Archive for the ‘November 1: All Saints’ Category
Above: All Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
NOVEMBER 1, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 26:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19-21
Psalm 34:1-10
Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 (22:1-5) (LBW) or Revelation 7:2-17 (LW)
Matthew 5:1-12
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Almighty God, whose people are knit together
in one holy Church, the body of Christ our Lord:
Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints
in lives of faith and commitment,
and to know the inexpressible joys
you have prepared for those who love you;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 36
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O almighty God, by whom we are graciously knit together
as one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
grant us to follow your blessed saints
in all virtuous and godly living
that we may come to those unspeakable joys
which you have prepared for those who unfeignedly love you;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 116
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The communion of saints is the whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), 862
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Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.
—The Westminster Larger Catechism (1647)
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I am a ritualistic Episcopalian and a student of history. Therefore, ecclesiastical history appeals to me. The study of lives of the sains–glorified, canonized, beatified, declared venerable, or none of these–is a spiritually profitable venture. Reading about how members of the family of Christ have lived their baptismal vows in a variety of cultures, places, and centuries can help one live one’s baptismal vows. I find that my ongoing study of lives of the saints frequently makes me feel spiritually inadequate.
Notice the quote from the Episcopal catechism, O reader. The communion of saints includes
those whom we love and whose whom we hurt.
Our spiritual kinfolk include those whom we do not recognize as being so. Therefore, we hurt them. We may even feel justified in doing this to them.
Who are your “secret” (to you) kinfolk in Christ, O reader? Who are mine?
May we all, by grace, grow into our spiritual vocations of glorifying God, and fully enjoying God forever. May we do this together. And may we cease to hurt one another.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 21, 2022 COMMON ERA
PROPER 16: THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRUNO ZEMBOL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC FRIAR AND MARTYR, 1942
THE FEAST OF SAINTS CAMERIUS, CISELLUS, AND LUXURIUS OF SARDINIA, MARTYRS, 303
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAXIMILLIAN OF ANTIOCH, MARTYR, CIRCA 353; AND SAINTS BONOSUS AND MAXIMIANUS THE SOLDIER, MARTYRS, 362
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICTOIRE RASOAMANARIVO, MALAGASY ROMAN CATHOLIC LAYWOMAN
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Tear Ducts
Image in the Public Domain
The Gift of Tears to Shed
NOVEMBER 1, 2022
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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 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44
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[The Lord GOD] will destroy death for ever….
–Isaiah 25:8a, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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Writing another devotional blog post for All Saints’ Day can prove challenging, given how many I have composed. My perspective on this hobby of writing lectionary-based devotions is unique, O reader. I am the only mortal who knows how often I have repeated myself.
Anyway, the connection between Isaiah 25:5-9 and Revelation 21:1-6a is obvious. Isaiah 25:6-9, set during the great eschatological banquet, is a fine choice to pair with Revelation 21:1-6a.
I have joined the company of those who visit someone’s grave and talk. In my case, those are the graves of my father (who had Alzheimer’s Disease and died a combination of ailments on October 30, 2014) and my girlfriend (who struggled with mental illness until she died violently on October 14, 2019). Therefore, Isaiah 25:6-9 has special meaning for me. Perhaps you, O reader, also find special meaning in this text. We mere mortals grieve because we are human and have emotions. We need not grieve alone. Hopefully, we can rely on other people to help us through the grieving process. And God is with us, of course.
Jesus wept.
–John 11:35, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Jesus weeps with us. We are not alone.
Sister Ruth Fox, O.S.B., wrote “A Franciscan Blessing” (1985), which reads, in part:
May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer
from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.
One day, I will be a position to help someone experiencing grief. I will be able to assist that person because of my grief. So be it. Life in God requires people to look out for each other.
The Feast of All Saints is an occasion to ponder all who have preceded us in the Christian faith. They constitute a “great cloud of witnesses.” Some are famous. Most are obscure. We may know a few of them by name. To miss them is legitimate.
