Archive for the ‘Pietism’ Tag
Above: Icon of the Last Judgment
Image in the Public Domain
Secret Disciples of Jesus
NOVEMBER 19, 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 26:1-6 (LBW, LW) or Jeremiah 25:30-32 (LW)
Psalm 105:1-7
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 (LBW, LW) or 1 Thessalonians 1:3-10 (LW)
Matthew 24:1-14 (LBW, LW) or Mathew 25:31-46 (LW)
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Almighty and ever-living God,
before the earth was formed and even after it ceases to be,
you are God.
Break into our short span of life
and let us see the signs of your final will and purpose;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 30
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Almighty and ever-living God,
since you have given exceedingly great and precious promises
to those who believe,
grant us so perfectly and without all doubt
to believe in your Son Jesus Christ
that our faith in your sight may never be reproved;
through our Savior, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Lutheran Worship (1982), 92
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Divine judgment and mercy come mixed in the assigned readings. Contexts vary. They include the Day of the LORD, the Exodus, the latter years of the Kingdom of Judah, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., and the Second Coming of Jesus. God is faithful and universal, we read. And many people who have a relationship with God may be unaware of that relationship. The flip side is that many people who think they have a relationship with God do not.
In the parable from Matthew 25, those astonished righteous learned that, by helping the vulnerable with whom Jesus identified, they had a relationship with Jesus. Those astonished righteous learned that they had performed good works for Jesus and had been faithful to him.
A parable, by definition, contains layers of meanings. Let us not ignore this layer of meaning, O reader. The parable in Matthew 25:31-46 speaks of service. The parable ought not to lead to Pietism–downplaying doctrine and falling into works-based righteousness. No, the parable should tell us something about divine judgment and mercy; we mere mortals do not understand them. Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance; we cannot grasp what that balance is.
Reread Matthew 25:31-46, O reader. Notice the astonishment of those who thought they were righteous and the astonishment of those who learned they were righteous. Then look around and ponder. The parable counsels against spiritual complacency. Love is active. Jesus has many disciples, a host of whom do not know they are his disciples, based on the parable’s standard. Celebrate grace and Christian service, O reader. Live grace-fully.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 24, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE, MARTYR
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Icon of Hosea
Image in the Public Domain
Repentance
JUNE 18, 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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Hosea 5:15-6:6
Psalm 50:1-15 (LBW) or Psalm 119:65-72 (LW)
Romans 4:18-25
Matthew 9:9-13
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O God, the strength of those who hope in you:
Be present and hear our prayers;
and, because in the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do nothing good without you,
give us the help of your grace,
so that in keeping your commandments
we may please you in will and deed,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 24
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O God, from whom all good proceeds,
grant to us, your humble servants,
that by your holy inspiration we may think the things that are right
and by your merciful guiding accomplish them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 64
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For I desire goodness, not sacrifice;
Obedience to God, rather than burnt offerings.
–Hosea 6:6, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985, 1999)
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Yet the Law of Moses commands sacrifices and burst offerings.
Hebrew prophets did not always express themselves as clearly as some of us may wish they had. In context, Hosea 6:6 referred to God rejecting the opportunistic appearance of repentance or a habitually errant population. Divinely-ordained rituals were not properly talismans; they did not protect one from one’s proverbial chickens coming home to roost. Hosea 6:6 asserted the primacy of morality over rituals.
I am neither a puritan nor a pietist. I favor polishing God’s altar and eschew condemning “externals.”
God, metaphorically, is a consuming fire. Before God, therefore, false repentance does not impress. The attitude in Psalm 119 is preferable:
Before I was humbled, I strayed,
but now I keep your word.
You are good, and you do what is good;
teach me your statutes.
–Psalm 119:67-68, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
Sometimes recognizing one’s need to repent may be a challenge. How can one repent if one does not think one needs to do so? How can one turn one’s back on one’s sins (some of them, anyway) unless one knows what those sins are? Self-righteousness creates spiritual obstacles.
