Archive for the ‘Mitchell J. Dahood’ Tag
Above: David and Goliath
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
OCTOBER 17, 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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1 Samuel 17:1-49 or Jeremiah 32:1-15
Psalm 110
Romans 11:22-36
Luke 16:19-31
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[Yahweh] smote kings in the day of his wrath,
he routed nations;
he heaped corpses high,
He smote heads across a vast terrain.
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The key term for this post comes from Romans 11:22–
the kindness and severity of God,
as The Revised English Bible (1989) renders that verse. That is another way of saying “judgment and mercy.” That which we call judgment or wrath of God is frequently the proverbial chickens coming home to roost. As logicians remind us,
If x, then y.
That formula can also work so that y is positive.
One can draw a variety of lessons from these readings. The lessons include:
- Never be insensitive to human suffering. (Luke 16)
- Never think that other people exist to do one’s bidding. (Luke 16)
- Never forget that one is vulnerable, regardless of how imposing one may be or seem. (1 Samuel 17)
- Never oppress. (1 Samuel 17)
- Never think oneself wiser than one is. (Romans 11)
- Never lose hope, regardless of how dark the times are or seem to be. (Jeremiah 32)
After all, God is just/righteous. Divine judgment and mercy, balanced, are expressions of God’s justice/righteousness.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 28, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAROSLAV VAJDA, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOZEF CEBULA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1941
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILIUS OF SULMONA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND ALMSGIVER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CHANEL, PROTOMARTYR OF OCEANIA, 1841
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM STRINGFELLOW, EPISCOPAL ATTORNEY, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/28/judgment-and-mercy-part-xviii/
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Above: The Grief of Hannah
Image in the Public Domain
Rhapsodic Faith
AUGUST 15, 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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1 Samuel 1:1-20 or Jeremiah 14:1-22
Psalm 101
Romans 5:12-21
Luke 11:27-36
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Your love and justice will I sing,
to you, Yahweh, will I chant,
I will rhapsodize about your dominion complete.
When will you come to me?
–Psalm 101:1b-2a, Mitchell J. Dahood (1970)
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The Psalter in The Book of Common Prayer (1979) renders the third line quoted above as,
I will strive to follow a blameless course…
The germane notes in Dahood’s third (of three) volumes on the Book of Psalms for The Anchor Bible series cite Hebrew words and linguistic nuances to justify his choice of translation. Part of the pleasure of reading Dahood on the Psalms is studying, after a fashion, under a master of his field–in his case, ancient Semitic languages. I recommend purchasing his three volumes on the Psalms if one seeks to study the Book of Psalms deeply.
Part of the Hebrew text of Psalm 101 can legitimately read in English as,
I will strive to follow a blameless course,
and as,
I will rhapsodize about your dominion complete.
Think about that, O reader. One rendering focuses on deeds; the other zeroes in on joyfulness and singing. No single English-translation can capture the richness of the Hebrew text.
The attitude of the Psalmist, like that of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-20, contrasts with that of the wicked people and generations in the other assigned readings.
- Human nature is flawed; that is obvious to me. Human depravity is not even an article of faith for me; I need no faith to accept that for which I have evidence.
- Sadly, false prophets (frequently supporting a political establishment) remain with us. One may read of the false prophets in the Book of Jeremiah and think readily of some of some of their contemporary counterparts.
- The quest for signs indicates faithlessness. Furthermore, human memories and attention spans can be fleeting. Consider, O reader, John 6. One reads of the Feeding of the Five Thousand in the first fifteen verses. One also reads in verse 30, set on the following day, “Then what sign will you do, that we may see, and believe you?”
