Archive for the ‘Psalm 136’ Tag
Above: The Meeting of Esau and Jacob, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
Seeing the Face of God and Living
JULY 28, 2024
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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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Exodus 24:3-11
Psalm 145 (LBW) or Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 (LW)
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16
John 6:1-15
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O God, your ears are always open to the prayers of your servants.
Open our hearts and minds to you,
that we may live in harmony with your will
and receive the gifts of your Spirit;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 26
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O God, the Protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy,
increase and multiply your mercy on us,
that with you as our Ruler and Guide,
we may so pass through things temporal,
that we lose not the things eternal;
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), 71
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This Sunday we read the Johannine version of the Feeding of the Five Thousand (Plus). You, O reader, may recall that we read the Markan account of that miracle last Sunday. With that comment, I move along to other material.
Besides, I have written about the Feeding of the Five Thousand (Plus) frequently at this weblog.
The reading from Exodus 24 (source = E) agrees with Ephesians 4 regarding the three-tiered cosmos. In Exodus 24, the mythological explanation for the sky being blue is that the sky, as the floor of God’s palace, is like a pavement of sapphire. The Bible is not a science book. To quote the great Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), who got into deep trouble for distinguishing between science and theology following the Protestant Reformation,
The Bible tells us how to go to Heaven, not how the Heavens go.
Mythology aside, can one see God and live? The Hebrew Bible, consisting of sources, disagrees with itself. Not only do sources contradict each other, but sometimes the same source may not of one mind. We read in Exodus 24:9-11 (source = E) that the answer is affirmative. We read in Exodus 33:11 (source = E) that God spoke to Moses
face to face, as one man speaks to another.
Yet we read in Exodus 33:20-24 (source = E, or not, depending on which exegete one believes) that no human being may see God and live, that nobody may see God’s face, and that Moses saw God’s back.
Nevertheless, as often as anyone saw Jesus of Nazareth in the flesh, one saw God–with a face, even.
God is gracious, the assigned readings tell us. So, we who follow God have an obligation to practice such graciousness. David Bentley Hart’s translation of Ephesians 4:2-3 reads:
…With all humility and gentleness, with magnanimity, bearing with one another in love, Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace….
In a way, following that advice constitutes seeing the face of God and living. We read of the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 33. We read that, following decades of enmity and the plausible fear of violence from Esau, Jacob the erstwhile trickster told his brother:
…for to see your face is like seeing the face of God….
–Genesis 33:10, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
That line from the story of Jacob and Esau deserves more attention that most readers of Genesis 33 give it.
We–in our families, congregations, communities, et cetera–need to live the principles of Ephesians 4:2-3. This is the essence of righteousness, which is right relationship with God, self, others, and all of creation. This is righteousness, which is synonymous with justice in the Bible. By grace, may it be our reality.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 10, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF PIERRE TEILHARD DE CHARDIN, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, SCIENTIST, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT BADEMUS, PERSIAN MARTYR, 376
THE FEAST OF SAINT BONIFACY ZUKOWSKI, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC FRIAR AND MARTYR, 1942
THE FEAST OF SAINT FULBERT OF CHARTRES, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF HENRY VAN DYKE, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST
THE FEAST OF HOWARD THURMAN, U.S. PROTESTANT THEOLOGIAN
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Cross and Crown
Image in the Public Domain
A Royal Nation
AUGUST 13, 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 55:1-5
Psalm 104:25-31 (LBW) or Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 (LW)
Romans 8:35-39
Matthew 14:13-21
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Gracious Father,
your blessed Son came down from heaven
to be the true bread which gives life to the world.
Give us this bread,
that he may live in us and we in him,
Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
OR
Almighty God, judge of us all,
you have placed in our hands the wealth we call our own.
Give us such wisdom by your Spirit
that our possessions may not be a curse in our lives,
but an instrument for blessing;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 26
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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;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 73
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The story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, present in all four canonical Gospels, is a topic about which I have written many times during the years I have been composing lectionary-based posts. I refer you, O reader, to those posts for more about that event.
