Archive for the ‘Psalm 107’ 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: Christ Healing an Infirm Woman, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
The Appalling Strangeness of the Mercy of God
SEPTEMBER 26, 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 15:34-16:13 or Jeremiah 23:23-29
Psalm 107:1-3, 170-32
Romans 9:1-6, 16
Luke 13:10-17
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The twin themes of divine judgment and mercy dominate these five readings, O reader.
I know, O reader, that, if you have paid attention to and read this weblog for a while, you can probably guess what I will write next. The Bible is repetitive. Lectionaries keep taking me into repetitive territory. The Bible repeats itself because people missed a given message the first many times.
You cannot conceive, nor can I, of the appalling strangeness of the mercy of God.
–Graham Greene, Brighton Rock (1938)
The mercy of God present in Jesus, healing on the Sabbath, appalled one synagogue official in Luke 13:10-17. This mercy should have filled that man with joy on behalf of the formerly afflicted woman. No, he stood of conventional piety, according to which Christ’s actions were inappropriate–even sinful–on the Sabbath. Jesus did not provide first aid; that would have been fine, according to conventional piety. Neither did he provide emergency relief that saved her life; that also would have been fine, according to conventional piety. Had he healed her on any of the other six days of the week, that would have been fine, according to conventional piety. So much for that version of conventional piety!
The easy way out is to stand on one’s perceived moral superiority to that synagogue official. The easy way out is to denounce him and stop there. However, I know myself well enough to affirm that I have my own version of conventional piety–the rules of the spiritual road, as I understand them, so to speak. If Jesus were to stand in front of me and transgress any of those rules, I would probably take offense at him. That would be my problem and sin, not his.
You, O reader, probably resemble that remark. Who among us is a spiritual superhero, greater than mere mortals?
May God forgive all of us our spiritual blindness and fixations that prevent us from responding as we should. And may we follow divine leading in repenting of those sins.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 25, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARK THE EVANGELIST, MARTYR, 68
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/25/the-appalling-strangeness-of-the-mercy-of-god/
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Above: Icon of Jeremiah
Image in the Public Domain
Arguing Faithfully with God
SEPTEMBER 19, 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 12:19-24 or Jeremiah 20:7-18
Psalm 107:1-15
Romans 8:26-39
Luke 12:49-13:9
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Relationships with God can be difficult; read today’s lesson from Jeremiah, for example. It starts with,
O LORD, you have duped me, and I have been your dupe;
you have outwitted me and have prevailed.
A few verses later, one reads,
But the LORD is on my side, strong and ruthless,
therefore my persecutors shall stumble and fall powerless.
Nevertheless, a few verses later, one reads,
A curse on the day when I was born!
This is vintage Jeremiah. It is stronger than Psalm 107, consistent with our reading from Jeremiah. The reading from Romans 8, in contrast, is upbeat:
If God is on our side, who is against us?…for I am convinced that…nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
–Verses 31, 38, and 39, The Revised English Bible (1989)
I suppose that, depending on the time of day, Jeremiah, a prophet of God, changed his mind about whether God was on his side. That was fine, for Jeremiah had a relationship with God, at least.
My second favorite aspect of Judaism is arguing faithfully with God. (Monotheism is my favorite aspect of Judaism.) Islam is about submitting to God. In Judaism, however, one can kvetch at God and be pious. One can also be pious in the same way in Christianity, fortunately. After all, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Repentance remains vital, though. Although nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, divine judgment and mercy remain in balance. We human beings retain our free will; may we use it wisely.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 24, 2020 COMMON ERA
GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE
THE FEAST OF SAINT EGBERT OF LINDISFARNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK; AND SAINT ADALBERT OF EGMONT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN, CAPUCHIN FRIAR AND MARTYR, 1622
THE FEAST OF JOHANN WALTER, “FIRST CANTOR OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH”
THE FEAST OF SAINT MELLITUS, BISHOP OF LONDON, AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/24/arguing-faithfully-with-god-part-iii/
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Above: Labor Day, by Samuel D. Ehrhart
Published in Puck Magazine, September 1, 1909
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsca-26406
Affirming the Dignity of Work in Words and Deeds
SEPTEMBER 4, 2023
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The Book of Common Prayer (1979) contains a collect and assigned readings for Labor Day.
Interdependence is a cardinal virtue in the Law of Moses. Interdependence is also obvious, or should be. Somehow, especially in the global West, the idea of rugged individualism persists. Yet, no matter how hard or well one works, one drives on roads other people built, relies on technology other people invented or maintain, and depends on many other people might guess at first thought. Anyone who can read this post with comprehension relies on hosts of educators, for example.