May we, by grace, pay attention. May we mark, learn, and inwardly digest the law of of God. May we find that law written on our hearts. Then may we rejoice. May we rhapsodize consistently and strive to follow a blameless course. And may we succeed, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 19, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALPHEGE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND MARTYR, 1012
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF SAINT EMMA OF LESUM, BENEFACTOR
THE FEAST OF MARY C. COLLINS, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF OLAVUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, HISTORIAN, LITURGIST, MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH LITERATURE;” AND HIS BROTHER, LAURENTIUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN ARCHBISHOP OF UPPSALA, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH HYMNODY”
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/rhapsodic-faith/
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Above: Jezebel and Ahab, by Frederic Leighton
Image in the Public Domain
God, the Only Proper Center
SEPTEMBER 29, 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 33:12-23 or 1 Kings 21:1-24
Psalm 61:1-5, 8
Hebrews 4:14-5:5, 7-9
Mark 9:14-29
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According to Psalms 14 and 53, the fool/benighted man, an amoral person, thinks incorrectly that God either does not care (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures, 1985) or is absent (Mitchell J. Dahood, 1968). The erroneous assumption of the fool/benighted man is that God either does not want to answer prayers or cannot do so. Therefore, from that perspective, one must and can rely on one’s own powers and devices. This is the root of evil.
God does care. God is present. God does answer prayers. Sometimes the answer is “no,” which we may not like. God loves us, but is not our vending machine.
St. Augustine of Hippo wrote,
We pray that we may believe and believe that we may pray.
We can simultaneously have faith and doubts. I know this spiritual state. Perhaps you do, too, O reader. We can have enough faith to pray yet not enough to assume that God will answer as we desire. To anyone who knows this spiritual state, I say,
Welcome to the human race. You stand in the company of the communion of saints.
When we cannot pray, or be mindful of God, yet want to do so, we are not bereft. That desire is a solid beginning, a foundation on which God can build.
We err when we place ourselves–individually and/or collectively–in the center of theology and spirituality. God is the only proper center.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 25, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/god-the-only-proper-center/
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Above: Elijah in the Wilderness, by Washington Allston
Image in the Public Domain
Signs
SEPTEMBER 22, 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 32:1-14 or 1 Kings 19:1-15
Psalm 59:1-5, 16-17
Hebrews 4:1-13
Mark 8:22-33
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Yahweh, God of Hosts, God of Israel!
Awake to punish all the nations,
show no mercy to wicked traitors.
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That attitude is consistent with God’s Plan A in Exodus 32, after the idolatry and apostasy at the base of the mountain. Aaron’s poor excuse still makes me laugh, though.
So I said to them, “Whoever has gold, take it off! They gave it to me and I hurled it into the fire and out came this calf!
–Exodus 32:24, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Exodus and Mark contain stories of dramatic, powerful encounters with God. We read of visual and tactile experiences. We also read of short-lived faithfulness, of much grumbling, of obliviousness, of recognition followed by official denial, and of fidelity.
The juxtaposition of the formerly blind man (Mark 8:22-26) and the obliviousness of St. Simon Peter (Mark 8:32-33) highlights the spiritual blindness of the latter man. The stories also challenge us to ponder our spiritual blindness.
Even Elijah, who had recently confronted the prophets of Baal Peor then presided over their slaughter (1 Kings 18), had to deal with his spiritual blindness. While hiding from Queen Jezebel and feeling sorry for himself, he encountered God, who, in that context, revealed self not in dramatic ways (as Baal Peor would have done), but in a still, small voice, or, as The New Jerusalem Bible (1985) renders the text,
a light murmuring sound.
Do we fail to notice messages from God because we seek dramatic signs?
Sometimes, in the Gospels, one reads of Jesus performing a miracle, followed by people demanding a sigh. One’s jaw should drop. One should seek God for the correct reasons and not become attached to dramatic signs. God whispers sometimes. God whispers to us, to those similar to us, and to those quite different from us. God judges and forgives. Signs are abundant. How many do we notice?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 25, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/signs-part-ii/
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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: Icon of the Holy Trinity, by Andrei Rublev
Image in the Public Domain
Little Less Than Divine
JUNE 4, 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 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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Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 28:16-20
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Trinity Sunday is the creation of Bishop Stephen of Liege (in office 903-920). The feast, universal in Roman Catholicism since 1334 by the order of Pope John XXII, is, according to the eminent Lutheran liturgist Philip H. Pfatteicher, author of the Commentary on the Lutheran Book of Worship (1990), not so much about a doctrine but
the now completed mystery of salvation, which is the work of the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.