How happy are they who know their need for God, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
–Matthew 5:3, J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English–Revised Edition (1972)
The test, O reader, for whether you need God is simple. Check for your pulse. If you have one, you need God. We all stand in the need of grace; may we admit this then think and act accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 2, 2022 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 CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH HASSE, GERMAN-BRITISH MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF ELIAS BOUDINOT, IV, U.S. STATESMAN, PHILANTHROPIST, AND WITNESS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE FEAST OF JULIA BULKLEY CADY CORY, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIGISMUND OF BURGUNDY, KING; CLOTILDA, FRANKISH QUEEN; AND CLODOALD, FRANKISH PRINCE AND ABBOT
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: The Last Judgment, by Fra Angelico
Image in the Public Domain
Deeds and Creeds
OCTOBER 16, 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 19:1-26 or Ruth 3
Psalm 142
Revelation 20:11-15
John 14:15-31
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NSFW Alert: “Feet” in Ruth 3 are not feet. No, they are genitals. The Hebrew Bible contains euphemisms. In the case of Ruth 3, we have a scene that is unfit for inclusion in a book of Bible stories for children.
The Reverend Jennifer Wright Knust offers this analysis of the Book of Ruth:
To the writer of Ruth, family can consist of an older woman and her beloved immigrant daughter-in-law, women can easily raise children on their own, and men can be seduced if it serves the interests of women.
—Unprotected Texts: The Bible’s Surprising Contractions About Sex and Desire (2011), 33
Speaking or writing of interpretations you may have read or heard, O reader, I turn to Genesis 19. Open an unabridged concordance of the Bible and look for “Sodom.” Then read every verse listed. You will find that the dominant criticism of the people of Sodom was that they were arrogant and inhospitable. The willingness to commit gang rape against angels, men, and women seems inhospitable to me.
The author of Psalm 142 described the current human reality. That author descried Christ’s reality in John 14:15-31. Christ was about to die terribly. Yet that same Christ was victorious in Revelation 20.
The standard of judgment in Revelation 20:14 may scandalize many Protestants allergic to any hint of works-based righteousness:
…and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived.
—The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
This is not a new standard in the Bible. It exists in the Hebrew Bible. Matthew 25:31-46 its people over the head, so to speak, with this standard. The Letter of James keeps hitting people over the head with it for five chapters. Deeds reveal creeds. The standard of divine judgment in Revelation 20:14 makes sense to me.
So, what do I believe? What are my creeds? What are your creeds, really? I refer not to theological abstractions, but to lived faith. Theological abstractions matter, too. (I am not a Pietist.) Yet lived faith matters more. Do we live according to the love of God? God seems to approve of doing that. Do we hate? God seems to disapprove of doing that.
As St. Paul the Apostle insisted, faith and works are a package deal. The definition of faith in the Letter of James differs from the Pauline definition. Faith in James is intellectual. Therefore, joining faith with works is essential, for faith without works is dead. In Pauline theology, however, faith includes works. If one understands all this, one scotches any allegation that the Letter of James contradicts Pauline epistles.
Deeds reveal creeds. If we value one another, we will act accordingly. If we recognize immigrants as people who bear the image of God, we will resist the temptation of xenophobia, et cetera. Knowing how to act properly on our creeds may prove challenging sometimes. Practical consideration may complicate matters. Political actions may or may not be the most effective methods to pursue.
