Archive for the ‘Mutuality’ Tag
Above: A Vineyard
Image in the Public Domain
Tenants, Not Landlords
OCTOBER 15, 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 5:1-7
Psalm 80:7-14 (LBW) or Psalm 118:19-24 (LW)
Philippians 3:12-21
Matthew 21:33-43
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Our Lord Jesus, you have endured
the doubts and foolish questions of every generation.
Forgive us for trying to be judge over you,
and grant us the confident faith to acknowledge you as Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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O God, whose almighty power is made known chiefly
in showing mercy and pity,
grant us the fullness of your grace
that we may be partakers of your heavenly treasures;
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), 84
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The Bible moves past preaching and immediately starts meddling. Good! It ought to do this.
The vineyard is an image of the people of God in the Bible. In Isaiah 5, the image of vineyard full of wild (literally, noxious) grapes condemns the population doomed to suffer exile and occupation. Psalm 80 likens the people of Israel to a vine and prays for the restoration of Israel in the midst of exile. The Parable of the Tenants condemns fruitless religious authority figures–a timeless warning.
That parable also quotes Psalm 119 when the Matthean text refers to the cornerstone the builders had rejected. The cornerstone is a messianic theme, as in Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; and Zechariah 3:9; 4:7. For other applications of the cornerstone to Jesus, read Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:4f; Ephesians 2:20; and 1 Corinthians 3:11.
Years ago, I had a discouraging conversation with a female student at the college where I taught. She told me before class one day that she did not care about what happened to and on the Earth, for her citizenship was in Heaven. I vainly attempted to persuade her to care. Her attitude contradicted the Law of Moses, the witness of the Hebrew prophets, the teachings of Jesus, and the epistles–Judaism and Christianity, in other words.
The Golden Rule requires us–collectively and individually–to care for and about each other and the planet. Judaism and Christianity teach that people are stewards–not owners–of the planet. (God is the owner.) The state of ecology indicates that we are terrible stewards, overall. The lack of mutuality during the COVID-19 pandemic proves that many people do not give a damn about others and the common good.
God remains God. God still cares. God cannot exist without caring. That should comfort many people and terrify many others. Divine judgment and mercy remain in balance.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 18, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ARTEMISIA BOWDEN, AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDUCATOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF ERDMANN NEUMEISTER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS JOHN MCCONNELL, U.S. METHODIST BISHOP AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF JONATHAN FRIEDRICH BAHNMAIER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF PETTER DASS, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Jeremiah, from the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo Buonaroti
Image in the Public Domain
Blessedness in Persecution
SEPTEMBER 10, 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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Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 26 (LBW) or Psalm 119:105-112 (LW)
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:21-26
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O God, we thank you for your Son,
who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world.
Humble us by his example,
point us to the path of obedience,
and give us strength to follow his commands;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
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Lord of all power and might, Author and Giver of all good things,
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and bring forth in us the fruit of good works;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 78
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The assigned readings for this Sunday speak of obeying God and suffering for doing so. Recall, O reader, the fate of the prophet Jeremiah–involuntary exile in Egypt. Consider, too, the crucifixion of Jesus. And, given that I publish this post on the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, consider the execution of that saint.
Persecution of the Church was usually intermittent in Roman times. Empire-wide persecutions were rare. Regional persecutions came and went. Yet the pall of persecution–actual or possible–hung over the writing of the New Testament. The Church was young, small, and growing. Pulling together in mutuality was good advice.
It remains good advice. No bad context for mutuality exists. Reading past Romans 12:8, every day is a good day to avoid evil, to practice brotherly love, to regard others as more important than oneself, to work conscientiously with an eager spirit, to be joyful in hope, to persevere in hardship, to pray regularly, to share with those in need, and to seek opportunities, to be hospitable.
The results of taking up one’s cross and following Jesus are predictable, in general terms. Details vary according to circumstances. To take up one’s cross and follow Jesus is to reorder one’s priorities so that they become Jesus’s priorities. Doing so invites an adverse reaction from agents of the morally upside-down world order, constrained by conventional wisdom.
Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
–Matthew 5:11-12, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Who can make the point better than that?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 24, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
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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: Ancient City of Laodicea
Image Source = Google Earth
Wealth as an Idol
AUGUST 21, 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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Genesis 8:1-13 or Acts 26:1, 9-23, 27-29, 31-32
Psalm 132:1-5, 11-18
Revelation 3:14-22
John 8:31-47
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Laodicea was a wealthy city, a center of the refining of gold, the manufacture of garments, and the manufacture of a popular salve for eyes. The church in that city was also wealthy, not on Christ. Jesus said to keep his commandments. St. Paul the Apostle relied on Christ.
As I have written many times, deeds reveal creeds. To quote Proverbs, as a man thinks, he is. And as one thinks, one does. God is like what God had done and does, in Jewish theology. Likewise, we are like what we have done and do.
Are we like the Laodicean congregation? Are we lukewarm? Are we comfortable, resting on our own laurels and means? Do we have the luxury of being that way? (FYI: “We” can refer either to congregations or to individuals.)
Wealth is not the problem. No, wealth is morally neutral. Relationships to wealth are not morally neutral. To the extent that a person or a congregation may rely on wealth, not God, one makes wealth an idol.
There was once a man who owned a large tract of land. He enjoyed boasting about how much land he owned. One day, the landowner was bragging to another man:
I can get in my truck early in the morning and start driving around the edge of my property. Late in the day, I haven’t gotten home yet.
The other man replied,
I used to have a truck like that, too.
The Bible burst the proverbial balloons of those who trust in their wealth, not in God. Aside from Revelation 3:14-22, one may think readily of the Gospel of Luke and various Hebrew prophets, for example. One may also quote 1 Timothy 6:10 (The Jerusalem Bible, 1966):
The love of money is the root of all evils and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls to any number of fatal wounds.
One may also quote Luke 6, in which the poor are blessed (verse 20), but the rich are having their consolation now (verse 24).
Wealth is morally neutral. Relationships to it are not. May we always trust in God and acknowledge our duties to one another, in mutuality, under God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 21, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MIROCLES OF MILAN AND EPIPHANIUS OF PAVIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ALBAN ROE AND THOMAS REYNOLDS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, 1642
THE FEAST OF EDGAR J. GOODSPEED, U.S. BAPTIST BIBLICAL SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN YI YON-ON, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN KOREA, 1867
THE FEAST OF W. SIBLEY TOWNER, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/21/wealth-as-an-idol/
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This is post #1000 of ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS.
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Above: Icon of Noah’s Ark
Image in the Public Domain
The Peace of God
JULY 31, 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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Genesis 6:9-22 or Acts 22:21-30
Psalm 127
Revelation 2:18-29
John 6:60-71
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Context matters.
Thyatira was a frontier city and a center of commerce. Idolatry was also commonplace, as in meat sacrificed to false deities. St. Paul the Apostle had addressed other churches regarding this matter. He recognized that, given the non-existence of those gods and goddesses, one could, in good conscience, eat meat sacrificed to them. St. Paul the Apostle also treated that matter cautiously. He knew that many people, still strongly influenced by their culture, did not know that there was only one God.
Whether to consume meat offered to idols remained an issue for many Christians. In my cultural context, however, that is a non-issue. Nevertheless, the question of what an equivalent issue in my time and place may be germane.
Ernest Lee Stoffel, in The Dragon Bound: The Revelation Speaks to Our Time (1981), wrote about improper compromises the Church makes with culture–an evergreen issue. The Church made unacceptable compromises with culture during the age of Christendom. The Church of 2021, increasingly on the margins of society in places where it used to be prominent, has continued to face the pressure to make improper compromises.
May we of the Church be careful, both collectively and individually. May we avoid mistaking being serial contrarians for being faithful disciples of Jesus. The larger culture is not wrong about everything.