–page 301
Famously the word “Trinity” appears nowhere in the Bible, and no single verse or passage gives us that doctrine. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the result of much debate, some fistfights, ecumenical councils, Roman imperial politics, and the pondering of various passages of scripture. The conclusion of 2 Corinthians and Matthew are two of those passages. Perhaps the best summary of that process in the fourth chapter in Karen Armstrong‘s A History of God (1994).
I, being aware that a set of heresies has its origin in pious attempts to explain the Trinity, refrain from engaging in any of those heresies or creating a new one. No, I stand in awe of the mystery of God and affirm that the Trinity is as close to an explanation as we humans will have. We cannot understand the Trinity, and God, I assume, is more than that.
The great myth in Genesis 1:1-2:4a, itself a modified version of the Enuma Elish, affirms, among other key theological concepts, (1) the goodness of creation and (2) the image of God in human beings. We are not an afterthought. No, we are the pinnacle of the created order. These themes carry over into Psalm 8. The standard English-language translation of one verse (which one it is depends on the versification in the translation one reads) is that God has created us slightly lower than the angels. That is a mistranslation. TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985) renders the germane passage as
little less than divine.
The Anchor Bible (1965) translation by Mitchell J. Dahood reads
a little less than the gods.
The Hebrew word is Elohim, originally a reference to the council of gods, and therefore a remnant of a time before Jews were monotheists. An alternative translation is English is
a little lower than God,
which is better than
a little lower than the angels.
Studies of religious history should teach one that Elohim eventually became a synonym for YHWH.
“Little less than divine” seems like an optimistic evaluation of human nature when I consider the past and the present, especially when I think about environmental destruction and human behavior. But what if Pfatteicher is correct? What if the work of salvation is complete? What if the image of God is a great portion of our nature than the actions of many of us might indicate?
In Christ we can have liberation to become the people we ought to be. In Christ we can achieve our spiritual potential–for the glory of God and the benefit of others.
May we, by grace, let the image of God run loose.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 13, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CLIFFORD BAX, POET, PLAYWRIGHT, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT EUGENIUS OF CARTHAGE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF JOHANNES RENATUS VERBEEK, MORAVIAN MINISTER AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF PETER RICKSEEKER, U.S. MORAVIAN MINISTER, MISSIONARY, MUSICIAN, MUSIC EDUCATOR, AND COMPOSER; STUDENT OF JOHANN CHRISTIAN BECHLER, MORAVIAN MINISTER , MUSICIAN, MUSIC EDUCATOR, AND COMPOSER; FATHER OF JULIUS THEODORE BECHLER, U.S. MORAVIAN MINISTER, MUSICIAN, EDUCATOR, AND COMPOSER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/07/13/little-less-than-divine/
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Above: Temple of Solomon
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
The Apocalyptic Discourse, Part I
JULY 16, 2023
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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:
Jeremiah 7:1-15 or Daniel 2:1-49
Psalm 17:8-14 (15) or Psalm 83
Matthew 24:1-8 or Mark 13:1-8
1 Corinthians 7:1-40
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Timothy Matthew Slemmons, creator of the Year D project and author of the book in which I find the citations for this series of devotions, sets aside five Sundays for “the Apocalyptic Discourse,” which precedes “the Prelude to the Passion” (four Sundays) and “the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” (ten Sundays), which leads directly into Christ the King Sunday. This arrangement presents an opportunity to delve into material usually ignored, minimized, or squeezed into Holy Week.
Holy rituals and the Temple at Jerusalem are not protective talismans that shield us as we commit idolatry, oppress the vulnerable, victimize foreigners, shed the blood of the innocent at holy places, commit adultery, steal, and/or murder, Jeremiah says. He and other Hebrew prophets agree that proper worship of God entails not just correct ritual but good morality; the first without the second is a mockery of God and the ritual. Do not trust too much in the Temple, Jeremiah says. Jesus makes a similar statement about that Temple’s successor. Both buildings will cease to exist in time, we read.
