Archive for the ‘Psalm 15’ Tag
Above: Jacob Struggles with the Angel, from the Gutenberg Bible
Image in the Public Domain
Wrestling with God
JULY 30, 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 32:3-31 or Isaiah 14:5-20
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Matthew 10:1-15
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Jacob had been wrestling all his life. In the womb he and his brother Esau had struggled with each other. Jacob had, so to speak, wrestled with Esau during childhood and adulthood. Jacob had also been wrestling with himself. On the eve of what turned out to be reconciliation with Esau, Jacob literally wrestled with God or an angel in human form and received a blessing, as well as a limp. Jacob, literally “supplanter,” also became Israel, literally “may God rule.”
I admire Judaism, from which I learn much. One aspect of Judaism I find especially helpful is struggling with God as part of a relationship with God. One finds evidence of that collective struggle throughout the Hebrew Bible. One also finds evidence of divine judgment and mercy, hence restoration following exile. The reading from Isaiah 14 is a song of taunting against the defeated Babylonian/Neo-Chaldean monarch.
According to the high standards of Psalm 15, not one of we mere mortals has any hope, except via grace. Moral perfectionism is an impossible standard, but we should still strive to be the best versions of ourselves we can be.
St. Paul the Apostle wrote to the quarrelsome Corinthian church that it was God’s temple. (The “you” is plural in the reading.) That congregation needed to shape up and come closer to its spiritual potential. Unfortunately, as anyone who has studied the (First) Letter to the Corinthians from St. Clement (I) of Rome (circa 100) should know, the congregation remained quarrelsome and troublesome for at least a generation after St. Paul’s demise.
As my father taught me, troubled people cause trouble.. They are like Jacob. They are wrestling, metaphorically, with themselves and others. Perhaps they are wrestling with God also. In the meantime, in the context of congregational life, are holding a church back, and other members of that community are permitting them to do so. This is a dynamic present in come congregations I have observed.
One progression in the Gospel of Matthew is the expansion of the audience for the message. The audience in 7:6 consists of Jews. Yet, in 28:19, the audience is
all nations.
I, as a Gentile, am grateful for this expansion of the audience. Through it the wisdom of Judaism, has come to me. As I struggle with God, others, and myself, I hope that I cause no trouble in churches. I hope that I am improving spiritually. I hope that people will recognize the light of Christ in me. To the extent any of this comes true, God deserves all the glory.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 24, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS À KEMPIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, PRIEST, AND SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN NEWTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH, U.S. BAPTIST MINISTER AND THEOLOGIAN OF THE SOCIAL GOSPEL
THE FEAST OF SAINTS VINCENTIA GEROSA AND BARTHOLOMEA CAPITANIO, COFOUNDERS OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF LOVERE
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/wrestling-with-god-part-ii/
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Above: The Parable of the Sower
Image in the Public Domain
Grace and Character Flaws
JULY 14-16, 2022
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The Collect:
Eternal God, you draw near to us in Christ, and you make yourself our guest.
Amid the cares of our lives, make us attentive to your presence,
that we may treasure your word above all else,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 43
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 12:10-20 (Thursday)
Genesis 13:1-18 (Friday)
Genesis 14:1-16 (Saturday)
Psalm 15 (All Days)
Hebrews 5:1-6 (Thursday)
Ephesians 3:14-21 (Friday)
Luke 8:4-10 (Saturday)
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Yahweh, who can find a home in your tent,
who can dwell on your holy mountain?
Whoever lives blamelessly,
who acts uprightly,
who speaks the truth from the heart,
who keeps the tongue under control,
who does not wrong a comrade,
who casts no discredit on a neighbour,
who looks with scorn on the vile,
but honours those who fear Yahweh,
who stands by an oath at any cost,
who asks no interest on loans,
who takes no bribe to harm the innocent.
No one who so acts can ever be shaken.
–Psalm 15, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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Abram (later Abraham) was a fascinating, contradictory, and frequently puzzling figure, for he was a human being. In Genesis 12-14 alone he pretended that Sarai (his wife) was his sister, lied to the Pharaoh (who, unlike Abram, suffered because of the lie), prospered (in large part due to that lie), remained in Canaan and engaged in warfare while Lot, his nephew, moved to Sodom. At the end of Chapter 14 Abram encountered Melchizedek, hence one reason for the reading from Hebrews 5, I suppose.