By grace, may we–collectively and individually–act properly, so that our deeds may reveal our creeds, to the glory of God and for the benefit of our fellow human beings.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 28, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT AND HIS PUPIL, SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIANS
THE FEAST OF DANIEL J. SIMUNDSON, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HENRY AUGUSTINE COLLINS, ANGLICAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH BARNBY, ANGLICAN CHURCH MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SOMERSET CORRY LOWRY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/28/deeds-and-creeds-vi/
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Above: The Blind and Mute Man Possessed by Devils, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
Good and Bad Fruit
SEPTEMBER 3, 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 39:1-21 or Isaiah 43:16-25
Psalm 20
1 Corinthians 8
Matthew 12:22-37
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The timeless principle behind St. Paul the Apostle’s advice regarding food sacrificed to false gods in 1 Corinthians 8 is that Christian believers must conduct themselves so as to glorify God and distinguish themselves from unbelievers. This need not devolve into Puritanical-Pietistic serial contrariness, such as that regarding “worldly amusements,” but does entail drawing people to God, who ended the Babylonian Exile.
Our Lord and Savior’s critics in Matthew 12:22-37 could not deny his miracles, some of which they had witnessed. They sought to discredit Jesus, though. They accused him of performing miracles via the power of Satan, prompting Christ to announce the one unpardonable sin: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is actually quite simple to grasp. When one cannot distinguish between good and evil, one has placed oneself outside the grasp of forgiveness. One has rejected God. One bears bad fruit.
There can be a fine line between telling the truth and committing the sin of judging others falsely. One must be aware of one’s sinful nature, and therefore proceed cautiously and humbly. Nevertheless, one has a duty to issue moral statements at times. One simply must not pretend to know everything or more than one does, at least.
Ego and social conditioning can warp one’s perspective. I know this from harrowing historical-theological reading, such as theological defenses of chattel slavery then Jim Crow laws. (I refer to primary sources.) The desire to preserve one’s self-image has long led to perfidy, active and passive.
I am not immune from the negative influences of ego and social conditioning, the latter of which is not inherently all bad. I too must pray for forgiveness for my moral blind spots. I do so while seeking to recognize the image of God in others, especially those quite different from me. I do so while acknowledging the obvious: the Bible orders us hundreds of times to care for strangers. I do so while seeking to define my ethics according to the standard of the Golden Rule. In doing so I find that I must call violations of the Golden Rule what they are. Therefore, people who support those violations of the Golden Rule are on the wrong side of it. Yet they need not be.
May we bear good fruit for the glory of God. May we, like Joseph in Genesis 39, do what is correct, especially when that is difficult and has negative consequences–in the case, incarceration. May we bear good fruit for the glory of God, in all circumstances, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 27, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS GALLAUDET AND HENRY WINTER SYLE, EPISCOPAL PRIESTS AND EDUCATORS OF THE DEAF
THE FEAST OF SAINT AMADEUS OF CLERMONT, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK; AND HIS SON, SAINT AMADEUS OF LAUSANNE, FRENCH-SWISS ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC BARBERI, ROMAN CATHOLIC APOSTLE TO ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF HENRIETTE LUISE VAN HAYN, GERMAN MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/good-and-bad-fruit-part-iii/
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Above: Judah and Tamar, by the School of Rembrandt van Rijn
Image in the Public Domain
The Law of Mercy
AUGUST 27, 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 38:1-26 or Isaiah 40:21-31
Psalm 18:31-36, 43-50
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Matthew 12:1-21
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Temple prostitution, in the background in Genesis 38, might be background for 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 also. If it is, the reading becomes deeper than it is otherwise. If to engage in sexual relations with a pagan prostitute is to unite with the deity the prostitute serves, idolatry becomes an issue. Christians are supposed to function as part of the body of Christ, therefore visiting a pagan temple prostitute is worse than visiting a prostitute in general.
Speaking of Genesis 38, it is another of those different stories we find frequently in the Hebrew Bible. It remains a proverbial hot potato. When must a father-in-law sire his grandsons? When the laws governing levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) dictate. The text does not condemn Tamar for her deceit either, for the narrative makes plain that it was the option left open to her.