Second Isaiah applied the Davidic Covenant to the people of Judah, delivered from the Babylonian Exile. He wrote that the Jewish people had royal status, not a human king. This transformation of the Davidic Covenant accounted for the fall of the Davidic Dynasty in 587/586 B.C.E. Historically, that dynasty never returned to power. Second Isaiah, having democratized the Davidic Covenant, did not include an idealized future king–the Messiah–in his theology. This vision of the future contrasted with Second Zechariah, who wrote of such a Davidic monarch in Zechariah 9:9-12.
God provided for that royal nation. The authors of Psalms 104 and 136 also understood God as being active in nature and history. The theme of God feeding people carried over into the Feeding of the Five Thousand.
For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nothing already in existence and nothing still to come, nor any power in the heights nor the depths, nor any created thing whatever, will be able to come between us and the love of God, known to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
–Romans 8:38-39, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
This is excellent news! Do you, O reader, trust that this is true?
Psalm 23 tells us that divine kindness and faithful love either pursue or accompany (depending on the translation) us, even in the presence of our enemies. God is on our side. Are we on God’s side?
The people of God are a royal nation. May we think and act accordingly, loving God fully and our neighbors (all people) as ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH AUGUSTUS SEISS, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, LITURGIST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF ALFRED RAMSEY, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF BERNARD ADAM GRUBE, GERMAN-AMERICAN MINISTER, MISSIONARY, COMPOSER, AND MUSICIAN
THE FEAST OF CHARLES COFFIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HANS ADOLF BRORSON, DANISH LUTHERAN BISHOP, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN SPARROW-SIMPSON, ANGLICAN PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND PATRISTICS SCHOLAR
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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 Tears of the Christ
SEPTEMBER 11, 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 13:1-16 or Ezra 1:1-7; 3:8-13
Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26
Revelation 7:9-17
John 11:1-3. 16-44
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Jesus wept.
–John 11:35, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears like their eyes.
–Revelation 7:16-17, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
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I could take so many paths through the assigned readings for this week. These readings are rich texts. I will take just one path, however.
Before I do, here are a few notes:
- Abraham waited for God to tell him which land to claim. Abraham chose well.
- Lot chose land on his own. He chose poorly. However, at the time he seemed to have chosen wisely; he selected fertile land.
- I agree with Psalm 136. Divine mercy does endure forever.
- The chronology of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah weaves in and out of those books. I know, for I blogged my way through them in chronological order at BLOGA THEOLOGICA last year.
For the record, the chronological reading order of Ezra-Nehemiah follows:
- Ezra 1:1-2:70; Nehemiah 7:6-73a;
- Ezra 3:1-4:5;
- Ezra 5:1-6:22;
- Ezra 4:6-24;
- Nehemiah 1:1-2:20;
- Nehemiah 3:1-4:17;
- Nehemiah 5:1-19;
- Nehemiah 6:1-7:5;
- Nehemiah 11:1-12:47;
- Nehemiah 13:1-31;
- Nehemiah 9:38-10:39;
- Ezra 7:1-10:44; and
- Nehemiah 7:73b-9:38.
I take my lead in this post from the New Testament readings. Tears are prominent in both of them. Tears are on my mind during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also on my mind as I continue to mourn the violent death of my beloved. Her departure from this side of the veil of tears has left me shaken and as forever changed me.
The full divinity and full humanity of Jesus are on display in John 11. We read that Jesus wept over the death of his friend, St. Lazarus of Bethany. We also read of other people mourning and weeping in the immediate area. We may not pay much attention to that. We may tell ourselves, “Of course, they grieved and wept.” But two words–“Jesus wept”–remain prominent.
There is a scene in The Gospel According to Saint Matthew (1964) that fits this theme. At the time, Hollywood studios had recently released technicolor movies about a Jesus who had no tear ducts yet had an impressive command of Elizabethan English while resembling a Northern European. Yet Pier Paolo Pasolini, who committed about half of the Gospel of Matthew to film, presented a Jesus who had tear ducts. Immediately after the off-camera decapitation of St. John the Baptist, the next shot was a focus on Christ’s face. He was crying. So were the men standing in front of him.
Jesus wept.
