Archive for the ‘Psalm 16’ Tag
Above: Fire
Image in the Public Domain
A Consuming Fire
JUNE 23-25, 2022
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The Collect:
Sovereign God, ruler of all hearts,
you call us to obey you, and you favor us with true freedom.
Keep us faithful to the ways of your Son, that,
leaving behind all that hinders us,
we may steadfastly follow your paths,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 41
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The Assigned Readings:
Leviticus 9:22-10:11 (Thursday)
2 Kings 1:1-16 (Friday)
Deuteronomy 32:15-27, 39-43 (Saturday)
Psalm 16 (All Days)
2 Corinthians 13:5-10 (Thursday)
Galatians 4:8-20 (Friday)
Luke 9:21-27 (Saturday)
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To Yahweh I say, “You are my Lord,
my happiness is in none of the sacred spirits of the earth.”
–Psalm 16:2-3a, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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St. Paul the Apostle was perplexed with the Galatian Church. Many members of it had reverted to idolatry or to the Law of Moses, both of which he considered to be forms of spiritual slavery. As he instructed the Corinthian Church, the proper course of action was to pass the test and remember that they carried Jesus Christ inside them. In Christ, according to St. Paul, was liberation, although not to engage in negative activities, but to build up the faith community, and to pursue virtue (2 Corinthians 12:19-21).
The theme of rebelling against God unites these days’ readings. Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, laid incense upon their fire pans in violation of divine instructions. This constituted sacrilege and an attempt to control God.
Further, the sin of the two brothers was not simply that they went too far in their super-piety. Rather, they acted in utter disregard for the deity. God intended that the manifestation of His Presence would ignite the altar fire, marking His acceptance of His people’s devotion. Their intent was for the divine fire to ignite their own pans; that is, they were attempting to arrogate control of the deity for themselves.
—The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition (2014), page 216
Divine fire consumed the two priests.
Disregard for God was present in the population as a whole. Idolatry and arrogance were difficult habits to break. This was true in Biblical times, as in the days of Elisha. It was true in the time that Jesus of Nazareth walked the face of the earth.
It remains true today, for human nature is a constant factor.
God is a consuming fire. Fire is a destructive force, reducing much to ashes. Yet destruction is frequently part of a creative process, as in the renewal of ecosystems in forests. Divine fire destroys the corrupt and idolatrous, and arrogant so that seeds of fidelity, justice, and humility may germinate.
Jesus faced a difficult decision, and he resolved to take up his cross. His challenge to the Apostles to do likewise has applied to members of generations for nearly 2000 years. Will we be faithful or will we seek the easy way out? Will we turn away from the truth, or will we act as people with Jesus Christ in them? Will we follow the fire of the Holy Spirit or will we risk the fire of divine punishment?
The choice is ours.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 8, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT, JULIA ANNE ELLIOTT, AND EMILY ELLIOTT, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT HUMPHREY OF PRUM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF THEROUANNE
THE FEAST OF JOHN HAMPDEN GURNEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN OF GOD, FOUNDER OF THE BROTHERS HOSPITALLERS OF SAINT JOHN OF GOD
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/a-consuming-fire-2/
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Above: Parable of the Wicked Servants
Image in the Public Domain
Humility and Arrogance
NOVEMBER 11-13, 2021
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The Collect:
Almighty God, your sovereign purpose bring salvation to birth.
Give us faith amid the tumults of this world,
trusting that your kingdom comes and your will is done
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 53
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The Assigned Readings:
Daniel 4:4-18 (Thursday)
Daniel 4:19-27 (Friday)
Daniel 4:28-37 (Saturday)
Psalm 16 (All Days)
1 Timothy 6:11-21 (Thursday)
Colossians 2:6-15 (Friday)
Mark 12:1-12 (Saturday)
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FYI: Daniel 4:1-37 in Protestant Bibles equals Daniel 4:1-34 in Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox translations.
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Arrogance can be easy to muster and humility can be difficult to manifest. I know this well, for
- I have been prone to intellectual arrogance, and
- humility can be painful.
To be fair, some people I have known have nurtured my intellectual arrogance via their lack of intellectual curiosity and their embrace of anti-intellectualism. That reality, however, does nothing to negate the spiritual problem. I am glad to report, however, that it is a subsiding problem, by grace.