And may we never lose faith that God is in charge. God still cares about us and remains with us. We may or may not receive protection from unfortunate events. Nevertheless, God will be with us. we still depend entirely on God. We continue to depend on each other and to be responsible to and for each other. Together, with God’s help, we will come through storms of life, even if they consume us physically, emotionally, and/or economically.
Consider Jesus and St. Paul the Apostle, O reader. Both of them suffered terribly. St. Paul died as a martyr. Jesus died on a cross. (He did not remain dead for long, of course.) As Daniel Berrigan (1921-2016) said, Christians should look good on wood.
I have heard of certain Evangelical megachurches without a cross in sight. Crosses are depressing, some people have explained. How do such people think Jesus felt?
The servant is not greater than the master.
The peace of God, it is no peace,
But strife closed in the sod.
Yet, brothers, pray for but one thing:
The marvelous peace of God.
–William Alexander Percy (1885-1942), 1924; quoted in Pilgrim Hymnal (1958), #340
Amen.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 18, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE CONFESSION OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/the-peace-of-god-part-ii/
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Above: Figs, by Giovanna Garzoni
Image in the Public Domain
Mutuality in God
JUNE 10, 2018
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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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Amos 8:1-12 or Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 119:1-8, 12-16
1 Timothy 5:17-25
John 3:1-21
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The evildoers in Amos 8 were dishonest. They lived to cheat people and to exploit those who were vulnerable and less fortunate. These evildoers were, in terms of Proverbs 9, absent from Lady Wisdom’s banquet. No, they attended Lady Folly’s banquet. These evildoers, in terms of Psalm 119, did not have blameless ways and did not walk in the Law of God.
I seek to be clear, as Amos 8:4f is clear. Some people seek to obey the divinely-imposed ethical mandates vis-à-vis mutuality yet get some details wrong. Amos 8:4f does not condemn such people. No, it condemns those who are not even trying to obey divine law, to respect God in their fellow human beings.
Such dishonest people have always been with us, unfortunately.
A lifestyle of mutuality seeks to bring out the best in others. It strives to build the common good, therefore to respect the image of God each person bears. This effort glorifies God. May we humans love one another. May we love God, too. May we seek to build each other up, not to build ourselves up at the expense of others. May we glorify God, not ourselves.
This is what we should do, after all.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 2, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF JOHANN KONRAD WILHELM LOEHE, BAVARIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, AND COORDINATOR OF DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MISSIONS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS NARCISSUS, ARGEUS, AND MARCELLINUS OF TOMI, ROMAN MARTYRS, 320
THE FEAST OF SAINT ODILO OF CLUNY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SABINE BARING-GOULD, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2021/01/02/devotion-for-the-seventh-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-d-humes/
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/02/mutuality-in-god-vi/
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Above: Nicodemus Coming to Jesus, by Henry Ossawa Turner
Image in the Public Domain
Salvation and Damnation
JUNE 3, 2018
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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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Amos 7:1-17 or Proverbs 8:1-21
Psalm 118:14-29
1 Timothy 5:1-16
John 3:1-21
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Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance in the Old and New Testaments. They find balance in Jesus in John 3. Those who reject the light condemn themselves to the darkness. God sends nobody to Hell. All who go there send themselves. We read of the impending doom of the northern Kingdom of Israel in Amos 7. In that passage, we also read that God is in judgment mode.
Proverbs 8 speaks of divine wisdom. That is the wisdom, the persistent, collective rejection which led to the pronouncement of divine judgment in Amos 7. The word of God that Amos proclaimed was treasonous, according to authorities in the Kingdom of Israel. That word of God condemned the leaders who labeled that truth as treason. The Assyrians arrived in force, right on schedule, though. The truth was not treason.
The reading from 1 Timothy 5 speaks to divinely-mandated ethics. The passage also contains some culturally-specific elements that may be irrelevant to your context, O reader. May we not become distracted by those culturally-specific details. The timeless principle is mutuality: We are res[pmsob;e to and for each other. In that timeless context, individual and collective responsibility also exist in balance.