In June 1996 my father became the pastor of the Asbury United Methodist Church in northern Appling County, Georgia, U.S.A. One of the adult Sunday School classes was reading the Book of Genesis a chapter at a time. One week the teacher announced that the class would not discuss Chapter 38 (although they had apparently discussed Chapter 37 the previous week), but would talk about Chapter 39 instead. I wonder if the teacher also skipped the rape of Dinah and the subsequent bloodbath in Chapter 34. Probably, yes.
When passages of scripture make us that uncomfortable, we should study them. We should study all of the Bible, of course, but double down on the parts that cause us to squirm.
God is strong, mighty, loving, and trustworthy, we read. Sometimes mercy on some takes the form of judgment on others. After all, judgment on oppressors does help the oppressed, does it not?
Much occurs theologically in Matthew 12:1-21, but the major point is that mercy overrides Sabbath laws. We read that some labor was mandatory on the Sabbath, especially for priests. So yes, we read Jesus announce, the hungry may pluck grain and the man with the withered hand may receive healing, not just rudimentary first aid.
In the Gospel of Matthew one of the points drilled into the text was that Jesus did not seek to destroy the Law of Moses. No, he presented his interpretation as correct and in opposition to the interpretations of his critics. Jesus stood within the context of Judaism, not against it. For example, the Mishnah, published in 200 C.E. (about 170 years after the crucifixion of Jesus), listed 39 types of labor prohibited on the Sabbath. Plucking food was not one of them. Christ’s opponents in Chapter 12:1-21 were, to use an anachronistic expression, more Catholic than the Pope.
The Sabbath, in the Law of Moses, was about liberation. Slaves in Egypt received no days off, so a day off was a mark of freedom. Besides, science and experience have taught us the necessity of down time. Much of my Christian tradition has reacted against leisure (especially “worldly amusements,” a bane of Pietism and Puritanism) and insisted that idle hands are the Devil’s workshop. Nevertheless, science and experience have affirmed the necessity of a certain amount of idleness.
Judaism, at its best, is not legalistic; neither is Christianity. Yet legalistic Jews and Christians exist. A healthy attitude is to seek to respond to God faithfully, without becoming lost in the thicket of laws, without failing to see the forest for the trees, without mistaking culturally specific examples for timeless principles, without shooting cannon balls at gnats, and without forgetting mercy.
And while one is doing that, one should read the scriptural passages that make one squirm in one’s seat.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 30, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CLARENCE JORDAN, SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER AND WITNESS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CHRYSOLOGUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF RAVENNA AND DEFENDER OF ORTHODOXY
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICENTA CHÁVEZ OROZCO, FOUNDRESS OF THE SERVANTS OF THE HOLY TRINITY AND THE POOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT WILLIAM PINCHON, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/the-law-of-mercy/
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Above: Icon of Christ the Merciful
Image in the Public Domain
A Loving Orthodoxy
SEPTEMBER 16-18, 2021
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The Collect:
O God, our teacher and guide,
you draw us to yourself and welcome us as beloved children.
Help us to lay aside all envy and selfish ambition,
that we may walk in your ways of wisdom and understanding
as servants of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 48
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The Assigned Readings:
Judges 6:1-10 (Thursday)
1 Kings 22:22-40 (Friday)
2 Kings 17:5-18 (Saturday)
Psalm 54 (All Days)
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (Thursday)
Romans 11:25-32 (Friday)
Matthew 23:29-39 (Saturday)
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Save me, O God, by your Name;
in your might, defend my cause.
Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
For the arrogant have risen up against me,
and the ruthless have sought my life,
those who have no regard for God.
Behold, God is my helper;
it is the Lord who sustains my life.
Render evil to those who spy on me;
in your faithfulness, destroy them.
I will offer you a freewill sacrifice
and praise your Name, O LORD, for it is good.
For you have rescued me from every trouble,
and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.
–Psalm 54, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The prayer for divine destruction of enemies–hardly unique to Psalm 54–does violate the commandment to love one’s enemies as oneself, does it not?