The internal chronology of the Book of Daniel defies historical accuracy; I came to understand that fact years ago via close study of the text. The Book of Daniel is folkloric and theological, not historical and theological. The folktale for these three days concerns King Nebuchadrezzar II (a.k.a. Nebuchadnezzar II), King of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned from 605 to 562 B.C.E. The arrogant monarch, the story tells us, fell into insanity. Then he humbled himself before God, who restored the king’s reason.
So now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of Heaven, all of whose works are just and whose ways are right, and who is able to humble those who behave arrogantly.
–Daniel 4:34, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
This is folklore, not history, but the lesson regarding the folly of arrogance is true.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-12) exists in the context of conflict between Jesus and Temple authorities during the days immediately prior to his death. In Chapter 11 our Lord and Savior cleansed the Temple and, in a symbolic act, cursed a fig tree as a sign of his rejection of the Temple system. In Chapters 11 and 12 Temple authorities attempted to entrap Jesus in his words. He evaded the traps and ensnared his opponents instead. In this context Jesus told the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. The vineyard was Israel, the slain slaves/servants were prophets, and the beloved son was Jesus. The tenants were the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They sought that which belonged to God, for Christ was the heir to the vineyard.
1 Timothy 6:11-21 continues a thread from earlier in the chapter. Greed is bad, we read:
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
–6:9-10, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Faithful people of God, however, are to live differently, pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness (verse 11). The wealthy are to avoid haughtiness and reliance on uncertain riches, and to trust entirely in God (verse 17). Further instructions for them include being generous and engaging in good works (verse 18).
Complete dependence upon God is a Biblical lesson from both Testaments. It is a pillar of the Law of Moses, for example, and one finds it in 1 Timothy 6, among many other parts of the New Testament. Colossians 2:6-15 drives the point home further, reminding us that Christ has cancelled the debt of sin.
Forgiveness as the cancellation of debt reminds me of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35). A king forgave a large debt–10,000 talents–a servant owed to him. Given that one talent was fifteen years’ worth of wages for a laborer, and that the debt was therefore 150,000 years’ worth of wages, the amount of the debt was hyperbolic. The point of the hyperbole in the parable was that the debt was impossible to repay. The king was merciful, however. Unfortunately, the servant refused to forgive debts other people owed to him, so the king revoked the debt forgiveness and sent the servant to prison.
So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
–Matthew 18:35, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Just as God forgives us, we have a responsibility to forgive others. Doing so might require us to lay aside illusions of self-importance. That has proven true in my life.
The path of walking humbly with God and acknowledging one’s total dependence upon God leads to liberation from illusions of grandeur, independence, and self-importance. It leads one to say, in the words of Psalm 16:1 (Book of Common Worship, 1993):
Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;
I have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord,
my good above all other.”
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 10, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN SCHEFFLER, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF GEORG NEUMARK, GERMAN LUTHERAN POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN HINES, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/humility-and-arrogance/
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Above: The Logo of the Moravian Church, Set in Stained Glass
Image Source = JJackman
Jeremiah and Matthew, Part VI: The Sovereignty of God
NOVEMBER 7, 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 11:11-23
Psalm 97 (Morning)
Psalms 16 and 62 (Evening)
Matthew 24:1-28
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The author of Psalm 62, in the context of persecution because of his holiness, wrote:
Yet be still my soul, and wait for God:
from whom comes my hope of deliverance.
–verse 5, A New Zealand Prayer Book (1989)
I detect echoes of the Jeremiah and Matthew readings in the Psalms appointed for today. The above quote is just one example of that.
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, fulfilled his unpleasant duty faithfully while arguing with God. The prophet announced doom for idolatry and a host of social injustices–in short, breaking the covenant with God, per Deuteronomy 30:15-20. The prophet placed himself in harm’s way by doing this. He likened himself to a docile sheep led to the slaughter and asked God to avenge him.
That image of a lamb led to the slaughter is one which Christian tradition has applied to Jesus, although he was hardly docile in Matthew 24 and elsewhere. Our Lord and Savior was far from docile in Matthew 21 (“the Temple Incident,” as New Testament scholars call it) or in John 18 or in Matthew 26. Yet the image of a lamb, when applied to Jesus, works well, for he was both the high priest and the sacrificial animal, metaphorically speaking.