I admit without apology that I am pedantic. My pedantry extends to theology. In the Gospel of John, eternal life is knowing God via Jesus (John 17:3). Within the Johannine context, as in John 3:16, therefore, there is no eternity apart from God–Jesus, to be precise. In other words, eternal life and the afterlife are not synonyms in Johannine theology. “Eternal” describes the quality of life, not the length thereof. I am a generally Johannine Christian, so I understand “eternal life” according to the definition in John 17:3. Nevertheless, outside of the Johannine tradition in the New Testament, the meaning of “eternal” is “everlasting.”
I am not shy about saying and writing openly what I really think: I remain unconvinced that my Jewish elder brothers and sisters in faith are doomed to go to Hell. No, I affirm that their covenant remains in effect. According to Covenantal Nomism, consistently and unrepentantly disregarding the ethical obligations of the Law of Moses causes one to drop out of the covenant. Salvation comes via grace, but damnation comes via works.
The more I age and move away from reflexively Reformation-influenced theology, the more comfortable I become embracing the relationship among faith, works, salvation, and damnation in both Testaments. God cares deeply about how people treat each other, the Bible tells us. We mere mortals may deceive ourselves and each other. We cannot, however, pull the proverbial wool over God’s equally proverbial eyes. Our creeds become evident in our deeds.
Nevertheless, may we avoid the trap of thinking that we deserve salvation. That remains a gift. All who receive it may experience a degree of shock when they realize who else has received it. So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 1, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE
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https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2021/01/01/devotion-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-d-humes/
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/01/salvation-and-damnation-part-iii/
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Above: Christ Banishes Tradesmen from the Temple
Image in the Public Domain
Suffering
NOT OBSERVED IN THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST 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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Amos 6:1-7 or Proverbs 6:6-22
Psalm 118:1-14
1 Timothy 4:1-16
John 2:13-25
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These five readings, taken together, remind individuals, communities, and populations to obey God’s laws, keep its ethical mandate of mutuality under God, and not to be arrogant while idling in obliviousness to consequences of disobeying divine ethical standards. The Assyrians were on their way in Amos 6. False teachers were troublesome in 1 Timothy 4. Sacred rituals were not talismans in John 2.
Keeping the ethical mandates from God is not a talisman either. One who reads the Gospel of John should notice that Gospel’s placement of the “Temple Incident” (as scholars of the New Testament call it) at the beginning of Christ’s ministry. Such a reader also notices that, according to the Gospel of John, different groups tried for years to kill Jesus throughout the Fourth Gospel. If righteousness were a shield against negative consequences, Jesus would have been the safest person who ever lived.
Unfortunately, old, false ideas remain persistent. (Old, true ideas persisting is positive, of course.) The idea that one is suffering, therefore must have sinned, is false. So is the proposition that one is prosperous and secure, therefore must have done something right and righteous. How many times must one read the Gospel of John, ponder the life of Christ, and read accounts of martyrs before one understands this?
The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Many of the wicked prosper. Many of the righteous struggle and suffer. It is not fair. Life is not fair. Nevertheless, actions do have consequences in this life and in the afterlife. Sometimes we also suffer because of the actions of others. The problem of suffering is too complex for simple answers.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 31, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF SAINT GIUSEPPINA NICOLI, ITALIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN AND MINISTER TO THE POOR
NEW YEAR’S EVE
THE FEAST OF ROSSITER WORTHINGTON RAYMOND, U.S. NOVELIST, POET, HYMN WRITER, AND MINING ENGINEER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZOTICUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE, PRIEST AND MARTYR, 351
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https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/12/31/devotion-for-the-fifth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-d-humes/
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/12/31/suffering-part-vi/
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Above: Saul and the Witch of Endor, by Benjamin West
Image in the Public Domain
Building Up Each Other in Christ
NOVEMBER 7, 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 28:1-20 or Lamentations 2:1-13
Psalm 113
Romans 14:1-13, 17
Luke 18:9-14
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You must not let what you think good be brought into disrepute; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but justice, peace, and joy, inspired by the Holy Spirit….Let us, then, pursue the things that make for peace and build up the common life.