They did.
The apocalyptic theme continues. In Daniel the quality of material in the statue from the dream becomes progressively less impressive. The world of human beings, with their military-based empires, degrades. One should not trust much in those either. Neither should one put much stock in marriage, according to St. Paul the Apostle. According to St. Paul in 1 Corinthians, marriage is a cause for anxiety and distraction from a spiritual orientation during the last days (which he thought were in progress), but at least it is preferable to sinning.
Where, then, should one place one’s trust? In God, of course. The two options for this psalm this Sunday are pleas for divine vindication and destruction of one’s enemies (in contrast to the treatment of the Aramean raiders in 2 Kings 6:8-23). In Year D (2013) Slemmons emphasizes Psalm 83, with,
Cover their faces with shame, O LORD,
that they may seek your Name.
–Verse 16, The Book of Common Prayer (1979),
a rendering, with some variations, common to many translations. Yet, as I read Psalm 83, I notice that
that they may seek your Name
is out-of-place with the rest of the text, which pleads for their destruction. One might explain this inconsistency by pointing out that human beings are frequently inconsistent, holding two mutually exclusive opinions simultaneously. The translation by the late Mitchell J. Dahood, an eminent scholar of Semitic languages, for The Anchor Bible, tilts toward
a coherent exegesis within the immediate context
—Psalms II (1968), page 277,
and renders the verse in question thusly:
Fill their faces with shame,
and let your Name, Yahweh, avenge itself.
As a Presbyterian minister I know says,
Translating Hebrew is a bear.
Certainly the apocalyptic mindset and genre thrives during times of difficulty, especially oppression. We humans tend to seek the destruction of our foes anyway, but more so during times of oppression. I understand that the deliverance of the righteous by God might entail the destruction of the wicked, especially at times when the oppressors insist on oppressing and not repenting, but the story of capturing Aramean raiders, treating them kindly before repatriating them (2 Kings 6) sticks in my memory. As I wrote in the post in which I dealt with that account, how we treat others–especially our enemies–is really about who we are, not who they are.
So who are we?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/the-apocalyptic-discourse-part-i/
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Above: Christ Pantocrator
Image in the Public Domain
Missing the Point, Part II
JUNE 25, 2023
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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:
Isaiah 29:1-24 or 59:1-21
Psalm 55
Matthew 15:1-20 or Mark 7:1-20
1 Timothy 4:1-6
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But you, O God, will make them descend to the sludgy Pit.
Let not men of idols and figurines live out their days.
For my part, I trust in you.
–Psalm 55:24, Mitchell J. Dahood, Psalms II (1968)
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A recurring theme in the Psalms is the sliminess of Sheol. That is the kind of detail one can learn from Biblical scholars.
Those “men of idols and figurines” missed the point. All evildoers who think vainly that God does not know their plans have missed the point. Those who perpetuate social injustice and imagine that God has not noticed have missed the point. Those who obsess over minor details of ritual purity laws while condoning the practice of denying necessary funds to people have missed the point. (This is an echo of a theme from certain Hebrew prophets.) Those who teach deceitful doctrines have missed the point.
One might miss the point for any one of a set of reasons. One might be one of the blind led by other blind people and worse, leading other blind people, to borrow and expand upon a figure of speech from the Gospels. One might be defending tradition as one understands God to have handed it down, as in 1 Timothy 4. One might not care about not missing the point. Or one might be self-serving and prone to interpreting morality through that distorted lens.
Heresies are legion, as they have been for a very long time. A few generalizations regarding them are worth pondering:
- Objective religious truth exists. For lack of a better name, let us call it God.
- The degree to which we can know doctrinal truth is restricted, due to the fact that we are mere mortals.
- The definition of orthodoxy changes over time, even within any given ecclesiastical institution. Consider, for example, O reader, the evolution of theology in Roman Catholicism. Some of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, who were orthodox in their time, became heretics ex post facto.
- Objective truth does not change.
- Many heresies began as attempts to pronounce orthodoxy in specific circumstances.
- Every person is somebody’s heretic.