We weep. Jesus weeps with us until the day God will wipe away all tears of those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 23, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE ALMSGIVER, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA
THE FEAST OF CHARLES KINGSLEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST, NOVELIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD GRUBB, ENGLISH QUAKER AUTHOR, SOCIAL REFORMER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JAMES D. SMART, CANADIAN PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF PHILLIPS BROOKS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF MASSACHUSETTS, AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/23/the-tears-of-the-christ/
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Above: Icon of Haggai
Image in the Public Domain
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Part III
OCTOBER 1, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Haggai 1:1-15a
Psalm 136
John 13:21-38
Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-9 (10-20) 21-24
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The thanksgiving for divine mercy in Psalm 136 and the teaching about domestic love and respect (including some awkward sexism and the lack of a condemnation of slavery) contrast with the predicted betrayal of Jesus in John 13. The gratitude to God in Psalm 136 also stands in contrast to the criticized attitude in Haggai 1. Some people, having departed Babylon for their ancestral home and settled there, have built new houses yet oppose rebuilding the Temple. God insists that not only has the time to rebuild the Temple come, but it has arrived already. The matter is one of respect.
If we respect God as we ought, we will want to behave in certain ways, including the care of houses of worship and the treatment of our fellow human beings. We will even oppose slavery and stand against the execution of the innocent.
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-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-part-iii/
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Above: Diocesan Confirmation, the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia, April 28, 2013
Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Deuteronomy and Matthew, Part XII: Identity
OCTOBER 13 AND 14, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 11:26-12:12 (October 13)
Deuteronomy 12:13-32 (October 14–Protestant Versification)
Deuteronomy 12:13-13:1 (October 14–Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Versification)
Psalm 19 (Morning–October 13)
Psalm 136 (Morning–October 14)
Psalms 8 and 113 (Evening–October 13)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening–October 14)
Matthew 12:22-37 (October 13)
Matthew 12:38-50 (October 14)
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In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek,
and neither slave nor free,
both male and female heirs are made,
and all are kin to me.
–John Oxenham, 1913
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The letter of the Law of Moses is culturally specific. So, given the passage of time and the fact of living in a different place, undertanding the spirit of the Law can require some reading of well-researched commentaries. Such reading has made much of the content of Deuteronomy 12 clear to me. Now, for example, two themes of which I choose to write stand out in my mind:
- The Israelites were to avoid emulating the Caananites. Thus, for example, there was to be one legitimate sanctuary, not a plethora of them.
- The Israelites were to recognize God as the owner of everything. They were stewards and tenants.
As the unfolding narrative of the Hebrew Bible reveals, of course, the great majority of Israelites disregarded those principles, both of which pertained to identity relative to God and Gentiles.
Jesus, in Matthew 12, faced questions relative to God and Gentiles. Hence the Sabbath question was a major issue in 12:1-21. Also, if Jesus was God, what did that fact say about his religious critics? Of whom were they? That issue fed much sustained opposition to our Lord and Savior, for carping apparently proved easier than converting. Even members of our Lord’s family (a vital unit in that and other societies) misunderstood him. But, for Jesus, the more important family identity was spiritual and fictive.
Within societies our place relative to others defines us, of course. It can be no other way. But our more important identity is the one relative to God, in whose house there are many rooms. May we honor God more than any human considerations which counter it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 6, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MIDDLETON BARNWELL STUART, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS EDBERT AND EADFRITH OF LINDISFARNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST IF SAINTS EDWARD JONES AND ANTHONY MIDDLETON, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF JEANNETTE RANKIN, UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/deuteronomy-and-matthew-part-xii-identity/
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Above: King Josiah
Image in the Public Domain
2 Chronicles and Colossians, Part III: Suffering and the Glory of God
SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33 (September 15)
2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25 (September 16)
2 Chronicles 36:1-23 (September 17)
Psalm 19 (Morning–September 15)
Psalm 136 (Morning–September 16)
Psalm 123 (Morning–September 17)
Psalms 81 and 113 (Evening–September 15)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening–September 16)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–September 17)
Colossians 2:8-23 (September 15)
Colossians 3:1-25 (September 16)
Colossians 4:1-18 (September 17)
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In the readings from 2 Chronicles we find good news followed by bad news succeeded by worse news followed by good news again. The tradition which produced those texts perceived a link between national righteousness and national strength and prosperity. That sounds too much like Prosperity Theology for my comfort, for, as other passages of the Bible (plus the record of history) indicate, good things happen to bad people, bad things happen to good people, good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people. The fictional character of Job, in the book which bears his name, suffered, but not because of any sin he had committed. And Jesus, being sinless, suffered, but not for anything he had done wrong.