–Romans 14:16-17, 19, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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The context of Romans 14 is a communal one. Food is a major topic. Rather, what and how people think food–which food is acceptable to eat, for example–is a major topic. Within that context, we read counsel to refrain from judging one another in faith community. The cultural context of Romans 14 may not apply to one’s life, but the timeless principle does.
God commands us to care for and build up each other, especially the vulnerable, the poor, and the distressed. If one keeps reading in 1 Samuel 28, one may notice that the necromancer/witch is concerned about King Saul, depressed. The Law of Moses forbids exploiting people and teaches mutuality. The theology of the Babylonian Exile is that consistent disregard for the Law of Moses led to the exile. Psalm 113 tells us that God raises the poor from the dust and needs from the dunghill then seats him with princes.
When we turn to the Gospel lesson, we may ask ourselves which character we resemble more. So we think more highly of ourselves than we should? Are we so busy judging others that we do not see our true character? Or do we know exactly what our character is and beg for divine mercy? Conventional piety can function as a set of blinders. Appearances can deceive. Self-defense mechanisms that guard our egos can be difficult to break down.
God’s standards and categories are not identical to ours, despite some minor overlapping. Many who think of themselves as insiders are really outsiders, and visa versa. That should inspire us to be humble before God and to avoid looking down our noses at others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 1, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/building-up-each-other-in-christ-part-vi/
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Above: Fresco of Samuel
Image in the Public Domain
The Individual and the Collective
SEPTEMBER 12, 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 8:4-20; 11:14-15 or Jeremiah 19:1-6, 10-12a
Psalm 106:1-16, 19-23, 47-48
Romans 8:1-11
Luke 12:35-48
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These assigned readings pertain to collective matters–sins, punishment for sins, and life in the Holy Spirit. The context is that of a group–a faith community, a kingdom, et cetera. All of that is consistent with the Biblical theme of mutuality. We are responsible to and for each other.
Collective guilt and responsibility may seem unfair, assuming a certain perspective. For example, sometimes a court releases a wrongly-convicted person who has spent years in prison yet whom evidence has exonerated. Perhaps an expert witness lied under oath. Maybe DNA has proven the prisoner’s innocence. Perhaps the prisoner pleaded guilty to a lesser charge to avoid a certain conviction on a more severe charge. Maybe the testimony of eyewitnesses proved to be unreliable, as it frequently does. Perhaps the prosecutor engaged in professional misconduct by withholding exculpatory evidence. Either way, taxpayers have borne the financial costs of what went wrong, leading to the incarceration of an innocent person. And taxpayers may bear the financial costs of paying reparations to the wrongly convicted. We not begrudge giving a liberated, wrongly-convicted person a fresh start and the financial means to begin a new life, do we? We know, after all, that the wrongly-convicted person has paid for the actions of others with time in prison.
Whatever one person does affects others, whether one behaves as a private citizen or in an official capacity. Likewise, society is people. What society does wrong and sinfully does affect even those members of it who vocally oppose those sinful actions. Those activists for justice also suffer when their society incurs punishment for its sins.
On the other hand, given that society is people, individuals can change their society. Individuals can improve their society or make it worse.
May all of us leave our societies better than we found them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 23, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF TOYOHIKO KAGAWA, RENEWER OF SOCIETY AND PROPHETIC WITNESS IN JAPAN
THE FEAST OF JAKOB BÖHME, GERMAN LUTHERAN MYSTIC
THE FEAST OF MARTIN RINCKART, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT TERESA MARIA OF THE CROSS, FOUNDRESS OF THE CARMELITE SISTERS OF SAINT TERESA OF FLORENCE
THE FEAST OF WALTER RUSSELL BOWIE, EPISCOPAL PRIEST, SEMINARY PROFESSOR, AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/23/the-individual-and-the-collective-v/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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