The traditional name of the reading from Luke 8 is the Parable of the Sower. Nevertheless, the emphasis in the story is the soils, so, as some commentators I have read have argued, we should refer to the Parable of the Four Soils. Each of us is, under the best circumstances, good soil, albeit not entirely so. That is a fact of human nature. Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah had serious defects of character, as did St. Paul the Apostle. Likewise, you, O reader, and I have character flaws. Nevertheless, may the lovely prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 be others’ prayer for us and our prayer for others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 16, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ADALBALD OF OSTEVANT, RICTRUDIS OF MARCHIENNES, AND THEIR RELATIONS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ABRAHAM KIDUNAIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT, AND MARY OF EDESSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC ANCHORESS
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/grace-and-character-flaws/
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Above: Christ Before Pilate, by Mihaly Munkacsy
Image in the Public Domain
Cleansing from Evil that Arises Within Ourselves, Part II
AUGUST 28, 2021
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The Collect:
O God our strength, without you we are weak and wayward creatures.
Protect us from all dangers that attack us from the outside,
and cleanse us from the outside,
and cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves,
that we may be preserved through your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 46
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 34:8-28
Psalm 15
John 18:28-32
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Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?
Who may rest upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads an uncorrupt life
and does the thing that is right;
Who speaks the truth from the heart
and bears no deceit on the tongue;
Who does no evil to a friend
and pours no scorn on a neighbour;
In whose sight the wicked are not esteemed,
but who honours those who fear the Lord.
Whoever has sworn to a neighbour
and never goes back on that word;
Who does not lend money in hope of gain,
nor takes a bribe against the innocent;
Whoever does these things shall never fall.
–Psalm 15, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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The reading from Exodus 34 tells of the restoration of the covenant between Yahweh and the recently liberated Hebrews. God, we read, is compassionate and impassioned, encompassing both mercy and judgment. The covenant was something God took seriously and many people did not, occasional ceremonies not withstanding.
As I read John 18:28-32, the first thing I noticed was that those who delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate’s headquarters were willing to let the Roman authorities execute Jesus yet demonstrated great concern for maintaining their own ritual purity ahead of Passover. The spectacle of people fretting about ritual defilement while being willfully complicit in the execution of an innocent man–a scapegoat, even–is appalling.
Often we Gentiles are prone to point to such stories from the Gospels and condemn the failings of long-dead Palestinian Jews. Those failings deserve condemnation, of course, but what about our sins? How often have we been consciously complicit in injustice (actively or passively) and sought to maintain the illusion of righteousness? We might even fool ourselves, but we do not deceive God, who is both compassionate and impassioned, who commands justice for the widows, the orphans, and the exploited.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 2, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARGARET E. SANGSTER, HYMN WRITER, NOVELIST, AND DEVOTIONAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF LYONS (A.K.A. BLANDINA AND HER COMPANIONS)
THE FEAST OF REINHOLD NIEBUHR, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN OF SWEDEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY, BISHOP, AND MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/cleansing-from-evil-that-arises-within-ourselves-part-ii/
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Above: The Adoration of the Golden Calf, by Nicolas Poussin
Image in the Public Domain
Cleansing from Evil that Arises Within Ourselves, Part I
AUGUST 26 and 27, 2021
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The Collect:
O God our strength, without you we are weak and wayward creatures.
Protect us from all dangers that attack us from the outside,
and cleanse us from the outside,
and cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves,
that we may be preserved through your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 46
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 32:1-14 (Thursday)
Exodus 32:15-35 (Friday)
Psalm 15 (Both Days)
James 1:1-8 (Thursday)
James 1:9-16 (Friday)
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Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?
Who may rest upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads an uncorrupt life
and does the thing that is right;
Who speaks the truth from the heart
and bears no deceit on the tongue;
Who does no evil to a friend
and pours no scorn on a neighbour;
In whose sight the wicked are not esteemed,
but who honours those who fear the Lord.
Whoever has sworn to a neighbour
and never goes back on that word;
Who does not lend money in hope of gain,
nor takes a bribe against the innocent;
Whoever does these things shall never fall.
–Psalm 15, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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The theme of this post comes from the collect. May God cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves. This evil manifests itself in many forms, such as greed, exploitation, needless violence, callousness to the lack of necessities, et cetera. The author of the Letter of James encouraged people to endure doubt and temptation. Doubts arise from within, and temptations come from many points of origin. How one deals with temptations points to one’s inner life, however.