As I affirm that I depend on the work of others, just as others depend on my work, I also affirm the dignity of work. Therefore, I argue for certain propositions:
- Nobody should have to work in a death trap or a sweatshop;
- All wages should be living wages;
- People should work to live, not live to work;
- Union organizing and collective bargaining should be inviolable rights; and
- Access to affordable, quality health care is an inalienable right.
Nobody has a moral right to exploit anyone else. No institution has a moral right to exploit any person. After all, people should be more important than profits.
Furthermore, all work should benefit societies or communities. By this standard most jobs pass the test. We need plumbers and bus drivers, for example, but we also need actors, poets, and novelists. In a just world teachers, librarians, police officers, and fire fighters would be some of the best paid professionals, but that is not the world in which we live, unfortunately. It can be, however. A society is what its members make it. Sufficient force of public opinion, applied well, changes policies. The major obstacle to positive social change is resignation to the current reality.
Furthermore, the best kind of work is also indistinguishable from play. Work ought not only to provide financial support for one but also fulfill intangible needs. Work, at its best, is something one who performs it enjoys. Work should improve, not detract from, one’s quality of life.
Work does, of course, assume many forms, at home and out like the home. One should never forget that a stay-at-home parent is a working parent. One should never forget that one who leaves the labor force to become a caregiver for a relative is still working, just without wages. One should acknowledge that those who, for various reasons, cannot join the labor force, are valuable members of society, and that many of them can contribute greatly to society, if others will permit them to do so. Whenever a society holds back any of its members, it prevents itself from achieving its potential.
May we remember also that, as valuable as work is, rest and leisure are vital also. Ideally one will balance the three properly. We know that the brain requires a certain amount of sleep–especially REM sleep–to function properly. We know that the correct amount of rest is necessary for the body to function properly. We know that leisure makes for better employees.
Work, at its best, is a gift from God. It is a gift for divine glory and the meeting of human needs. Work, at its best, builds up (sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively) individuals, families, communities, societies, nation-states, and the world. One’s work, at its best, is a vocation from God; it occupies the intersection of one’s greatest joys and the world’s deepest needs.
May you, O reader, find your work fulfilling in every way.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 1, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA, DISCIPLE OF JESUS
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Almighty God, you have so linked our lives with one another
that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives:
So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good;
and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor,
make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers,
and arouse our concern for those who are out of work;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Ecclesiasticus/Wisdom of Sirach 38:27-32
Psalm 107:1-9 or 90:1-2, 16-17
1 Corinthians 3:10-14
Matthew 6:19-24
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), 261, 932
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We invoke thy grace and wisdom, O Lord, upon all men of good will
who employ and control the labor of men.
Amid the numberless irritations and anxieties of their position,
help them to keep a quite and patient temper,
and to rule firmly and wisely, without harshness and anger.
Since they hold power over the bread, the safety, and the hopes of the workers,
may they wield their power justly and with love,
as older brothers and leaders in the great fellowship of labor.
Suffer not the heavenly light of compassion for the weak and the old to be quenched in their hearts.
When they are tempted to sacrifice human health and life for profit,
do thou strengthen their will in the hour of need,
and bring to nought the counsels of the heartless.
May they not sin against thee by using the bodies and souls of men as mere tools to make things.
Raise up among us employers who shall be makers of men as well as of goods.
Give us men of faith who will look beyond the strife of the present,
and catch a vision of a nobler organization of our work,
when all shall still follow the leadership of the ablest,
no longer in fear, but by the glad will of all,
and when all shall stand side by side in a strong and righteous brotherhood of work;
according to thy will in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical and Reformed Church, Book of Worship (1947) 382-383
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Ecclesiasticus/Wisdom of Sirach 38:24-34 or Nehemiah 2:1-18
Psalms 124 and 125 or 147
2 Timothy 2:1-15 or Matthew 7:15-27
–General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, A Book of Worship for Free Churches (1948), 409
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Originally published at SUNDRY THOUGHTS
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Above: Icon of All Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
NOVEMBER 1
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Haggai 1:1-15a or 2 Chronicles 19:4-20:30
Psalm 107:(1-3) 10-16 (23-27) 38-42 (43)
Matthew 27:(45-49) 50-56 (57-61)
3 John 1-15
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This is a seemingly odd set of readings for the Feast of All Saints. One of the purposes of Timothy Matthew Slemmons in proposing Year D as a supplement to the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is to include passages the RCL overlooks, so that makes sense.
