Archive for the ‘2 Corinthians 9’ Tag
Above: The Healing of the Ten Lepers, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
Gratitude
NOVEMBER 25, 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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Deuteronomy 8:1-20
Psalm 65
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Luke 17:11-19
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The heading of notes on Deuteronomy 8:1-20 in The Jewish Study Bible is
The temptation to pride and self-sufficiency in the land.
Indeed, pride and self-sufficiency are obstacles to thanking God.
We can never thank God enough. That is reality. So be it. They can look for reasons to thank God. They can be as mundane as lovely cloud formations and as extraordinary as a blessed and rare event. They can include, as in Luke 17:11-19, the opportunity to shake off stigma and rejoin one’s family and community. That seems extraordinary to me.
Were the other nine healed lepers not grateful? No. I propose that they may have been in a hurry to get back home as soon as possible. Saying “thank you” to Jesus would have been proper, though.
I draft this post in days of uncertainty. I am behaving responsibly and obeying orders to shelter in place during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Reasons for gratitude can be difficult to find, from a certain perspective. On the other hand, the light of God shines most brightly in the darkness. I have no challenge identifying reasons for gratitude.
I do not know what the circumstances of Thanksgiving Day will be 2020 (the year I draft this post), much less 2021 (the first year this post will be on the schedule) or any other year. I have no idea what will happen five seconds from now. I do know, however, that reasons for gratitude will exist, and that nobody should be too proud and labor under delusions of self-sufficiency to thank God for what God has done.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 2, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA, PATRIARCH; AND SAINT ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, PATRIARCH AND “FATHER OF ORTHODOXY”
THE FEAST OF CHARLES SILVESTER HORNE, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF CHARLES FRIEDRICH HASSE, GERMAN-BRITISH MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF JULIA BULKLEY CADY CORY, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIGISMUND OF BURGUNDY, KING; SAINT CLOTILDA, FRANKISH QUEEN; AND SAINT CLODOALD, FRANKISH PRINCE AND ABBOT
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/gratitude-part-v/
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Above: Traditional Site of the Feeding of the Five Thousand
Image Source = Library of Congress
Divine Extravagance
AUGUST 11, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Exodus 16:2-15 or 2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 53
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Mark 6:30-44
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Some say they have nothing or too little to give. Perhaps one cannot spare money, but one has something to give, thanks to the generosity of God. With God extravagance is the rule. Compared to God’s resources, of course, ours are meager. They are still important, though.
I dislike the category “supernatural.” The prefix “super” means “more than,” To call something supernatural is, therefore, to claim it is more than natural. But what if everything in the created order is natural? Some of them simply exceed our knowledge and understanding. Quail and manna are easily identifiable as natural; they are birds and crystalized insect excrement, respectively. The feeding of the Five Thousand+, found in four versions, one in each of the canonical Gospels, seems to be supernatural. According to my hypothesis, however, it is also natural.
The immoral, benighted fool of Psalms 14 and 53, the benighted fool of Psalms 14 and 53 thinks that God either does not care (in TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures, 1985) or is not present (Father Mitchell J. Dahood, 1968). Yet God is present and does care. God cares, for example, that people are hungry. God cares enough to multiply our puny gifts, regardless of the forms in which we offer them, and to leave leftovers.
That sounds like grace to me. Such divine extravagance demands human gratitude, evident in faithfulness.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 23, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRIDGET OF SWEDEN, FOUNDRESS OF THE ORDER OF THE MOST HIGH SAVIOR; AND HER DAUGHTER, SAINT CATHERINE OF SWEDEN, SUPERIOR OF THE ORDER OF THE MOST HIGH SAVIOR
THE FEAST OF ADELAIDE TEAGUE CASE, PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP EVANS AND JOHN LLOYD, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF THEODOR LILEY CLEMENS, ENGLISH MORAVIAN MINISTER, MISSIONARY, AND COMPOSER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/23/divine-extravagance/
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Above: Thanksgiving Day–The Dance, by Winslow Homer
Image in the Public Domain
Gratitude
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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Since antiquity and in cultures from many parts of the Earth harvest festivals have been occasions of thanksgiving. In the United States of America, where the first national observance of Thanksgiving occurred in 1863, the November date has related to the harvest feast in Plymouth in 1621. Prior to 1863 some U.S. states had an annual thanksgiving holiday, and there was a movement for the national holiday. Liturgically the occasion has remained tied to harvest festivals, although the meaning of the holiday has been broader since 1863. The Episcopal Church has observed its first Book of Common Prayer in 1789. Nationwide Thanksgiving Day has become part of U.S. civil religion and an element of commercialism, which might actually be the primary sect of civil religion in the United States. The Almighty Dollar attracts many devotees.