At the right time (the time of God’s choosing), may we join them on the other side of the veil. In the meantime, we have work to do and God to glorify.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 30, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF LESSLIE NEWBIGIN, ENGLISH REFORMED MISSIONARY AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT BATHILDAS, QUEEN OF FRANCE
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK OAKELEY, ANGLICAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINTS GENESIUS I OF CLERMONT AND PRAEJECTUS OF CLERMONT, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; AND SAINT AMARIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT JACQUES BUNOL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/30/the-gift-of-tears-to-shed/
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Above: Communion of Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
NOVEMBER 1, 2021
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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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Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 6:20-31
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O blest Communion! Fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle; they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Hallelujah!
–William Walsham How (1823-1897), 1854
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A saint, in terms of the New Testament, is a Christian. The concept of Biblical sainthood is that being holy, as YHWH is holy (Leviticus 19:2). Saints (in Daniel 7:18) will receive the Kingdom of God (yes, in the apocalyptic sense of the kingdom).
The backdrop of three of the four readings (except 149) is apocalypse, or rather, the expectation of the apocalypse–the Day of the Lord (in Hebrew Biblical terms) and the eventual (yet delayed) return of Christ in the New Testament lessons. One function of apocalyptic language is to contrast the world order with God’s order, the Kingdom of God. Luke 6:20-31 hits us over the head with this contrast.
- The poor are blessed and will inherit the Kingdom of God. The rich, in contrast, are receiving their consolation. (I belong to monthly book group focused on the historical Jesus and the early church. According to what I have read, the correct translation is that the rich are receiving their consolation, not that they have received it.)
- The hungry are blessed and will be full. Those who are full will be hungry.
- Those who weep are blessed and will laugh. Those who laugh will mourn and weep.
- Those who endure hatred and exclusion on account of the Son of Man (a call back to Daniel) are blessed and should rejoice. Those who enjoy respect share accolades with false prophets.
- The Bible never says to hate enemies, despite the impressions one may get from certain angry texts, especially in the Book of Psalms. Nevertheless, love of enemies is a difficult commandment. It is possible only via grace.
- The Golden Rule is a timeless principle present in most of the world’s religions. Working around the Golden Rule is as ubiquitous as the commandment, unfortunately.
Christian saints are those who, trusting in Christ crucified, resurrected, and sovereign, follow him. They bear the seal of the Holy Spirit and fight spiritual battles daily. And when Christian saints rest from their labors, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, gathers them up.
Think about saints you have known, O reader. They probably infuriated you at times. They were human and imperfect, after all. (So are you, of course.) They struggled with forces and problems you may not have been able to grasp. And they struggled faithfully. These saints did the best they could with what they had, as best they knew to do. And they brought joy to your life and helped you spiritually. You probably miss them. I miss mine, too.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 30, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES MONTGOMERY, ANGLICAN AND MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF DIET EMAN; HER FIANCÉ, HEIN SIETSMA, MARTYR, 1945; AND HIS BROTHER, HENDRIK “HENK” SIETSMA; RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS
THE FEAST OF JAMES RUSSELL MACDUFF AND GEORGE MATHESON, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS AND AUTHORS
THE FEAST OF SARAH JOSEPHA BUELL HALE, POET, AUTHOR, EDITOR, AND PROPHETIC WITNESS
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/the-communion-of-saints-part-iv/
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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: All Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
NOVEMBER 1, 2023
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Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in the mystical body of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
Give us grace to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2006), 663; also Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 59
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Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12
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The Episcopal Church has seven Principal Feasts: Easter Day, Ascension Day, the Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints’ Day, Christmas Day, and the Epiphany.