Trusting in God, who is faithful, seems to be the unifying theme of the assigned readings. The inclusion of the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus, according to Matthew 27, is consistent with the Passion narrative, with which Slemmons surrounds this feast in his reading plan. That inclusion also supports the point about the fidelity of God. Related to divine faithfulness in the human obligation to respond with fidelity. Grace, which makes this possible, is free yet not cheap; it requires much of one.
Saints come in two varieties: those whom at least one ecclesiastical authority recognizes and those who receive no such recognition. In the New Testament the definition of a saint is an observant Christian. Consider the saints who have influenced you positively, O reader. Thank God for them. Furthermore, may you be such a saint in the lives of others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 20, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL TAIT, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CANISIUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN BLEW, ENGLISH PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/the-communion-of-saints/
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Above: Church of the Multiplication, Tabgha, Israel
Image in the Public Domain
With God There Are Leftovers
AUGUST 4, 2021
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The Collect:
O God, eternal goodness, immeasurable love,
you place your gifts before us; we eat and are satisfied.
Fill us and this world in all its need with the life that comes only from you,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 44
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 33-43
Mark 8:1-10
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Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
and his mercy endures for ever.
Let all those whom the LORD has redeemed proclaim
that he rendered them from the hand of the foe.
He gathered them out of the lands;
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
–Psalm 107:1-3, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Repentance is an option, even late in the game, so to speak. God, who glorifies the chosen people and remains faithful to divine promises, invites those who need to change their minds and ways to do so. The more people who are present at the divine banquet, the merrier.
Speaking of banquets, Mark 8:1-10 tells of Jesus feeding 4000 people (not just men) with a few fishes and loaves of bread. I refuse to try to explain the Feeding of the 4000 and the 5000 (Plus) (Mark 6:30-44) rationally for the same reason, which is that to do so is address the wrong question. I focus instead on one detail: there was more afterward than before.
Some people think that they have nothing to offer or that what they have to offer is inadequate, so they do not offer it to God for divine purposes. God, however, can multiply those gifts and talents, leaving leftovers. Many people need to repent of their failure to trust in God’s strength instead of their own. These are not evil people, just weak ones with psychological and emotional issues. At some point in each of us has been among this population. Others of us remain in their ranks.
The graciousness of God to the Hebrews in Isaiah 55 benefited the world (verse 5). God’s blessings to any one of us can and should benefit others. If we trust God to multiply that which we have to offer, as meager as it might seem, it will enrich the lives of more people than we can imagine, for the glory of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 6, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARCELLINUS OF CARTHAGE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF DANIEL G. C. WU, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND MISSIONARY TO CHINESE AMERICANS
THE FEAST OF FREDERIC BARKER, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF SYDNEY
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/with-god-there-are-leftovers/
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Above: Manna
Image in the Public Domain
Our Insufficiency and God’s Sufficiency
AUGUST 2 and 3, 2021
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The Collect:
O God, eternal goodness, immeasurable love,
you place your gifts before us; we eat and are satisfied.
Fill us and this world in all its need with the life that comes only from you,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 44
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The Assigned Readings:
Numbers 11:16-23, 31-32 (Monday)
Deuteronomy 8:1-20 (Tuesday)
Psalm 107:1-3, 33-43 (Both Days)
Ephesians 4:17-24 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 12:27-31 (Tuesday)
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Whoever is wise will ponder these things,
and consider well the mercies of the LORD.
–Psalm 107:43, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Sometimes the Bible harps on a theme, repeating itself. I notice this most readily while following a well-constructed lectionary and trying to find new ways to make one post in a series based on that lectionary read differently than some of its preceding posts. This is easier on some occasions than on others.
The repeated theme this time is that we humans depend on God for everything, rely on each other, and are responsible to and for each other. I have written about this many times, including in the previous post. We ought not to cling to the idol of self-sufficiency, the assigned readings tell us. No, we have a responsibility to trust and obey God, who is faithful to divine promises. God, who fed the former Hebrew slaves in the desert, calls people to lead holy lives marked by the renewing of minds and the building up of the community of faith. Love–agape–in 1 Corinthians 13, which follows on the heels of the reading from 1 Corinthians 12, is selfless, self-sacrificial love, a virtue greater than faith and hope.
If acceptance of our insufficiency injures our self-esteem, so be it. Humility is a virtue greater than ego. Actually, a balanced ego–a realistic sense of oneself–is a virtue which includes humility. Raging egos and weak egos are problems which lead to the same results–destroyed and missed opportunities, lives of selfishness, and the failure to acknowledge one’s complete dependence on God. The desire to build up oneself at the expense of others damages not only one but the group(s) to which one belongs and the people around one.