Many of the instructions from Colossians are comforting and not controversial–or at least should not be. Living according to
…compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience
–3:12, Revised English Bible
seems like something almost everyone would applaud, but it did lead to controversies during our Lord and Savior’s lifetime and contribute to his execution. I, as a student of history, know that many people have suffered for following that advice. When society favors the opposite,
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience
lead to trouble for those who enact them.
Other advice is culturally specific. Colossians 2:16-21 comes to mind immediately. It, taken outside of its context, becomes a distorted text. In 1899, for example, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS), the old Southern Presbyterian Church, cited it to condemn observing Christmas and Easter as holy occasions:
There is no warrant for the observance of Christmas and Easter as holy days, but rather contrary (see Galatians iv. 9-11; Colossians ii. 16-21), and such observance is contrary to the principles of the Reformed faith, conducive to will-worship, and not in harmony with the simplicity of the gospel in Jesus Christ.
—Journal of the General Assembly, page 430
Still other advice should trouble us. I will not tell a slave to obey his or her master, for no form of slavery should exist. And I, as a feminist, favor the equality of men and women. So 3:18-25 bothers me. 4:1 does, however, level the slave-master playing field somewhat, however.
Suffering flows from more than one cause. If we are to suffer, may we do so not because of any sin we have committed. No, may we suffer for the sake of righteousness, therefore bringing glory to God. May virtues define how we love, bringing glory to God in all circumstances. And may we not become caught up in the legalistic minutae of theology and condemn those who seek only to glorify God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 25, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS THE ELDER, SAINT NONNA, AND THEIR CHILDREN: SAINT GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS THE YOUNGER, SAINT CAESARIUS OF NAZIANZUS, AND SAINT GORGONIA OF NAZIANZUS
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FEDDE, LUTHERAN DEACONESS
THE FEAST OF JOHN ROBERTS, EPISCOPAL MISSIONARY TO THE SHOSHONE AND THE ARAPAHOE
THE FEAST OF SAINT TARASIUS, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/2-chronicles-and-colossians-part-iii-suffering-and-the-glory-of-god/
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Above: David Entrusts a Letter to Uriah
Image in the Public Domain
2 Samuel and 1 Corinthians, Part VI: Positive and Negative Influences
AUGUST 19 AND 20, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Samuel 11:1-27 (August 19)
2 Samuel 12:1-25 (August 20)
Psalm 136 (Morning–August 19)
Psalm 123 (Morning–August 20)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening–August 19)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–August 20)
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (August 19)
1 Corinthians 12:1-13 (August 20)
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What one person does affects others for good or for ill. That is a basic truth, one which occupies the heart of these days’ readings from 2 Samuel and 1 Corinthians. David’s murder of Uriah the Hittite and adultery with Bathsheba had consequences for more than just Uriah and Bathsheba. And, as Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians, the church is the body of Christ, and therefore ought not to be a context for seeking self-interest at the expense of others.
Interdependence is a basic act of human life. Nobody ever did anything important without the help of others somewhere along the way. I think, for example, of professionals in various fields whom I have heard give much credit to certain teachers. I point to a few of my teachers more than others, but all of them helped me to progress to the next phase of life. One, in particular, did much to prepare me for college by insisting that I know how to write a proper research paper before I graduated from high school.