Too easily and often this holiday deteriorates into an occasion to gather with relatives while trying (often in vain) to avoid shouting matches about politics and/or religion, or to watch television, or to be in some other awkward situation. The holiday means little to me; I find it inherently awkward. This state of affairs is the result of my youth, when my family and I, without relatives nearby, witnessed many of our neighbors hold family reunions on the holiday. Thanksgiving Day, therefore, reminds me of my lifelong relative isolation.
Nevertheless, I cannot argue with the existence of occasions to focus on gratitude to God. The Bible teaches us in both Testaments that we depend entirely on God, depend on each other, are responsible to and for each other, and have no right to exploit each other. The key word is mutuality, not individualism. I embrace the focus on this ethos.
A spiritual practice I find helpful is to thank God throughout each day, from the time I awake to the time I go to bed. Doing so helps one recognize how fortunate one is. The electrical service is reliable. The breeze is pleasant. The sunset is beautiful. Reading is a great pleasure. The list is so long that one can never reach the end of it, but reaching the end of that list is not the goal anyway. No, the goal is to be thankful and to live thankfully.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS
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Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season,
and for the labors of those who harvest them.
Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty,
for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need,
to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Deuteronomy 8:1-3, 6-10 (17-20)
Psalm 65 or Psalm 65:9-14
James 1:17-18, 21-27
Matthew 6:25-33
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), 701
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Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day.
By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness,
give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Year A
Deuteronomy 8:7-18
Psalm 65
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Luke 17:11-19
Year B
Joel 2:21-27
Psalm 126
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Matthew 6:25-33
Year C
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 100
Philippians 4:4-9
John 6:25-35
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 61
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Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Philippians 4:6-20 or 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Luke 17:11-19
—Lutheran Service Book (2006), xxiii
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Originally published at SUNDRY THOUGHTS
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Above: An Illustration from Ralph Kirby, The Bible in Pictures (1952), Page 82
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
That Which Defiles
JUNE 28 and 29, 2021
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The Collect:
Almighty and merciful God,
we implore you to hear the prayers of your people.
Be our strong defense against all harm and danger,
that we may live and grow in faith and hope,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 41
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The Assigned Readings:
Leviticus 21:1-15 (Monday)
Leviticus 15:19-31 (Tuesday)
Psalm 88 (Both Days)
2 Corinthians 8:16-24 (Monday)
2 Corinthians 9:1-5 (Tuesday)
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But as for me, O LORD, I cry to you for help;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
–Psalm 88:14, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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What makes one unclean? What defiles a person? To use the germane Greek idiom, what makes a person common?
The Law of Moses lists offenses which make a person common. Today’s readings from Leviticus provide the following causes for defilement:
- Menstruation and contact with the discharge;
- Contact with discharged blood;
- Priestly contact with corpse, except that of a near relative;
- Priestly incest;
- Certain forms of grooming for priests;
- Priestly cutting of his own flesh;
- Priestly marriage to a harlot, a divorced woman, or a woman otherwise not a virgin on the day of the wedding to the priest;
- A priest’s daughter committing harlotry, thereby defiling her father and warranting her death; and
- Priestly baring of his head or rending of vestments.
The Law of Moses does not like female biology, does it?
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) includes a priest who refused to violate the third item on that list, for fear that the man lying by the side of the road might be dead. That priest would have become ritually unclean, therefore not fit to perform sacred rituals for a few days, according to Leviticus 21. The priest was not the hero of our Lord and Savior’s story.