In Mathew 24 Jesus warned the Apostles against, among other ills, false prophets and religious persecution:
You will be handed over for punishment and execution; all nations will hate you for your allegiance to me. At that time many will fall from their faith; they will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many; and as lawlessness spreads, the love of many will grow cold. But whoever endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the earth as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.
–verses 9-14, The Revised English Bible
This is a devotion for November 7, at the latter part of the Season after Pentecost. Advent is not far away from November 7–less than one month, in fact. (Advent can begin as early as November 27 and as late as December 3.) By November 7 the Sunday readings in the Revised Common Lectionary have taken a dark turn.
Yet, in the darkness of the tail end of Ordinary Time there is hope. Yes, Jeremiah suffered greatly, but God proved him correct. And nobody who tried to kill the prophet succeeded. Yes, sometimes there is persecution for following Jesus, but God still wins in the end. And God is faithful to the faithful, some of whom will lose their bodies in service to God but none of whom will lose their souls thereby. And Advent is around the corner. Christmas will follow. The summary of the hope of which I write is the Sovereignty of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 3, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MORAND OF CLUNY, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LIPHARDUS OF ORLEANS AND URBICIUS OF MEUNG, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF UGANDA
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/jeremiah-and-matthew-part-vi-the-sovereignty-of-god/
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Above: The Adoration of the Golden Calf, by Nicolas Poussin
Image in the Public Domain
Deuteronomy and Matthew, Part X: Stiff-Necked People
OCTOBER 10 AND 11, 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 9:1-22 (October 10)
Deuteronomy 9:23-10:22 (October 11)
Psalm 97 (Morning–October 10)
Psalm 51 (Morning–October 11)
Psalms 16 and 62 (Evening–October 10)
Psalms 142 and 65 (Evening–October 11)
Matthew 11:1-19 (October 10)
Matthew 11:20-30 (October 11)
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Dark clouds surround the readings for these days. In Deuteronomy 9:6 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures) Moses tells the Israelites:
Know then that it is not for any virtue that your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
Subsequently described events confirm that statement. And only the intercessions of Moses, who suffered for the people, spare them from destruction by God.
Speaking of suffering intercessors, we have Jesus in Matthew 11. He fasts and critics accuse him of excessive asceticism. He eats and drinks and critics allege that he is a glutton and a drunkard. What is a Son of God and Son of Man to do? Whatever he does, someone criticizes him. Yet he finds a more responsive audience among many Gentiles. At least St. John the Baptist, distressed at the end of his life, had an honest question, not a predisposition to carping and to finding fault.
Many people are impossible to please. Others are merely extremely difficult to please. Still others are more persuadable via good evidence and are therefore less likely to prove unpleasant. I hope that I fall into the last category, not either of the first two, in God’s estimation. What more than that what God has done already must God do to persuade? Was liberating the Israelites insufficient? Was feeding them and providing water in the desert not enough? Is the Incarnation not to our liking? How stiff are our necks?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 2, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIGISMUND OF BURGUNDY, KING; SAINT CLOTILDA, FRANKISH QUEEN; AND SAINT CLODOALD, FRANKISH PRINCE AND ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JAMES LEWIS MILLIGAN, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARCULF OF NANTEUIL, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/deuteronomy-and-matthew-part-x-stiff-necked-people/
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Above: A Crucifix
Image Source = Benutzer HoKaff
Hatred and Violence
SEPTEMBER 11 AND 12, 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 29:1-24 (September 11)
2 Chronicles 31:1-21 (September 12)
Psalm 89:1-18 (Morning–September 11)
Psalm 97 (Morning–September 12)
Psalms 1 and 33 (Evening–September 11)
Psalms 16 and 62 (Evening–September 12)
Philippians 3:1-21 (September 11)
Philippians 4:1-23 (September 12)
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The 2006 Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Daily Lectionary has led me through Philippians for a few posts, ending with this one. Thus time the other main readings come from 2 Chronicles. I have combined these lections because
- They seem repetitive to me, and
- They abound with mind-numbing details which seem meaningless to me in the context of the cross of Christ.