Enemies exist. In the pericopes for these three days alone we read of Midianites, monarchs, Assyrians, Arameans, and corrupt officials from the Temple at Jerusalem. Furthermore, we, if we are to become properly informed, must know that many early Christians regarded Jews who rejected Jesus as enemies. Christianity began as a Jewish sect, one which remained on the Jewish margins. Frustrations over this reality became manifest in, among other texts, the Gospel of John, with its repeated references to “the Jews” in negative contexts. Nevertheless, St. Paul the Apostle, who preached to Gentiles, was always Jewish.
Sometimes enemies are others. On many occasions, however, one can find the enemy looking back at oneself in a mirror. A recurring theological motif in the Hebrew Bible is that the exiles of Hebrew people resulted from rampant societal sinfulness; the collective was responsible. That runs afoul of Western notions of individualism, but one finds it in the pages of the Bible. There are at least two varieties of responsibility and sin–individual and collective. We are responsible to God, for ourselves, and to and for each other. Thus reward and punishment in the Hebrew Bible are both individual and collective. Sometimes, the texts tell us, we bring destruction on ourselves.
But how does that translate into language regarding God? May we take care not to depict God as a cosmic tyrant while investing that God is also merciful. Yes, actions have consequences for ourselves and those around us. Yes, God has sent many prophets, a large number of whom have endured the consequences of rejection. Yes, both judgment and mercy exist in God. I do not presume to know where the former ends and the latter begins; such matters are too great for me, a mere mortal.
No, I reject false certainty and easy answers. No variety of fundamentalism is welcome here. No, I embrace what St. Paul the Apostle called
the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God,
complete with
his judgments
and
inscrutable ways.–Romans 11:33, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
I favor “the mystery of God,” as in 1 Corinthians 2:1, as well as a relationship with God, which depends on divine faithfulness, not on human wisdom.
Kenneth J. Foreman, writing in Volume 21 (1961) of The Layman’s Bible Commentary, noted in reference to 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:
One point to note is that Paul does not present Christianity as a set of dogmas or as a manual of advice. It is a story, something that happened, something God has done.–Page 75
Orthodoxy can be healthy, so long as it is neither stale nor unloving. Pietism, with its legalism, is quite unfortunate. Pietism, a reaction against stale orthodoxy, is at least as objectionable as that which it opposes.
Some thoughts of Dr. Carl J. Sodergren (1870-1949), a theologian of the former Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (1860-1962), from 1937 apply well in the context of these pericopes and many circumstances:
Orthodoxy is good. It means adherence to the truth, and no sane man would willingly surrender that. But orthodoxy without love is dangerous. It provides fertile soil for bigotry, hatred, spiritual pride, self-conceit, and a score of other evils which hide the Holy One from the eyes of the world. It turns men into merciless heresy hunters, the most contemptible vermin on earth. It aligns us with the scribes and Pharisees, the priests and high priests of the time of Jesus. Nobody ever questioned their orthodoxy, but because it was loveless, it blinded them to His divinity and made it easier to spike Him to a cross. We are not worried about the trumpet calls to orthodoxy which for some reason have begun to blare may drown out in our hearts the still small voice which prays for unity and love among all Christ’s disciples.
–Quoted in G. Everett Arden, Augustana Heritage: A History of the Augustana Lutheran Church (Rock Island, IL: Augustana Press, 1963), pp. 287-288
May love of God and for each other be evident in our lives and social structures and institutions. Wherever it is evident, may it increase. May we obey the divine commandment to take care of each other, not to exploit anyone or to discriminate against any person. The Golden Rule is difficult to live, but we have God’s grace available to us; may we avail ourselves of it. We also have an example–Jesus–to follow. May his love be evident (then more so) in us, especially those of us who claim to follow him or to attempt to do so.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 30, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN OLAF WALLIN, ARCHBISHOP OF UPPSALA AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR JAMES MOORE, UNITED METHODIST BISHOP IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF HEINRICH LONAS, GERMAN MORAVIAN ORGANIST, COMPOSER, AND LITURGIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/a-loving-orthodoxy/
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Above: Cedars of Lebanon in Snow, March 1946
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-22650
Glorifying God
JUNE 14, 2021
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The Collect:
O God, you are the tree of life, offering shelter to the world.