What really makes one unclean, defiled? Jesus answered that question in Matthew 15:18-19:
But the things that come out of a man’s mouth come from his heart and mind, and it is they that really make a man unclean. For it is from a man’s mind that evil thoughts arise–murder, adultery, lust, theft, perjury, and slander.
–J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English–Revised Edition (1972)
Mark 7:15 contains a succinct statement:
There is nothing outside a man which can enter him and make him “common.” It is the things which come out of a man that make him “common”!
–J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English–Revised Edition (1972)
The list from Matthew 15 describes how to harm others and oneself in the process. Building up others (and therefore oneself in the process), as in the readings from 2 Corinthians, does the opposite of defiling one, therefore. The priest in the Parable of the Good Samaritan should have thought of that.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 27, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CHARLES VILLIERS SANFORD, COMPOSER, ORGANIST, AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF CHARLES HENRY BRENT, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF WESTERN NEW YORK
THE FEAST OF JOHN MARRIOTT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT RUPERT OF SALZBURG, APOSTLE OF BAVARIA AND AUSTRIA
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/03/27/that-which-defiles/
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Above: Design Drawing for Stained-Glass Window with Elijah
Image Source = Library of Congress
1 Kings and 2 Corinthians, Part VII: The Face of God
AUGUST 30 AND 31, 2023
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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 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.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Kings 12:20-13:5, 33-34 (August 30)
1 Kings 16:29-17:24 (August 31)
Psalm 86 (Morning–August 30)
Psalm 122 (Morning–August 31)
Psalms 6 and 19 (Evening–August 30)
Psalms 141 and 90 (Evening–August 31)
2 Corinthians 8:1-24 (August 30)
2 Corinthians 9:1-15 (August 31)
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The political narratives of the royal houses of Israel and Judah continue in 1 Kings 12-16. In the northern Kingdom of Israel, as the story goes, old habits of faithlessness continued and dynasties came and went. One of the more common means of becoming king was assassinating the previous one.
The narratives build up to the Omri Dynasty and the stories of the prophet Elijah. Today’s Elijah story concerns a drought, a desperately poor widow, and the raising of her son from the dead. God, via Elijah, provided for the widow. That story dovetails nicely with 2 Corinthians 8-9, with its mention of fundraising for Jerusalem Christians and exhortation to generosity, cheerful giving, and trusting in God to provide that which one can give to help others. In other words, we are to be the face of God to each other. When God helps others, one of us might be a vehicle for that aid.
To whom is God sending you, O reader? And which person or persons is God sending to you?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 15, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM PROXMIRE, UNITED STATES SENATOR
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/1-kings-and-2-corinthians-part-vii-the-face-of-god/
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Above: A Trappist Monk Praying
Image Source = Daniel Tibi
Not For the Sake of Appearances
JUNE 21, 2023
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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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2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (An American Translation):
Remember this: The man who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and the man who sows generously will reap generously. Everyone must give what he has made up his mind to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion; God loves a man who is glad to give. God is able to provide with every blessing in abundance so that you will always have enough for every situation, and ample means for every good enterprise: as the Scripture says,
He scatters his gifts to the poor;
His uprightness will never be forgotten.
He who supplies the sower with seed and so with bread to eat will supply you with seed, and multiply it and enlarge the harvest of your uprightness. You will grow rich in every way, so that through me you can show perfect liberality that will make men thank God for it.
Psalm 112:1-9 (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 trust is established and will not shrink,
until they see their 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.
Matthew 6:1-18 (An American Translation):
[Jesus continued,] “But take care not to do your good deeds in public for people to see, for, if you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you are going to give to charity, do not blow a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and the streets, to make people praise them. I tell you, that this is all the reward they will get! But when you give to charity, your own left hand must now know what your right hand is doing, so that your charity may be secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.
When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they like to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the squares, to let people see them. I tell you, that is all the reward they will get! But when you pray, go into your own room, and shut the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not repeat empty phrases as the heathen do, for they imagine that their prayers will be heard if they use words enough. You must not be like them. For God, who is your Father, knows what you need before you ask him. This, therefore, is the way you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Your name be revered!
Your kingdom come!