Today’s example of that principle comes from Exodus 32. The purpose of the golden calf was to replace Moses, not God. Moses had been away on the mountain so long that many people feared that they had lost their conduit to God. That conduit was Moses. He returned, of course, and was livid because of what he saw, as he should have been. The slave mentality thrived in the recently liberated people. Theology of God has changed from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation, a fact which explains many otherwise confusing purposes and incidents. I admit that reality while I affirm that the full revelation of God is the one we have received via Jesus of Nazareth, God incarnate, fully human and fully divine. Yes, we humans use mortal and immortal intercessors–even in Christianity. I have, for example, asked people I know to pray for me, family members, et cetera. I have even asked Mother Mary to intercede. (And I grew up as a good United Methodist boy!) No, I do not need any intercessor apart from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but I like the other intercessors also.
The Hebrews in Exodus 32 did not need Moses, any other mortal, a golden calf, or anything else to function as a conduit to God for them. They needed no conduit at all. No, they needed to approach God humbly as free people, not as slaves in their minds, murmuring and rebelling often. From faithful confidence they would have gained endurance during difficult times. Then they would have resisted temptations more easily.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 2, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARGARET E. SANGSTER, HYMN WRITER, NOVELIST, AND DEVOTIONAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF LYONS (A.K.A. BLANDINA AND HER COMPANIONS)
THE FEAST OF REINHOLD NIEBUHR, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN OF SWEDEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY, BISHOP, AND MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/cleansing-from-evil-that-arises-within-ourselves-part-i/
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Above: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci
Image in the Public Domain
Jeremiah and Matthew, Part X: Divine Deliverance–Sometimes Deferred, Sometimes Absent
NOVEMBER 12 and 13, 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:
Jeremiah 25:1-18 (November 12)
Jeremiah 26:1-19 (November 13)
Psalm 123 (Morning–November 12)
Psalm 15 (Morning–November 13)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–November 12)
Psalms 48 and 4 (Evening–November 13)
Matthew 26:1-19 (November 12)
Matthew 26:20-35 (November 13)
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Thereupon the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a meeting of the Council. “This man is performing many signs,” they said, “and what action are we taking?” If we let him to on like this the whole populace will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and sweep away our temple and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You have no grasp of the situation at all; you do not realize that is more to your interest that one man should die for the people, than that the whole nation should be destroyed.”
–John 11:47-50, The Revised English Bible
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Eliakim, son of King Josiah, was the brother of King Jehoahaz (a.k.a. Shallum), who reigned for about three months in 609 BCE. But the Pharaoh of Egypt deposed Jehoahaz/Shallum and replaced him with Eliakim, renamed Jehoiakim, who reigned for about eleven years (608-598 BCE). Judah was under foreign domination, as 2 Kings 23:31-24:7 describes.
This was the context of the readings from Jeremiah 25 and 26: Judah was flung between Egypt and Chaldea then under a solely Chaldean threat. Jeremiah understood this as divine judgment–one which would, in time, turn on the agents of that judgment. And agents of the puppet government tried to have the prophet executed for alleged treason.
Jeremiah survived that threat but Jesus went on to die. The Gospel of John contexualizes the moment well: Jesus was about to become a scapegoat. Yet the perfidious plan of the high priest and others failed. Not only did Jesus rise from the dead, but Roman forces did destroy Jerusalem, the Temple, and the nation in 70 CE, a generation later. But I am getting ahead of the story in Matthew 26.
Jesus, surrounded by Apostles, all of whom would abandon him shortly and one of whom betrayed him immediately, faced mighty forces determined to kill him. They succeeded–for a few days.
So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God,
until he have mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of the arrogant,
and of thee contempt of the proud.