May the love which 1 Corinthians 13 describes define our lives, by grace. May acceptance of our total dependence upon God, our reliance upon each other, and our responsibilities to and for each other define our lives, by grace. And may a faithful walk with God, who is trustworthy, define our lives, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 6, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARCELLINUS OF CARTHAGE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF DANIEL G. C. WU, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND MISSIONARY TO CHINESE AMERICANS
THE FEAST OF FREDERIC BARKER, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF SYDNEY
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/our-insufficiency-and-gods-sufficiency/
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Above: God Speaking to King Silas Benjamin Through a Storm in New King, Part 2, the Final Episode of Kings (2009)
A Screen Capture via PowerDVD
Listening to God
JUNE 19, 2021
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The Collect:
O God of creation, eternal majesty,
you preside over land and sea, sunshine and storm.
By your strength pilot us,
by your power preserve us,
by your wisdom instruct us,
and by your hand protect us,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 40
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The Assigned Readings:
Job 37:1-13
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
Luke 21:25-28
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Some went down to the sea in ships
and plied their trade in deep waters;
They beheld the works of the LORD
and his wonders in the deep.
Then he spoke, and a stormy wind arose,
which tossed high the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to the heavens and fell back to the depths;
their hearts melted because of their peril.
they reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper
and quieted the waves of the sea.
Then they were glad because of the calm,
and he brought them to the harbor they were bound for.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercy
and the wonders he does for his children.
Let them exalt him in the congregation of his people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
–Psalm 107:23-32, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The imagery of the storm god, common in the ancient Near East, appears in the Bible. We find this imagery in the three readings for today, in fact. Elihu, speaking in Job 37, uses it. Later, in Chapters 38-41, God speaks out of the tempest. Psalm 107 (the reading from which I extended) describes a storm at sea. And we read of natural disasters and of Jesus descending on a cloud in Luke 21. (Cue “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending,” everyone.) The imagery of clouds associated with God is rich in the Bible, from the Book of Exodus to the Transfiguration, Ascension, and Second Coming of Jesus. And, in the NBC series Kings (2009), based on stories of David and Saul yet set in contemporary times, God speaks to King Silas Benjamin (the Saul figure) from storm clouds.
Nevertheless, another passage of scripture comes to my mind. In 1 Kings 19 the prophet Elijah is hiding from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who want to kill him. God speaks to Elijah, but not from any storm or natural disaster:
The LORD was passing by: a great and strong wind came, rending mountains and shattering rocks before him, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a faint murmuring sound.
–1 Kings 19:11b-12, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Then God spoke to Elijah.
I extended the reading from Psalm 107 to include the calmed waters of the sea because doing so works well with the reading from 1 Kings 19.
God does some of God’s best speaking in the quietness, I am convinced. Certainly some occasions justify dramatic demonstrations, but we mere mortals will miss God’s still, small voice if we focus on God’s booming voice. God speaks to us often via a range of channels, from the spectacular to the mundane. My experience has taught me that God has spoken most profoundly to me in the silence and in the conversational speaking tones of people around me. Sometimes God has whispered to me, but usually God has simply spoken to me. Those messages have proven most spiritually helpful in my life.
I invite you, O reader, to make a habit of being quiet and listening for whatever God says to you.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 25, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/listening-to-god/
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Above: The Beheading of St. Paul, by Enrique Simonet
Image in the Public Domain
The Problem of Suffering
JUNE 17 and 18, 2021
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The Collect:
O God of creation, eternal majesty,
you preside over land and sea, sunshine and storm.
By your strength pilot us,
by your power preserve us,
by your wisdom instruct us,
and by your hand protect us,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 40
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The Assigned Readings:
Job 29:1-20 (Thursday)
Job 29:21-30:15 (Friday)
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 (Both Days)
Acts 20:1-16 (Thursday)
Acts 21:1-16 (Friday)
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Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
and his mercy endures for ever.
Let all those whom the LORD has redeemed proclaim
that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.
–Psalm 107:1-2, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Placing that Psalm in the lectionary for these two days seems ironic, especially when considering the other two pericopes.
The titular character of the Book of Job suffered, but not because of any sin he committed. Compounding his plight was the fact that he had to endure alleged friends, who blamed him for his plight. They insisted that, since God does not punish the innocent, Job must have sinned, thus prompting his extreme suffering. They advised him to repent of his sins, therefore. Actually, the text tells us, God permitted the suffering as a test of loyalty. Job protested his innocence and lamented his fate. Anyone who speaks of the “patience of Job,” as if he had any, ought to pay better attention to the story.