Your will be done
On earth as well as in heaven!
Give us today bread for the day,
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.
And do not subject us to temptation,
But save us from the evil one.
For if you forgive others when they offend you, your heavenly Father will forgive you too. But if you do not forgive others when they offend you, your heavenly Father will not forgive you for your offenses.
When you fast, do not put on a gloomy look, like the hypocrites, for they neglect their personal appearance to let people see that they are fasting. I tell you, that is all the reward they will get. But when you fast, perfume your hair and wash your face, that no one may see that you are fasting, except your Father who is unseen, and your Father who sees what is secret, will reward you.”
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The Collect:
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Sincerity is the heart of this day’s readings. It is not enough to do the right thing, such as to pray, fast, or give alms; no, one must do these for the right reason(s). These include the following:
- One is grateful and devoted to God.
- One seeks to obey God’s commands faithfully.
- One is filled with genuine concern for others.
- One seeks one’s own spiritual improvement.
And none of this praying, fasting, and giving of alms must be for show.
Multiple Hebrew texts teach the divine imperative of caring for the less fortunate. Aside from this day’s psalm, I think immediately of Deuteronomy 15:7-11, which Paul references. There are also too many passages from the Hebrew prophets to quote here and to remain succinct. The Bible does teach a divine preference for the poor and condemnation of those who keep them that way and exploit them.
Many or most of us can recall incidents of politicians who rarely attend church becoming Sunday morning regulars during weeks preceding an election. Attending church is good, of course, but we must do this sincerely, not for show. Going to keep up appearances is inadequate. I have never sought public office, but I can recall a few times I have attended church out of habit but, for my sake and that of others, should have stayed home that day. My heart was not in it. To refer to a line from the previous day’s reading from Matthew, I was not ready to make offering to God.
Neither should prayer be for show, or vain. The Reverend Roger Williams, Puritan minister, founder of Rhode Island, and founder of the oldest Baptist congregation in the United States, objected strenuously to anyone (especially, in his case, the government of the Massachusetts Bay colony) compelling someone to pray involuntarily. The only prayers worth anything, he said, are those offered sincerely and voluntarily.
Praying and fasting had become outward signs of respectability for certain professional religious people in Jesus’ day. These men did not sacrifice anything when they fasted, which they did often. Oddly enough, fasting was a luxury for them. And one might recall the parable of Jesus in which two men pray in the Temple. One is a humble tax collector beseeching God for mercy, and the other is a Pharisee who boasts of his deeds and who has contempt on the tax collector. Jesus favored the prayer of the tax collector.
As to the matter of vain words, let us not think that simplicity of worship equals sincerity of it. Anyone can go through the motions, regardless of the number of them. If you attend a church with a regular pattern of Sunday worship, no matter how simple it might be, you go to a liturgical church. I attend an Episcopal parish, so I go through a fairly elaborate weekly pattern of worship. I would use a Prayer Book except for the fact that I have memorized Holy Eucharist Rite II over the years. My words have been vain only on those days that I, for personal reasons, would have been better off staying home. My heart has not always been in it.
Consider the following twice-told story:
There was a community worship service in a county seat town in the U.S. South. The host congregation for this service was the First Baptist Church, and most of the local ministers helped lead the worship. When the host pastor introduced the local Episcopal priest, who was to say a prayer, the Southern Baptist minister said, “Now Father Jones will say one of his written prayers.” The priest walked to the pulpit and said, “Let us pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name….”
Sincerity in prayer expresses itself in many ways. I know through reading that different styles of prayer appeal to various personality types, for example. So one size does not fit all. And the South Georgia Baptist cadence I heard while growing up does not appeal to me. No, give me a Prayer Book any day. I mean that sincerely.
All of these lessons from Matthew flow naturally out of the end of Chapter 5 and the command of Jesus to be perfect (that is, suited to one’s intended purpose), just as God is. Think about it: What does ostentation benefit anyone spiritually? Can it prepare one for service to God and others? No, of course not! So let us be sensitive and sincere. May we think more about others and God than ourselves. Sincere and sensitive actions will from such attitudes.
KRT
http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/not-for-the-sake-of-appearances/
ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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