 17:7-10 (Revised English Bible):

[Jesus said to his disciples,]

Suppose one of you has a servant ploughing or minding sheep. When he comes in from the fields, will the master say, “Come and sit down straightway”? Will he not rather say, “Prepare my supper; hitch up your robe, and wait on me while I have my meal. You can have yours afterwards”? Is he grateful to the servant for carrying out his orders? So with you: when you have carried out all you have been ordered to do, you should say, “We are servants and deserve no credit; we have only done our duty.”

In the course of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem he was travelling through the borderlands of Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village he was met by ten men with leprosy. They stood some way off, and called out to him,

Jesus, Master, take pity on us.

When he saw them he said,

Go and show yourselves to the priests;

and while they were on the way, they were made clean. One of them, finding himself cured, turned back with shouts of praise to God. He threw himself down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. At this Jesus said:

Were not all then made clean? The other nine, where are they? Was no one found returning to give praise to God except this foreigner?

And he said to the man,

Stand up and go on your way; your faith has cured you.

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The Collect:

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Some Related Posts:

Week of Proper 27: Tuesday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/week-of-proper-27-tuesday-year-1/

Week of Proper 27: Wednesday, Year 1:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/week-of-proper-27-wednesday-year-1/

Slavery:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/week-of-proper-25-wednesday-year-2-and-week-of-proper-25-thursday-year-2/

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Chapters 2 and 3 of Titus contain much practical advice and non-controversial administrative advice. Some of the content is sexist by modern standards, but it did not seem so at the time. Then there are really troublesome parts–slavery and submission to the government. As I have already written, the failure to condemn slavery and to insist upon complete egalitarianism mars the Pauline tradition for me. And, as for submission to the government, in the Pauline case, the Roman Empire, I have read some disturbing articles and editorials (as late as the middle 1970s) in arch-conservative, pro-law and order Christian magazines during the Vietnam War era, citing the Third Reich as an extreme example of a government to which one ought to submit. What would Dietrich Bonhoeffer have said about that?

I propose that, as a Christian, my obligation is to follow the example of Jesus, who lived according to the Golden Rule. So, regardless of the specific circumstances, may we treat others respectfully and act toward them compassionately. This might entail some tough love, but so be it. Each person bears the image of God; may we treat them with the dignity corresponding to the status of God-bearer.

KRT

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/proper-behavior-and-the-golden-rule/

Posted November 11, 2011 by neatnik2009 in Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2, November 8, November 9

Tagged with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Golden Rule, Luke 17, Psalm 37, Psalm 91, Slavery, Titus 2, Titus 3

ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS REGNUM DEI/THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST/"THE LONG GREEN SEASON"

Archive for the ‘Canadian Anglican Lectionary Year 2’ Category

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Week of Proper 28: Thursday, Year 2 11 comments

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Week of Proper 27: Friday, Year 2, and Week of Proper 27: Saturday, Year 2 3 comments

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