–Psalm 123, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness;
you set me at liberty when I was in trouble;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
–Psalm 4:1, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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Many Bible stories have unhappy endings. Jeremiah, for example, died in exile. Jesus did suffer greatly, but his story had a happy conclusion in the chronological, past-tense narrative. The ultimate end of that tale remains for the future, however. One bit of tissue which connects the Old and New Testament lections today is that tension, reflected in some of the appointed Psalms, between confidence in God and the absence of divine comfort and deliverance in the present tense. It is a tension I do not presume to attempt to resolve all too conveniently and falsely. The good and evil suffer. The good and the evil prosper. Sometimes deliverance does not occur on our schedule. Other times it never happens. This is reality.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 4, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS CARACCIOLO, COFOUNDER OF THE MINOR CLERKS REGULAR
THE FEAST OF JOHN XXIII, BISHOP OF ROME
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/jeremiah-and-matthew-part-x-divine-deliverance-sometimes-deferred-sometimes-absent/
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Above: Landscape with the Parable of the Sower, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Image in the Public Domain
Deuteronomy and Matthew, Part XIII: Loyalty and Identity
OCTOBER 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:
Deuteronomy 13:1-18 (October 15–Protestant Versification)
Deuteronomy 13:2-19 (October 15–Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Versification)
Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22-23; 14:28-15:15 (October 16)
Deuteronomy 15:19-16:22 (October 17)
Psalm 123 (Morning–October 15)
Psalm 15 (Morning–October 16)
Psalm 36 (Morning–October 17)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–October 15)
Psalms 48 and 4 (Evening–October 16)
Psalms 80 and 27 (Evening–October 17)
Matthew 13:1-23 (October 15)
Matthew 13:24-43 (October 16)
Matthew 13:44-58 (October 17)
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Here is a summary of the contents of Deuteronomy 13:1-16:22:
- Execute any false prophet or dream-diviner. (13:1-6/2-7)
- Execute anyone who entices another person to commit idolatry. (13:6-11/7-12)
- Execute the inhabitants of idolatrous towns, burn those towns, and destroy all spoil. Do not rebuild at any of those sites. (13:12-18/13-19)
- Avoid mourning rituals associated with pagan peoples. (14:1-2)
- Eat only ritually clean foods. (14:3-21)
- Pay a tenth of your crops and livestock to God. (14:22-26)
- Provide for the needy and the Levites. (14:27-29)
- Provide debts and free slaves every seventh year. (15:1-18)
- Sacrifice all male firstlings born into your flock to God, assuming that it is a proper physical specimen. (15:19-23)
- Keep a detailed festival calendar and the accompanying instructions. (16:1-17)
- Appoint magistrates who will govern honestly and justly, taking no bribes. (16:18-20)
- Erect no posts, as in honor to Astarte. (16:21-22)
I have mixed feelings about that material. On one hand, I approve of the social justice imperative parts of it. I find even the acceptance of any form of slavery offensive and the command to execute people intolerable. I know that one theme of the Law of Moses is absolute loyalty to God, so idolatry equaled treason, but some commands seem barbaric to me. So far as dietary laws are concerned, I note that I have never cared about them. Proper refrigeration negates some health concerns, as does thorough cooking. One analysis of the forbidden list says that those animals did not fit nearly into certain categories. Assuming that the analysis is correct, what was the problem? Besides, I like to eat ham and intend to continue to do so.
In Matthew 13 we read a series of mostly agricultural parables: the sower and the seed, the darnel and the mustard seed, the treasure in the field, the merchant and the pearls, and the fish of mixed quality. And, at the end of the chapter, people in Nazareth lack faith him. Perhaps they know too much to realize even more.
From those parables I glean certain lessons:
- One should remain focused on God, not allowing anything or anyone to function as a distraction.
- The good and the bad will grow up together and come mixed together. God will sort everything into the correct categories at the right time. That task does not fall to us, mere mortals.
- Nothing is more important than seeking, finding, and keeping the Kingdom of God.
I detect much thematic overlap between that material and Deuteronomy 13:1-16:22, with the notable absence of commands about when to execute or destroy. Yes, Matthew is more riveting reading than Deuteronomy.
I read the Law of Moses as a Gentile, specifically an Episcopalian who grew up a United Methodist. The Law was like a household servant who raised children, St. Paul the Apostle tells us. Now that Christ has arrived on the scene, I have only two commandments, not over 600. So, as long as I am growing via grace into loving God fully and my neighbor as myself, that ham sandwich should not bother my conscience. And I refuse to execute anyone, for I serve an executed and resurrected Lord and Savior. To him I am loyal. In him, not a law code, do I find my identity.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 7, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMITIAN OF HUY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP
THE FEAST OF HARRIET STARR CANNON, COFOUNDER OF THE COMMUNITYN OF SAINT MARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROSE VENERINI, FOUNDER OF THE VENERINI SISTERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT THEODARD OF NARBONNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP; AND SAINTS JUSTUS AND PASTOR, MARTYRS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/deuteronomy-and-matthew-part-xiii-loyalty-and-identity/
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Above: Forest Scene, 1900-1916
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsc-02185
Nehemiah and 1 Timothy, Part I: A Wilderness of Words
SEPTEMBER 18, 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:
Nehemiah 1:1-2:10
Psalm 15 (Morning)
Psalms 48 and 4 (Evening)
1 Timothy 1:1-20
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Lord, who may dwell in your holy tabernacle?
who may abide upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,
who speaks the truth from his heart.