Meanwhile, in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul the Apostle was traveling to Jerusalem. He hoped to arrive in time for the first day of Pentecost. At Caesarea the Apostle learned that his journey would take him to a bad fate. He accepted the prophecy calmly, saying,
…I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
–Acts 21:13c, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
He went on to die for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ at Rome “off-camera,” so to speak, after the end of the Acts of the Apostles.
The alleged friends of Job thought that suffering resulted necessarily from sins. Yet St. Paul the Apostle suffered for the sake for the sake of righteousness.
Nevertheless, the assumption that we suffer solely or primarily because of our wrongdoing persists. Also commonplace is a related assumption which says that, if we live righteously, we will prosper and be safe and well. This is the heresy of Prosperity Theology.
Tell that heresy to Jesus and to the Christian martyrs, if you dare,
I say. I conclude that false ideas live on because too many people pay little or no attention to the evidence around them. Perhaps these individuals are merely incurious. (Many people are not very inquisitive, intellectually or otherwise.) Or maybe they are distracted among the other details of life. Regardless of the reason(s), they need to pay better attention and respond to the situation that is, not the situation they imagine exists.
To claim that God never punishes the innocent or permits them to suffer is to make a pious comment–one which is false. What is the functional difference between permitting innocent people to suffer and punishing them? I recognize none. One is passive and the other is active, but the results are the same. The problem of suffering is complicated for we monotheists, for we lack the luxury of blaming an evil deity for misfortune while letting a good deity off the hook. Yes, how we live on this plane of reality affects the afterlife, but the rain still falls on the just and on the unjust in this life. Wicked people still prosper and righteous people still suffer on this side of Heaven. All of this can be difficult to reconcile with the idea of a loving and just God, hence bad theology in defense of God. I prefer an honest question to a false certainty, however.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 24, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS ATTWOOD, “FATHER OF MODERN CHURCH MUSIC”
THE FEAST OF SAINT DIDACUS JOSEPH OF CADIZ, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF OSCAR ROMERO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF SAN SALVADOR; AND THE MARTYRS OF EL SALVADOR
THE FEAST OF PAUL COUTURIER, ECUMENTIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/the-problem-of-suffering/
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Above: Some of the Possessions of Charles Foster Kane, from Citizen Kane
(A Screen Capture)
Proper Priorities
The Sunday Closest to August 3
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
JULY 31, 2022
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The Assigned Readings:
Hosea 11:1-11 and Psalm 107:1-9, 43
or
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23 and Psalm 49:1-11
then
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21
The Collect:
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-eleventh-sunday-after-pentecos/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-eleventh-sunday-after-pentecost/
A Prayer for Proper Priorities:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/a-prayer-for-proper-priorities/
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Citizen Kane is a wonderful film, one which many younger viewers, accustomed to a different, faster-paced style of cinema find intolerable. That is their loss. The movie ends with Charles Foster Kane having died recently. His business empire is gone and his mansion is full of material goods which mean nothing to those burning them.
And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?
–Luke 12:20b, New Revised Standard Version
Night Prayer from A New Zealand Prayer Book (1989) contains the following words near the ritual’s beginning:
It is but lost labour that we haste to rise up early,
and so late take rest, and eat the bread of anxiety.
For those beloved of God are given gifts even while they sleep.
–page 167
Proper priorities matter. Appropriate work provides one with an opportunity for self-fulfillment and economic independence while doing something beneficial to others. It is about the “we,” not just “me.” Such work is something worth enjoying. And everything which destroys or damages that which is best in others and in oneself one must not nurture. Or, as Rumi wrote in A Basket of Fresh Bread:
Stay bewildered in God,
and only that.
Those of you who are scattered,
simplify your worrying lives. There is one
righteousness: Water the fruit trees,
and don’t water the thorns. Be generous
to what nurtures the spirit and God’s luminous
reason-light. Don’t honor what causes
dysentery and knotted-up tumors.
Don’t feed both sides of yourself equally.
The spirit and the body carry different loads.
Too often
we put saddlebags on Jesus and let the donkey
run loose in the pasture.
Don’t make the body do
what the spirit does best, and don’t put a big load
on the spirit that the body could carry easily.
–Translated by Coleman Barks; from The Essential Rumi (1995), page 256
God, who loves us, longs to show us mercy. Yet our actions will have consequences. What we sow, we will also reap. May we sow righteousness and focus on that which is positive and long-lasting.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 13, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, KING OF ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM WAYNE JUSTICE, JURIST
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/proper-priorities/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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