The Feast of All Saints, with the date of November 1, seems to have originated in Ireland in the 700s, then spread to England, then to Europe proper. November 1 became the date of the feast throughout Western Europe in 835. There had been a competing date (May 13) in Rome starting in 609 or 610. Anglican tradition retained the date of November 1, starting with The Book of Common Prayer (1549). Many North American Lutherans first observed All Saints’ Day with the Common Service Book (1917). The feast was already present in The Lutheran Hymnary (Norwegian-American, 1913). The Lutheran Hymnal (Missouri Synod, et al, 1941) also included the feast. O the less formal front, prayers for All Saints’ Day were present in the U.S. Presbyterian Book of Common Worship (Revised) (1932), the U.S. Methodist Book of Worship for Church and Home (1945), and their successors.
The Feast of All Saints reminds us that we, as Christians, belong to a large family stretching back to the time of Christ. If one follows the Lutheran custom of commemorating certain key figures from the Hebrew Bible, the family faith lineage predates the conception of Jesus of Nazareth.
At Christ Episcopal Church, Valdosta, Georgia, where I was a member from 1993 to 1996, I participated in a lectionary discussion group during the Sunday School hour. Icons decorated the walls of the room in which we met. The teacher of the class called the saints depicted “the family.”
“The family” surrounds us. It is so numerous that it is “a great cloud of witnesses,” to quote Hebrews 12:1. May we who follow Jesus do so consistently, by grace, and eventually join that great cloud.
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Gendered language does not bother me. Gender is, after all, a reality of human life. Besides, neutering language frequently blurs the divide between the singular and the plural, hence my objections to the singular “they,” “them,” “their” and “themselves.” One can–and should–be inclusive linguistically in such a way as to respect the difference between the singular and the plural. I do understand the issue of clarity, however. I know that how members of one generation, in a particular cultural context, perceive a gendered term, such as “sons,” differs greatly from how others elsewhere, at another time, do. Certain modern English translations of the Bible, in an admirable attempt to be inclusive, obscure subleties of gendered terms sometimes. However, translating a text literally does not make those subtleties clear, either. Commentaries are necessary for that.
Consider, for example, Romans 8:14-17, O reader. In that passage the Greek for “sons of God” often comes across in modern English as “children of God.” Likewise, we read “children” when the Greek word means “sons.” The cultural context, in which sons, but not daughters, inherited, is vital to understanding that portion of scripture, in which Christians, whether they are biologically sons or daughters, inherit, via Jesus. Thus “sons of God” includes daughters. None of that is superficially evident, however.
In contrast, “children,” as in “children of God, as opposed to “children of Satan,” in 1 John 3:1 and 3:10 is a literal translation from the Greek; the Greek word is not gender-specific. That fact is not superficially evident, however, given the recent tendency to gloss over gendered language. A commentary is necessary to understand that aspect of 1 John 3:1 and 3:10.
Our societies condition us in ways that frequently do not apply to the cultural contexts that informed ancient texts.
In 1929 Lesbia Scott wrote:
They lived not only in ages past,
There are hundreds of thousands still,
The world is bright with the joyous saints
Who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,
In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea,
For the saints of God are just folk like me,
And I mean to be one too.
The apocalyptic hope present in Daniel 7, the community focus of Psalm 34, and the counter-cultural values of the Beatitudes should encourage us to persist is fidelity to God, to do so in faith community, and without resorting to serial contrariness, to lead lives that reject those cultural values contrary to the message of the Beatitudes. We must do this for the glory of God and the benefit of people near, far away, and not yet born. And, when our earthly pilgrimage ends, others will take up the cause we join what Hebrews 12:1 calls
a great cloud of witnesses.
Members of that great cloud of witnesses are sons and daughters of God–inheritors of the promise, by the grace of God. Certain cultures restrict inheritance rights according to gender, but God does not. Each of us, by grace and faith, can be among the sons of God and the children of the light.