The proper functioning of society–or just of one’s daily life–requires the input and labor of many people. I do not think often about good roads because I have access to them. The labor of those who built these roads and of those who have maintained them helps me to do what I must do and much of what I just want to do. On the other side of the coin, some people have acted in such ways as to affect me negatively, sometimes with devastating consequences for me. I wonder what my life would be like had they acted differently and reinforce my longstanding commitment to fulfill my responsibilities to others, bearers of the image of God. Quite simply, I rededicate myself to not doing unto others as some have done unto me.
O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live in and the life we live: Watch over those, both night and day, who work while others sleep, and grant that we may never forget that our common life depends upon each other’s toil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 134
Here ends the lesson. Go, O reader, and act accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 25, 2012 COMMON ERA
PROPER 29–THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST–CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SQUANTO, COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING
THE FEAST OF JAMES OTIS SARGENT HUNTINGTON, FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/2-samuel-and-1-corinthians-part-vi-positive-and-negative-influences/
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Above: Air Views of Palestine. Air Route Over Cana of Galilee, Nazareth, Plain of Sharon, etc. Ashdod. Home of Dagon. Encroaching Sand Waves in Distance. 1932.
Image Source = Library of Congress
1 Samuel and Acts, Part III: The Hand of God
JULY 21-23, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Samuel 4:1-22 (July 21)
1 Samuel 5:1-6:3, 10-16 (July 22)
1 Samuel 6:19-7:17 (July 23)
Psalm 19 (Morning–July 21)
Psalm 136 (Morning–July 22)
Psalm 123 (Morning–July 23)
Psalms 81 and 113 (Evening–July 21)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening–July 22)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–July 23)
Acts 16:23-40 (July 21)
Acts 18:1-11, 23-28 (July 22)
Acts 19:1-22 (July 23)
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The Ark of the Covenant was a mysterious and fearsome object. It was, in the minds of some Israelites, the presence of God made tangible. So, of course, they reasoned, its presence at a battlefield would guarantee military victory against the Philistine forces. Wrong! Yet God was not defeated. Humiliations befell an idol of Dagon. And, according to the narrative, Bubonic Plague befell many Philistines. Eventually the Philistines returned the Ark, but those who had looked into the sacred object died.
This story, which I have kept unified across The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod’s daily lectionary of 2006’s daily divisions, contains some troubling aspects. Would a loving God give anyone Bubonic Plague? (The internal evidence, down to tumors and rodents, indicates Bubonic Plague.) And the element of death for looking into the Ark indicates a God concept foreign to me, a Christian. God, for me, is approachable; what is more approachable than the Incarnation? Chronology aside, I reject the idea that God had a personality transplant. We are, I propose, dealing with changing human understandings.
Speaking of changing human understandings, I have caused some controversy in college classrooms in Georgia (U.S.A.) when teaching World Civilization I by pointing out that lived Judaism used to be polytheistic. This fact of history should come as no surprise to anyone who has studied the Old Testament (including 1 Samuel 7) and/or biblical archaeology and/or ancient comparative religion. But some people become irrational, defensive, and oblivious to facts relative to religion; this is an unfortunate tendency. I have nothing to fear from a verified fact about ancient theology. Anyhow, Samuel was correct in 1 Samuel 7:3:
If you mean to return to the LORD with all your heart, you must remove the alien gods and the Ashteroth from your midst and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him alone….
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Paul, Silas, and Timothy served God alone. Along the way they suffered beatings, imprisonments, and a lawsuit. They also founded churches, converted people, and encountered fellow Christians who helped them. The hand of God, which the Philistines could not defeat, also triumphed over the forces opposed to Paul and company.