- Every person is somewhat heretical.
We are left to do our best, trusting in God’s grace and commanded to love one another. Christ is our Savior and exemplar. The historical figure known as Jesus of Nazareth was the incarnate form of the Second Person of the Trinity, however that worked. To be a Christian is to follow Christ, who not only spoke of loving one’s neighbors but modeled that behavior, even unto death.
Jesus did not miss the point.
By grace, may we not miss it either.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 16, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF GUSTAF AULEN, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT FILIP SIPHONG ONPHITHAKT, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN THAILAND
THE FEAST OF MAUDE DOMINICA PETRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MODERNIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF RALPH ADAMS CRAM AND RICHARD UPJOHN, ARCHITECTS; AND JOHN LAFARGE, SR., PAINTER AND STAINED GLASS MAKER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/missing-the-point-part-ii/
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Above: Christ Pantocrator
Image in the Public Domain
Signs
AUGUST 10-12, 2023
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The Collect:
O God our defender, storms rage around and within us and cause us to be afraid.
Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons daughters from fear,
and preserve us in the faith of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 44
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Kings 18:1-16 (Thursday)
1 Kings 18:17-19, 30-40 (Friday)
1 Kings 18:41-46 (Saturday)
Psalm 85:8-13 (All Days)
Acts 17:10-15 (Thursday)
Acts 18:24-28 (Friday)
Matthew 16:1-4 (Saturday)
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Favor your land, Yahweh,
restore the fortunes of Jacob!
Forgive the guilt of your people,
remit all their sin!
Withdraw all your fury,
abate your blazing wrath!
–Psalm 85:2-4, Mitchell Dahood, The Anchor Bible, Volume 17: Psalms II: 51-100 (1968)
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The theology of the narrative in 1 Kings 18 holds that God is in control of nature and that the long drought is a form of divine punishment for idolatry. At the beginning of the chapter the drought has entered its third year. At the end of the chapter, after the slaughter of the priests of Baal, the drought is over. 1 Kings 18 contains at least three signs–drought, the consumption of Elijah’s offering, and the end of the drought.
The greatest sign in all of the Bible was the incarnation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity as Jesus of Nazareth. Our Lord and Savior performed many miracles, some even over long distances. Were those signs insufficient? Some Pharisees and Sadducees, whose sects were traditional adversaries, acted as if these impressive signs were irrelevant and insufficient. Maybe they chose not to believe because of the high costs to them in the realms of economics, politics, psychology, and social status. Whatever their reasons for rejecting Jesus, their question was insincere. Not even the sign of Jonah–a reference to the death and Resurrection of Jesus–convinced them, for they had made up their minds. They did not want facts to confuse them. St. Paul the Apostle got into legal trouble with such people within living memory of the Resurrection.
God, it seems, send signs at the times and in the ways of God’s own choosing. Often these times and methods are far from those we expect, so that reality upsets us. Furthermore, the content of these signs upsets our apple carts, threatens our identities, and calls into question some of our most beloved establishments much of the time. Consider Jesus, O reader. His mere newborn existence proved sufficient to unnerve a tyrant, Herod the Great. Later, when Jesus spoke and acted, he called into question the Temple system, which exploited the masses economically and aided and abetted the Roman imperial occupation. In so doing Our Lord and Savior crossed paths with Roman authorities and questioned a system which gave some people economic benefits, psychological reinforcement, and social status, none of which they wanted to surrender.
The signs of Jesus continue to challenge us in concrete examples from daily life. Have we excluded or marginalized anyone wrongly? The words and deeds of Jesus confront us with our sin. Have we exploited others economically or made excuses for an economically exploitative or related practices? The words and deeds of Jesus confront us with our sin. Have we favored the security of empire and/or military might over the freedom which comes from trusting God? The words and deeds of Jesus confront us with our sin. They also call us to repent–to change our mind, to turn around–and offer forgiveness when we do, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 8, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BETTY FORD, U.S. FIRST LADY AND ADVOCATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE FEAST OF ALBERT RHETT STUART, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT GRIMWALD, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/07/20/signs/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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