And I mean to be one, too.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUTTA OF DISIBODENBERG, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESS; AND HER STUDENT, SAINT HILDEGARD OF BINGEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESS AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF GERARD MOULTRIE, ANGLICAN PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZYGMUNT SZCESNY FELINSKI, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF WARSAW, TITULAR BISHOP OF TARSUS, AND FOUNDER OF RECOVERY FOR THE POOR AND THE CONGREGATION OF THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF THE FAMILY OF MARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZYGMUNT SAJNA, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/09/17/the-communion-of-saints-part-iii/
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Above: All Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
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The Episcopal Church has seven Principal Feasts: Easter Day, Ascension Day, the Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints’ Day, Christmas Day, and the Epiphany.
The Feast of All Saints, with the date of November 1, seems to have originated in Ireland in the 700s, then spread to England, then to Europe proper. November 1 became the date of the feast throughout Western Europe in 835. There had been a competing date (May 13) in Rome starting in 609 or 610. Anglican tradition retained the date of November 1, starting with The Book of Common Prayer (1549). Many North American Lutherans first observed All Saints’ Day with the Common Service Book (1917). The feast was already present in The Lutheran Hymnary (Norwegian-American, 1913). The Lutheran Hymnal (Missouri Synod, et al, 1941) also included the feast. O the less formal front, prayers for All Saints’ Day were present in the U.S. Presbyterian Book of Common Worship (Revised) (1932), the U.S. Methodist Book of Worship for Church and Home (1945), and their successors.
The Feast of All Saints reminds us that we, as Christians, belong to a large family stretching back to the time of Christ. If one follows the Lutheran custom of commemorating certain key figures from the Hebrew Bible, the family faith lineage predates the conception of Jesus of Nazareth.
At Christ Episcopal Church, Valdosta, Georgia, where I was a member from 1993 to 1996, I participated in a lectionary discussion group during the Sunday School hour. Icons decorated the walls of the room in which we met. The teacher of the class called the saints depicted “the family.”
“The family” surrounds us. It is so numerous that it is “a great cloud of witnesses,” to quote Hebrews 12:1. May we who follow Jesus do so consistently, by grace, and eventually join that great cloud.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF PETER OF CHELCIC, BOHEMIAN HUSSITE REFORMER; AND GREGORY THE PATRIARCH, FOUNDER OF THE MORAVIAN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF GODFREY THRING, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JANE CREWDSON, ENGLISH QUAKER POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF NARAYAN SESHADRI OF JALNI, INDIAN PRESBYTERIAN EVANGELIST AND “APOSTLE TO THE MANGS”
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Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in the mystical body of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
Give us grace to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Year A:
Revelation 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
Matthew 5:1-12
Year B:
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 or Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 24
Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44
Year B:
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 6:20-31
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2006), 663; also Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 59
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Revelation 7:(2-8), 9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12
—Lutheran Service Book (2006), xxiii
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Originally published at SUNDRY THOUGHTS
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Above: Icon of All Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
NOVEMBER 1
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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 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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The Assigned Readings:
Haggai 1:1-15a or 2 Chronicles 19:4-20:30
Psalm 107:(1-3) 10-16 (23-27) 38-42 (43)
Matthew 27:(45-49) 50-56 (57-61)
3 John 1-15
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This is a seemingly odd set of readings for the Feast of All Saints. One of the purposes of Timothy Matthew Slemmons in proposing Year D as a supplement to the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is to include passages the RCL overlooks, so that makes sense.
Trusting in God, who is faithful, seems to be the unifying theme of the assigned readings. The inclusion of the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus, according to Matthew 27, is consistent with the Passion narrative, with which Slemmons surrounds this feast in his reading plan. That inclusion also supports the point about the fidelity of God. Related to divine faithfulness in the human obligation to respond with fidelity. Grace, which makes this possible, is free yet not cheap; it requires much of one.
Saints come in two varieties: those whom at least one ecclesiastical authority recognizes and those who receive no such recognition. In the New Testament the definition of a saint is an observant Christian. Consider the saints who have influenced you positively, O reader. Thank God for them. Furthermore, may you be such a saint in the lives of others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 20, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL TAIT, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CANISIUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN BLEW, ENGLISH PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/the-communion-of-saints/
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Above: Lot and His Daughters, by Lucas van Leyden
Image in the Public Domain
The Good Society
OCTOBER 31, 2022
NOVEMBER 1, 2022
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The Collect:
Merciful God, gracious and benevolent,
through your Son you invite all the world to a meal of mercy.