–Psalm 15:1-2, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Yahweh, who shall be a guest in your tent?
Who shall dwell upon your holy mountain?
He who walks with integrity and practices justice,
and speaks the truth from his heart.
–Psalm 15:1-2, The Anchor Bible
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This instruction has love as its goal, the love which springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a genuine faith. Through lack of these some people have gone astray in a wilderness of words. They set out to be teachers of the law, although they do not understand either the words or the subjects about which they are so dogmatic.
–1 Timothy 1:5-7, The Revised English Bible
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Psalm 15 reflects a dialogue between a priest and one seeking entrance to the Temple. The requirements are ethical–acting with integrity and doing justice to others. The portion of the psalm I chose not to reproduce contains details about what those entail, per the Law of Moses.
Not keeping that law, according to Nehemiah and other portions of the Hebrew Scriptures, led to the downfall of kingdoms and exiles of populations. So one reading indicates one way to go wrong. The other way to err we find in 1 Timothy: losing sight of
a pure heart, a good conscience, and a genuine faith,
thereby becoming lost in
a wilderness of words
and stranded in legalistic dogmatism. That is one of my main criticisms of all forms of fundamentalism.
Timeless principles have ever-changing practical applications, which are context-specific. May we, by grace, not go astray in a wilderness of words. Nor may we disregard these timeless principles of integrity and justice. No, may we, by grace, love our neighbors where they are and as effectively as possible. May neither indifference nor dogmatism stand in the way.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 31, 2013 COMMON ERA
EASTER SUNDAY
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA SKOBTSOVA, ORTHODOX MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENJAMIN, ORTHODOX DEACON AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS ASBURY, U.S. METHODIST BISHOP
THE FEAST OF JOHN DONNE, POET AND ANGLICAN PRIEST
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/nehemiah-and-1-timothy-part-i-a-wilderness-of-words/
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Above: Fresco of King Solomon, Elmali Kalise, Cappadocia, Turkey, 1935
Image Source = Library of Congress
Agape, Might, and Right
AUGUST 21 AND 22, 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 Kings 1:1-4, 15-35 (August 21)
1 Kings 2:1-27 (August 22)
Psalm 15 (Morning–August 21)
Psalm 36 (Morning–August 22)
Psalms 48 and 4 (Evening–August 21)
Psalms 80 and 27 (Evening–August 22)
1 Corinthians 12:14-31 (August 21)
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (August 22)
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There are many spiritual gifts, Paul wrote, but the greatest of them is love, that is, agape–self-sacrificial, unconditional love. This is the kind of love which God has for we humans. I notice a consistent thread running through Chapters 12 and 13: The purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up the faith community, to which every member is essential. There is no proper place for self-promotion at the expense of others.
In contrast, Solomon, new to the throne as sole ruler of the Kingdom of Israel, was in a politically weak position. Adonijah, his older brother and rival for the throne, enjoyed crucial support, which Solomon needed. And Adonijah did not take Solomon’s accession well. So Solomon did what many weakened rulers have done: he conducted a bloody purge. There was no love in that.
Might does not make right; agape does. And maintaining power by means of bloodshed makes one morally unfit to govern and corrupts one’s soul. What can anyone give in exchange for one’s soul?
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/agape-might-and-right/
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Above: A Crown
Image Source = Library of Congress
1 Samuel and Acts, Part IV: Positive and Negative Identity
JULY 24-26, 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 8:1-22 (July 24)
1 Samuel 9:1-27 (July 25)
1 Samuel 10:1-27 (July 26)
Psalm 15 (Morning–July 24)
Psalm 36 (Morning–July 25)
Psalm 130 (Morning–July 26)
Psalms 48 and 4 (Evening–July 24)
Psalms 80 and 27 (Evening–July 25)
Psalms 32 and 139 (Evening–July 26)
Acts 21:15-36 (July 24)
Acts 21:37-22:16 (July 25)
Acts 22:17-29 (July 26)
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Central to the narrative of 1 Samuel 8-10 is the idea that Israelites were properly different from other nations. Their neighbors had human kings yet the Israelites had God as monarch; “judges,” or chieftains, provided human governance. So the demand for a human king constituted a rejection of God. The people got what they requested, although the beginning of Saul’s reign was promising. In the long term, however, monarchy turned out as Samuel predicted it would.