Being on God’s side does not mean that no hardships will befall one. Eli had to suffer the loss of his sons. And Paul and company had to cope with the aforementioned difficulties, among others. Also, not being on God’s side does not mean that one will face an unbroken series of hardships. But, when one is on God’s side, one will never be alone in those difficulties; the hand of God will never be far away.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 11, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY THAUMATURGUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF NEOCAESAREA; AND SAINT ALEXANDER OF COMANA “THE CHARCOAL BURNER,” ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR AND BISHOP OF COMANA, PONTUS
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLARE OF ASSISI, FOUNDER OF THE POOR CLARES
THE FEAST OF JOHN HENRY NEWMAN, CARDINAL
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/1-samuel-and-acts-part-iii-the-hand-of-god/
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Above: The Edicule, Church of Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Palestine, 1878-1946
Image Source = Library of Congress
Proverbs and John, Part IX: Resurrection and Vocation
JUNE 23-25, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Proverbs 27:1-24 (June 23)
Proverbs 30:1-9, 18-33 (June 24)
Proverbs 31:10-31 (June 25)
Psalm 19 (Morning–June 23)
Psalm 136 (Morning–June 24)
Psalm 123 (Morning–June 25)
Psalms 81 and 113 (Evening–June 23)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening–June 24)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–June 25)
John 20:1-18 (June 23)
John 20:19-31 (June 24)
John 21:1-25 (June 25)
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The readings from Proverbs cover a variety of topics, from friendship to flock management to the imperative of championing the poor and the needy to the virtues of a capable wife. One can establish links between some of these unites and John 20-21, and I will hint at a few of them.
After one has seen Jesus die and meet him afterward, what is one supposed to do? He did die as an insurrectionist (that was the charge), so following him was dangerous. An initial and not unreasonable lack of understanding of the Resurrection faded and made way for mission. A woman told men that Jesus was alive, thereby becoming the first post-Resurrection evangelist. (St. Mary Magadalene, as the Eastern Orthodox say, was an equal of the Apostles.) Returning to fishing was a momentary lapse; the time had come for people after Christ’s Ascension (or whatever form the departure took according to the laws of Nature.) Christ changed everything in the lives of those who went on to proclaim him after he left.
Some understanding comes best by experience, for words, although necessary, are woefully inadequate on some occasions. An author of some proverbs did not grasp how an eagle could fly or a ship navigate. These were (are remain) natural and technological issues, respectively. Such matters one can explain well via facts. The Resurrection of Jesus, however, is more mysterious in its mechanics, and I embrace the mystery. Besides, the post-Resurrection reality really interests me, for it is my reality. It has been human reality for nearly two thousand years. And what that reality will require of me is not necessarily (in technical details) a match for what it will require of you, O reader. Our circumstances are different, and we are not identical. There is plenty of work to do for Jesus; may each of us do our part faithfully.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 16, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF RUFUS JONES, QUAKER THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN FRANCIS REGIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH BUTLER, ANGLICAN BISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/proverbs-and-john-part-ix-resurrection-and-vocation/
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Above: General Winfield Scott Hancock, United States Army
Image Source = Library of Congress
Ecclesiastes and John, Part III: Ethics and Loyalty
MAY 27, 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 everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Ecclesiastes 4:1-16
Psalm 136 (Morning)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening)
John 7:32-53
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Recently, in the wake of a financial scandal related to a large British investment bank, I listened to a BBC World Service radio program which provided analysis. I heard an interview with an anthropologist who studies the cultures of large investment banks. These, according to him, tend to foster dog-eat-dog attitudes, for the quests to earn large bonuses and not to lose one’s job due to perceived redundancy override the ethical drive to work toward the best interests of one’s clients. There is little or no loyalty in the workplace. I thought about that interview while reading Ecclesiastes 4:1-16.
Loyalty can be a precious and rare commodity. And it is something which one ought not to give away like candy on Halloween. Some people deserve it; others do not. The test, I suppose, is reciprocity. My favorite Civil War general was Winfield Scott Hancock. He knew that his job entailed risking the lives of the men under his command, but he put himself at risk next to the lowest-ranking men. He was loyal to them, and they to him. General Hancock earned their loyalty.
When oppression comes people need to act out of loyalty to each other and fidelity to the truth. That is no time to have an “every man for himself” attitude. Nicodemus, in John 7, had legal procedure on his side. He wanted to see his peers follow their own rules. These were the same people who were accusing Jesus of breaking the rules, so should they not have followed theirs? Would that not have been ethical?
When we must answer to God, may unethical behavior not be among our offenses.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 3, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FERARD, ANGLICAN DEACONESS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL, QUEEN
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/ecclesiastes-and-john-part-iii-ethics-and-loyalty/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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