Grant that we may eagerly follow this call,
and bring us with all your saints into your life of justice and joy,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 52
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The Assigned Readings:
Nehemiah 13:1-3, 23-31 (Monday)
Zechariah 7:1-14 (Tuesday)
Psalm 50 (Both Days)
1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (Monday)
Jude 5-21 (Tuesday)
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“When you see a thief, you make him your friend,
and you cast your lot in with adulterers.
You have loosed your lips for evil,
and harnessed your tongue to a lie.
You are always speaking evil of your brother
and slandering your own mother’s son.
These things you have done, and I kept still,
and you thought that I am like you.”
–Psalm 50:18-21, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The Law of Moses teaches that, among other things:
- We humans depend on God for everything,
- We depend on each other also,
- We have no right to exploit each other,
- We are responsible to each other, and
- We are responsible for each other.
Thus hospitality is a great virtue, for it can make the difference between someone coming to harm or avoiding harm, as well as the difference between someone dying or living.
My summary of the forbidden behaviors in these days’ readings is that they are generally activities that harm others. I note that, in post-exilic zeal to obey the Law of Moses, many people went too far with regard to the treatment of foreigners. The Book of Jonah pushes back against such excesses. The Book of Ruth, in which a Moabite woman marries a Hebrew man and becomes an ancestor of King David, is probably another protest against such zealousness-turned-xenophobia, such as that praised in Nehemiah 13:1.
As for homosexual behavior (as opposed to homosexuality as a sexual preference, an understanding which did not exist until recent centuries), Jude 7 is the only verse in the Bible to make explicit the link between homosexual conduct and the story of Sodom in Genesis 19. In that chapter Lot, who has lived in the city since Genesis 13, presumably knows his neighbors well enough to understand what they like. Lot has taken in two angels. A mob gathers outside his door and demands that he send them outside to that they can gang rape the angels. Lot refuses the demands and offers to send his two virgin daughters out instead. (Bad father!) Fortunately for Lot’s daughters, the mob is not interested and the angels have a plan to save Lot and his family from the imminent destruction of the city. In the context of Genesis 19 the planned sexual activity is rape, not anything consensual; may nobody miss that point. The standard Biblical condemnations of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are like those in Ezekiel 16:48-50 and 3 Maccabees 2:5-6, where one reads that the cities’ sins were notorious and the people were arrogant and brazen in their iniquity. Ezekiel 16 adds to that description the neglect of the poor and the hungry–a lack of hospitality.
Zechariah 7:8-14 states that the pre-exilic Kingdoms of Israel and Judah violated the basic requirements of the Law of Moses, and paid the price. The societies, generally speaking, did not administer true justice and act kindly and compassionately. No, it oppressed widows, orphans, the poor, and resident aliens. The societies were unrepentant, and divine patience ran out.
Society is people. It shapes its members, who also influence it. May we–you, O reader, and I–influence society for the better–to care for the vulnerable, to resist bullying and corruption, to favor kindness and compassion, and to seek and find the proper balance between individual and collective responsibility. May we eschew bigotry in all forms, for we have a divine mandate to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. May we seek to love God and each other fully, manifesting respect for the image of God in each other, seeking to build each other up, for that is not only the path to the common good but is also godly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/the-good-society/
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Above: Moses Pleading with Israel
Image in the Public Domain
Difficult Obedience to God
NOVEMBER 1 and 2, 2021
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you have taught us in your Son that love fulfills the law.
Inspire us to love you with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength,
and teach us how to love our neighbors as ourselves,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 51
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 6:10-15 (Monday)
Deuteronomy 28:58-29:1 (Tuesday)
Psalm 51 (Both Days)
Romans 12:17-21; 13:8-10 (Monday)
Acts 7:17-29 (Tuesday)
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Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good….Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves has fulfilled the law.