As much as I reject the idea that God smote nations for idolatry and sent them into exile, I also reject Penal Substitutionary Atonement. I reject both for the same reason: They make God look like a thug. I do not worship a thug.
Yet turning back to God is always positive. That was what King Hezekiah did. And that was what Paul encouraged, even if he did resort to invective, calling advocates of circumcision “dogs” in Philippians 3:2.
The God of my faith is the one who, in the Resurrection of Jesus, demonstrated the power to thwart evil plans. The God of my faith is the one who hears prayer requests and who
will supply all your needs out of the magnificence of his riches in Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4:19, Revised English Bible
The God of my faith is the one whose servant St. Paul the Apostle urged his friends at Philippi to focus on
…all that is true, all that is noble, all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and attractive, whatever is excellent and admirable….
–Philippians 4:8, Revised English Bible
That is excellent advice everyday, but especially on and around September 11, now the anniversary of a date which will live in infamy. Violence in the name of God is not sacred, for the love of God is incompatible with “sacred” violence. Yes, self-defense is necessary sometimes, but let us never mistake such a sad and imposed duty for a sacred task. What will it profit a person to return hatred for hatred? He or she will lose his or her soul and not bring glory the executed and resurrected Lord and Savior, who overcame hatred and violence with divine power and love.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 3, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF NICHOLAS KASATKIN, ORTHODOX ARCHBISHOP OF ALL JAPAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANSKAR, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF HAMBURG-BREMEN
THE FEAST OF GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA, COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF MILLARD FULLER, FOUNDER OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/hatred-and-violence/
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Above: The City of David, 1931
Image Source = Library of Congress
2 Samuel and 1 Corinthians, Part II: Proper Concern for Others
AUGUST 15, 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 5:1-25
Psalm 97 (Morning)
Psalms 16 and 62 (Evening)
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
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For reasons I do not understand every list of kings of Israel and Judah I have seen in study Bibles excludes Ish-bosheth, son of Saul. He is there in 2 Samuel 2-4, living in David’s shadow. With that out of the way, I move along to David capturing Jerusalem and making it his capital city. The narrative of David is clear: He did well when he obeyed God.
Obeying God means putting away arrogance, which stands in the way of love. St. Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 8, dealt with the issue of good offered to false gods. It is a shame to let good food go to waste, and we know that such alleged deities are not really gods, he wrote, but many other people do not know that. So, he continued, we who have this knowledge ought not to lead others astray, even accidentally. Proper concern for others is one principle at work in that line of reasoning. Another is the fact that people are accountable to each other in society.
At this time I call your attention, O reader to Mark 7:18-21a (The New Jerusalem Bible):
[Jesus] said to [his disciples], “Even you, don’t you understand? Can’t you see that nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean, because it goes not into the heart but into the stomach and passes into the sewer?” (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.) And he went on, “It is what comes out of someone that makes that person unclean. For it is from within , from the heart, that evil intentions emerge…..”
Those evil intentions, the list of which I did not replicate here, are what makes one unclean, according to verse 23.
If St. Paul knew of that saying and of Jesus pronouncing all food clean, he did not indicate that he did. Indeed, he died before the composition of the Gospel of Mark, but the oral tradition (at least that much) existed during St. Paul’s lifetime.
St. Paul made his statement about food offered to false gods in a particular cultural context. The application of principles varies according to contexts; reality cannot be any other way. The principle of not leading others astray, even by accident, is a timeless one. What applying it entails varies from setting to setting. My only caution is this: One must not take it to ridiculous extremes. People being people, some take offense very easily and quickly. One must not permit them to limit one’s actions, or else one will do nothing or too little. And that will be bad. No, we are called to act affirmatively for the good of others; that is what God wants us to do. We will do well to obey that command, however it translates into actions in our specific contexts.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 25, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PROCLUS, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE; AND SAINT RUSTICUS, BISHOP OF NARBONNE
THE FEAST OF ANGELINA AND SARAH GRIMKE, ABOLITIONISTS
THE FEAST OF VINCENT PRICE, ACTOR
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/2-samuel-and-1-corinthians-part-ii-proper-concern-for-others/
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Above: Hannah Presenting Her Son Samuel to the Priest Eli, by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout
Image in the Public Domain
Building Each Other Up
JULY 17 and 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:
1 Samuel 1:1-20 (July 17)
1 Samuel 1:21-2:17 (July 18)
Psalm 89:1-18 (Morning–July 17)
Psalm 97 (Morning–July 18)
Psalms 1 and 33 (Evening–July 17)
Psalms 16 and 62 (Evening–July 18)
Galatians 5:1-26 (July 17)
Galatians 6:1-18 (July 18)
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Hannah’s worth as a human being and as a woman had nothing to do with her reproductive system. Yet at least one other person (Peninnah) thought that it did, and the stress of the situation affected Hannah negatively. That spiritual crisis was real. That emotional pain was real. And God relieved both.