Graft us into yourself and nurture our growth,
that we may bear your truth and love to those in need,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 39
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 31:1-12
Psalm 52
Galatians 6:11-18
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Why do you glory in evil, you tyrant,
while the goodness of God endures forever?
–Psalm 52:1, Common Worship (2000)
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The date on the oracle in Ezekiel 31 places it about two months prior to the fall of the First Temple. Yes, the Temple which King Solomon had built fell, but God did not. And the Pharaoh of Egypt lost power, but God did not. The common assumption that a kingdom’s downfall indicated the defeat of its deities was false.
The crucifixion of Jesus was, according to Roman authorities, supposed to be his extinguishment, not just his execution. No trace of him was to remain, according to the imperial plan. There was, however, a resurrection, which made plain the power of God and the defeat of evil plans. Thus it was fitting that St. Paul the Apostle chose to boast of the cross of Christ.
I, without falling into the pietistic error of dismissing “externals,” recognize a biblical theme present in both Testaments: maintaining appearances of piety without obeying God (including working for social justice) makes a mockery of rituals. Repeating prayers and rituals while exploiting others or justifying the exploitation of others does not make one less impious.
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
–James 2:17, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
May our Christian faith be active, work for evangelism and social justice, and not constitute a mockery of piety. May it glorify God and not ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 21, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF RICHARD CHEVENIX TRENCH, ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN
THE FEAST OF SAINT SERAPION OF THMUIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF THOMAS KEN, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF BATH AND WELLS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM EDWARD HICKSON, ENGLISH MUSIC EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/03/21/glorifying-god/
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Above: Swords into Plowshares
Image in the Public Domain
Righteousness from God
MAY 27 and 28, 2021
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The Collect:
God of heaven and earth,
before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time
you are the triune God:
Author of creation, eternal Word of creation, life-giving Spirit of wisdom.
Guide us to all truth by your Spirit,
that we may proclaim all that Christ has revealed
and rejoice in the glory he shares with us.
Glory and praise to you,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 37
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 1:1-4, 16-20 (Thursday)
Isaiah 2:1-5 (Friday)
Psalm 29 (Both Days)
Romans 8:1-8 (Thursday)
Romans 8:9-11 (Friday)
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The LORD shall give strength to his people;
the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace.
–Psalm 29:11, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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St. Paul the Apostle, at the end of Romans 7, lamented that, although he often knew right from wrong and wanted to act properly, he behaved sinfully much of the time. He lived in a “body of death,” he wrote, and his deliverance from it came via Jesus Christ.
The conclusion that we humans are slaves to the law of God in our minds yet slaves to the law of sin in our flesh precedes the “therefore” clause in Romans 8:1:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Christ, St. Paul the Apostle wrote, has freed us from the law of sin and death. Yes, there remains the dichotomy of the Spirit (God) and the flesh (all that pertains to human beings). Yes, we are all “in the flesh,” during this life, but we need not live “according to the flesh,” which sin has compromised. Righteousness comes from God.
We, turning to the Isaiah pericopes, find human disobedience, a divine call for obedience and social justice, a reminder of how much better the situation can become, a statement of how bad it can become, and a vision of what the future will entail when the Kingdom of God has become fully realized on Earth. In Isaiah, as in Romans, righteousness comes from God and we mere mortals fall far short of that divine standard.