–Romans 12:17-21; 13:1, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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That is a worthy and difficult standard by which to live. The advice to remain faithful to God (or else, as in Deuteronomy) functions as a reminder of the consequences of actions; we reap whatsoever we sow. When we tether ourselves to idols, we enslave ourselves. Yet, when we obey God, we find liberation to love each other as effectively as possible.
As for me, the passage from Romans I have quoted highlights challenges with which I have struggled and continue to struggle. The desire for revenge is elemental. Yet, when one thinks rationally, one will realize that it is counterproductive. Nevertheless, seeking vengeance is easier to do than to seek justice–even reconciliation–or at least to lay down a grudge or to refrain from carrying one. As I admit my weakness, I pray in the words of Psalm 51, 3,
For I acknowledge my rebellion:
and my sin is ever before me.
—The Alternative Service Book 1980
What about you, O reader?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 5, 2015 COMMON ERA
PROPER 9: THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY ZACCARIA, FOUNDER OF THE BARNABITES AND THE ANGELIC SISTERS OF SAINT PAUL
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ADALBERO AND ULRIC OF AUGSBURG, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF H. RICHARD NIEBUHR, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST THEOLOGIAN
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/07/05/difficult-obedience-to-god/
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Above: Ramparts of Constantinople, Ottoman Empire, Between 1900 and 1920
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-15141
Spiritual Barriers
OCTOBER 30 and 31, 2023
NOVEMBER 1, 2023
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The Collect:
O Lord God, you are the holy lawgiver, you are the salvation of your people.
By your Spirit renew us in your covenant of love,
and train us to care tenderly for all our neighbors,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 51
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 20-25 (Monday)
Deuteronomy 10:10-22 (Tuesday)
Proverbs 119:41-48 (Wednesday)
Psalm 119:41-48 (All Days)
James 2:8-13 (Monday)
James 2:14-26 (Tuesday)
Matthew 19:16-22 (Wednesday)
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I shall continue to keep your law;
I shall keep it for ever and ever.
I will walk at liberty,
because I study your commandments.
–Psalm 119:44-45, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Rabbi Hillel summarized the Law of Moses by quoting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), the order to love Yahweh with all one’s heart, soul, and might. Then he said,
The rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
We humans require “hooks” onto which to “hang” information. Hillel pointed to an excellent one. Much of the information, in the Law of Moses, consists of culturally specific examples of timeless principles. Many interpreters of that code miss this point, hence continued legalism while missing the point. Some have become lost in the trees and cannot see the forest.
The readings for these three days combine to reinforce a few theological points:
- How we think of God influences how we think of people;
- How we think influences how we act;
- How we treat people matters to God;
- To have only abstract theology is insufficient;
- As I heard growing up, “our prayers must have feet;” and
- We must eliminate spiritual barriers to trusting God.
These six points overlap, for, if we fear scarcity, for example, we might hoard in our self-interest and thereby deprive others of necessities. God will notice that reality.
All of us have spiritual barriers. One barrier for the man in Matthew 19:16-22 was wealth, which has functioned in that capacity for many people for a long time. Fear of vulnerability is among the most common barriers. This applies to the rich man in Matthew 19 because his wealth insulated him from certain stresses and other problems. To overcome this fear is a great challenge, especially if one has acculturated in a setting which encourages rugged individualism. The truth, of course, is that we all rely on each other and depend entirely on God. Yet the illusion of independence and self-sufficiency remains as a major obstacle to trusting in God. May we, by grace, find liberation from all barriers which separate us from a deeper relationship with God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALL CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKERS AND PEACE ACTIVISTS
THE FEAST OF ALBERT SCHWEITZER, MEDICAL MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF PAUL JONES, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF UTAH AND WITNESS FOR PEACE
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Spiritual Barriers
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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