My brief summary of Galatians 5 and 6 follows:
Christian liberty carries with it the obligation to love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself: to think of others more than oneself (without harming oneself needlessly), to seek the common good, to help others shoulder their burdens, to relieve others of other burdens, to practice to fruit of the Holy Spirit, which The New Jerusalem Bible, in 5:22-23, lists as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
I prefer to focus on the positive (the “you shall” list) rather than on the negative (the “you shall not” list) for three reasons:
- Listing what is forbidden does not necessarily indicate what is allowed;
- Focusing on the negative portrays morality in a bad light; and
- Focusing on the positive fills one’s time with good attitudes and deeds.
The positive deeds we are free to do entail building each other up, not tearing each other down. In contrast, Peninnah tore Hannah down. Then God built her up.
Sometimes it is easier to say that one ought to be gentle than it is to be gentle, for some human beings (often unintentionally) make that difficult. I have faced this challenge and not always done as well as I should. Yet I remain mindful of the goal, toward which I continue to press, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 7, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICTRICIUS OF ROUEN, ROMAN CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR AND ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIXTUS II, BISHOP OF ROME, AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF JOHN MASON NEALE, FOUNDER OF THE SISTERHOOD OF SAINT MARGARET
THE FEAST OF MARION HATCHETT, LITURGIST AND EPISCOPAL PRIEST
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/building-each-other-up/
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Above: An Arab Plowing (1898-1946)–See Luke 9:62
Image Source = Library of Congress
Servanthood in Christ
The Sunday Closest to June 29
Third Sunday After Pentecost
JUNE 26, 2022
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 and Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
or
1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 and Psalm 16
then
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62
The Collect:
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; 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/2011/03/07/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/prayer-of-confession-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-pentecost/
2 Kings 2:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/week-of-proper-6-wednesday-year-2/
1 Kings 19:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/proper-14-year-a/
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/week-of-proper-5-saturday-year-2/
Galatians 5:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/week-of-proper-23-tuesday-year-2/
Luke 9:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/devotion-for-the-twenty-third-and-twenty-fourth-days-of-easter-lcms-daily-lectionary/
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/week-of-proper-21-tuesday-year-1/
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/week-of-proper-21-wednesday-year-1/
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Jesus modeled servanthood, which, according to Galatians 5, is the proper use of Christian liberty. Our Lord, as the author of the Gospel of Luke put it poetically, turned his face toward Jerusalem. Jesus rejected excuses for not following the difficult path he proclaimed, the path which led to his crucifixion. Following God can put one at risk, he said. The examples of Elijah, once on the run from Queen Jezebel, and Elisha, whose path led to the fomentation of a palace coup, testified to the truth of that statement.
Do we think of our fellow human beings as people to serve or to exploit? A barrage of news stories regarding skulduggery in very large banks reveals that some people prefer the latter option. The manipulation of interest rates, the foreclosing on homes without checking whether the homeowners have made payments recently and consistently, et cetera do not indicate an ethos of mutual servanthood.