None of this negates the importance of free will, for the desire to obey God and act justly matters greatly. It is a positive development and something with which God can work–multiply like loaves and fishes. A faithful response to God is, in itself, inadequate, but it is something, at least. And we rely on God’s strength, not ours. Martin Luther, who knew much firsthand about the conflict between the higher and lower natures, affirmed correctly the principle of relying on the faithfulness of God. I am content to do as he advised in that matter, for the alternatives lead me to negative spiritual destinations, which range from hopelessness to a lack of any spirituality to the vain and frustrating quest for moral perfection or something approximate to it in this life (hence my strong objections to Pietism).
We are all broken and in need of God, so why pretend to the contrary? A healthy spiritual quest begins where one is. I prefer to acknowledge that point of origin without excuses, delusions, or self-recrimination. Acknowledging one’s sin and confessing it need not turn into spiritual self-flagellation. I have learned that admitting the reality of my spiritual state, with all its negatives and positive aspects, refraining from berating myself yet handing the burdens over to God instead is a good way to begin. This life is short, anyway, so I seek to spend as much of it as possible enjoying and glorifying God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 14, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MATHILDA, QUEEN OF GERMANY
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/righteousness-from-god/
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Above: Bishop Robert C. Wright (Episcopalian) and Archbishop Wilton Gregory (Roman Catholic) at the Good Friday Pilgrimage for Immigrants, April 18, 2014
Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Of Externals and Internals
JUNE 1-3, 2023
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The Collect:
O God our rock, you offer us a covenant of mercy,
and you provide the foundation of our lives.
Ground us in your word, and strengthen our resolve to be your disciples,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 38
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 24:1-8 (Thursday)
Deuteronomy 30:1-5 (Friday)
Amos 2:6-11 (Saturday)
Psalm 31:1-5, 19-24 (All Days)
Romans 2:17-29 (Thursday)
Romans 9:6-13 (Friday)
Matthew 7:1-6 (Saturday)
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Be my strong rock, a fortress to save me,
for you are my rock and my stronghold;
guide me, and lead me for your name’s sake.
–Psalm 31:3, Common Worship (2000)
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One of the faults of certain varieties of Protestantism is overemphasizing the internal and unseen while underemphasizing the external and the seen. Pietists, for example, dismiss “externals” frequentlu, as if “externals” are meaningless. They are not necessarily so.
No, a ritual (such as a sacrifice or circumcision) can matter quite a lot, for we humans need visible signs and rites of passage. How else are we to mark the difference between one stage of life and another or to note a covenant to God? We need externals beause we see, touch, feel, hear, and smell; we are not disembodied sentients. The scriptures command many rituals in particular settings, in fact.
The scriptures also make clear that rituals are not supposed to be talismans which protect us from punishment for sins of which we have not repented, individually or collectively. Rituals one performs piously have meaning, but those one performs while disobeying divine commandments, such as how to treat people, offend God.
For crime after crime of Israel
I shall grant them no reprieve,
because they sell honest folk for silver
and the poor for a pair of sandals.
They grind the heads of the helpless into the dust
and push the humble out of their way.
Father and son resort to the temple girls,
so profaning my holy name.
–Amos 2:6-7, The Revised English Bible
God, the Bible tells us, cares deeply about how we act toward our fellow human beings. We ought to seek God’s best for them, not exploit them for our own gain and pleasure. We should seek to raise the status of the powerless, the less powerful, and the marginalized among us. Each of us bears the image of God and therefore deserves respect. When we seek to do those things may we succeed by grace. And may we engage in rituals which create holy atmospheres for our spiritual benefit and glorify—not mock—God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 10, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THEODORE PARKER, ABOLITIONIST AND MAVERICK UNITARIAN PASTOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTONY PIEROZZI, A.K.A. ANTONINUS OF FLORENCE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF FLORENCE
THE FEAST OF JOHN GOSS, ANGLICAN CHURCH COMPOSER AND ORGANIST; AND WILLIAM MERCER, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF NICOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF, RENEWER OF THE CHURCH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/of-externals-and-internals/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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