In the Acts of the Apostles we read of the other, dark side of not being like other nations: It can become a matter of hubris, that which goeth before the fall. Paul worked among Gentiles, to whom he did not apply the Law of Moses. Yet, contrary to rumor, he did not tell Jews to disobey that code, in particular relative to circumcision. But objective reality did not prevent him from getting into trouble.
I propose that an element crucial to understanding the theme of being different is considering that the Jews were a minority population, heirs of a monotheistic tradition in a sea of polytheism. How a member of a minority identifies oneself flows from that minority status. So a certain element of negative identity (“I am not a/an _______.”) is inevitable. But positive identity (“I am a/an ________.”) is preferable.
I, as a nonconformist, often by who the fact of who I am and frequently by choice, understand both forms of identity. I am usually clueless regarding many popular culture-related topics of conversations, for
- I have other interests, and
- I choose not not to consume most popular media. The “join the bandwagon” advertising approach has less of an effect on me than on many other people. I tend to turn away unless I am already interested.
My favorite Fifties music comes from the 1750s and the 1850s, from the European classical tradition, unless one speaks of certain jazz of the 1950s. I am an unapologetic musical snob; somebody has to be. And, if many people go out of the way to be like others and to subsume their identities into the collective, somebody has to go out of his or her way to stand out.
But none of that justifies spreading rumors, threatening innocent people with violence, and rejecting God. None of that makes right writing off most of the human race and contenting oneself with a “God-and-me” relationship.
Speaking of positive identity, each of us, regardless of labels, background, and circumstances, can claim one status with honesty:
I am a bearer of the image of God.
May we think of each other and ourselves accordingly. As we think so we act and are.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF GREGORIO AGLIPAY, PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT CHURCH BISHOP
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/1-samuel-and-acts-part-iv-positive-and-negative-identity/
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Above: Convent at Mamre Near Hebron, Palestine (Abraham’s Oak), 1944
Image Source = Library of Congress
Divine Promises
The Sunday Closest to July 20
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
JULY 17, 2022
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The Assigned Readings:
Amos 8:1-12 and Psalm 52
or
Genesis 18:1-10a and Psalm 15
then
Colossians 1:15-28
Luke 10:38-42
The Collect:
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-ninth-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/prayer-of-confession-for-the-ninth-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-ninth-sunday-after-pentecost/
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Divine promises turn our worlds upside-down and defy expectations.
Reconciliation, in Colossians 1, is related to justification, a legal concept. So God is the judge, each of us is the accused, and Jesus is the defense attorney. These are inexact metaphors, for
- Elsewhere in the New Testament the Holy Spirit is the defense attorney, and
- The judge is in cahoots with the defense attorney.
But there is more. In Christ our estrangement from God ends. And we have an avenue via Christ to end our estrangements from one another. Why not? If we love God, whom we cannot see, how then ought we to think about our fellow human beings, whom we can see? This is a noble and high vocation, one attainable by grace. And, if we strive yet fall short, God knows that we are but dust.
Such divine generosity requires an affirmative response. St. Mary of Bethany understood this, as did Abraham and Sarah (although the latter needed a little time to grasp it) before her. And one cannot respond affirmatively to God while exploiting people economically. Although Colossians 1 contains a promise of deliverance from sins via God, Amos 8 tells us of doom because of the sin of economic exploitation. The Law of Moses condemned such practices and mandated ways of helping the poor, yet some people manipulated it to make their exploitative deeds seem respectable and proper.
The Bible says more about money, greed, and economic exploitation than about sexual activities, yet many professing Christians are quicker to condemn aspects of the latter than of the former. I have also noticed that condemnations of the latter tend to be more vocal and visible than those of the former. If we who call ourselves Christians are to avoid rank hypocrisy, we ought to realize that many of us are invested in economic realities which place many others at an undue disadvantage. We ought to ask God to help us see or blind spots. We ought to be willing to confront the social structures which grant us advantages at the expense of others. And we ought not to settle for condemning just (or primarily) the low-hanging fruit. Then we will hear what God tells us because we will listen closely. And something unexpected will be born to us via divine power and bring us closer to God, the main agent of bringing about this reconciliation and justification.
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/2013/04/15/divine-promises/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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