In the Kingdom of God, Jesus said, the first will be last, the last will be first, and the servant of all will be the greatest. Our worth flows from who we are and whose we are, not how much we have. In the Kingdom of God he who dies with the most toys does not win and greed is not good. The Kingdom of God turns power, wealth, and prestige on their heads. It is properly subversive of the human-created socio-economic realities. Why, then, do not more churches proclaim the kingdom? Why do so many function as apologists for an exploitative system?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 17, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BENNETT J. SIMS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF ATLANTA
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF COMPIEGNE
THE FEAST OF SAINT NERSES LAMPRONATS, ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF TARSUS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM WHITE, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/servanthood-in-christ/
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Above: First Phonograph
Image Source = Library of Congress
Proverbs and John, Part VII: Like a Broken Record
JUNE 18-20, 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:
Proverbs 20:5-25 (June 18)
Proverbs 22:1-21 (June 19)
Proverbs 22:22-23:12 (June 20)
Psalm 42 (Morning–June 18)
Psalm 89:1-18 (Morning–June 19)
Psalm 97 (Morning–June 20)
Psalms 102 and 133 (Evening–June 18)
Psalms 1 and 33 (Evening–June 19)
Psalms 16 and 62 (Evening–June 20)
John 17:1-26 (June 18)
John 18:1-14 (June 19)
John 18:15-40 (June 20)
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I am tiring rapidly of the Book of Proverbs. Of course I have dipped into it over the years. And, years ago, I read it from beginning to end as part of a project to read all 78 books of the Slavonic Bible. Yet the Slavonic Bible project was in the 1990s. Now, as a daily lectionary takes me through Proverbs again, this time in conjunction with the Gospel of John, I find myself agreeing with the Fourth Gospel and arguing with Proverbs quite often. Proverbs tends to flit about from topic to topic, saying things like
Put your trust in the LORD and he will deliver you.
–20:22b, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
I reply,
Tell that to Jesus.
The next verse in Proverbs is true, however:
False weights are an abomination to the LORD;
Dishonest scales are not right.
–20:23, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Today I find myself repeating myself yet again: Proverbs is excessively optimistic and the Gospel of John subverts certain traditional notions of sin, suffering, and shame, including many in Proverbs.
I will be glad when the lectionary leaves Proverbs behind. Maybe I will sound less like a broken record…record…record…record…record….record…record…..
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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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/proverbs-and-john-part-vii-like-a-broken-record/
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Above: William Lloyd Garrison, Abolitionist
Image Source = Library of Congress
Song of Songs and Gospel of John, Part III: Violating Social Norms
NOT OBSERVED IN 2019
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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:
Song of Songs 6:4-7:5 (May 22)
Song of Songs 7:6-8:14 (May 23)
Psalm 89:1-18 (Morning–May 22)
Psalm 97 (Morning–May 23)
Psalms 1 and 33 (Evening–May 22)
Psalms 16 and 62 (Evening–May 23)
John 6:22-40 (May 22)
John 6:41-59 (May 23)
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The Song of Songs ends with a note consistent with the rest of the book: this love violates social norms. To consumate it is risky, and the lovers must be prepared for a risky parting or a flight together; the Hebrew text is ambiguous regarding whether the lovers will remain in each other’s company.
Speaking of violating social norms, the discourse of eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood violated Jewish social norms. Such potent language offended sensibilities. It sounds like cannibalism, does it not? And more is happening in the narrative. The Greek text in John 6 echoes the Greek text of the Septuagint in reference to grumbling Israelites in the desert after the Exodus. So those who complained regarding Jesus received especially negative press. And Jesus was (and remains) far more than manna.
In my North American context celebrations of the Holy Eucharist are routine, with no legal attention paid to them. Yet, a few centuries ago, Roman Catholic priests risked their lives to say the Mass in England. Following Jesus violated social and norms at that time and place.
Sometimes I think that following Jesus has become too respectable, not that I favor religious persecution. Early Christianity, like the love in the Song of Songs, had an edge an element of risk to it. And it had value. As Thomas Paine wrote,
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: ‘Tis dearness only that gives everything its value.
—The American Crisis, Number 1, December 23, 1776
And, when religion becomes respected–the establishment even–it loses its prophetic edge. I think of the uses of Christianity in U.S. history to justify slavery then segregation and to criticize prostitutes while affirming the sexism and patriarchy which pushed many women into that situation. Such hypocrisy, in the case of these women, blamed the victims. Simply put, Jesus did not die because he was respectable and affirmed social injustice. No, he died because Roman imperial officials considered him a threat to Pax Romana, a desert called peace, as Tacitus referred to it.
Respectability is overrated.
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/song-of-songs-and-gospel-of-john-part-iii-violating-social-norms/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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