Archive for the ‘Psalm 59’ Tag
Above: Elijah in the Wilderness, by Washington Allston
Image in the Public Domain
Signs
SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Exodus 32:1-14 or 1 Kings 19:1-15
Psalm 59:1-5, 16-17
Hebrews 4:1-13
Mark 8:22-33
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yahweh, God of Hosts, God of Israel!
Awake to punish all the nations,
show no mercy to wicked traitors.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That attitude is consistent with God’s Plan A in Exodus 32, after the idolatry and apostasy at the base of the mountain. Aaron’s poor excuse still makes me laugh, though.
So I said to them, “Whoever has gold, take it off! They gave it to me and I hurled it into the fire and out came this calf!
–Exodus 32:24, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Exodus and Mark contain stories of dramatic, powerful encounters with God. We read of visual and tactile experiences. We also read of short-lived faithfulness, of much grumbling, of obliviousness, of recognition followed by official denial, and of fidelity.
The juxtaposition of the formerly blind man (Mark 8:22-26) and the obliviousness of St. Simon Peter (Mark 8:32-33) highlights the spiritual blindness of the latter man. The stories also challenge us to ponder our spiritual blindness.
Even Elijah, who had recently confronted the prophets of Baal Peor then presided over their slaughter (1 Kings 18), had to deal with his spiritual blindness. While hiding from Queen Jezebel and feeling sorry for himself, he encountered God, who, in that context, revealed self not in dramatic ways (as Baal Peor would have done), but in a still, small voice, or, as The New Jerusalem Bible (1985) renders the text,
a light murmuring sound.
Do we fail to notice messages from God because we seek dramatic signs?
Sometimes, in the Gospels, one reads of Jesus performing a miracle, followed by people demanding a sigh. One’s jaw should drop. One should seek God for the correct reasons and not become attached to dramatic signs. God whispers sometimes. God whispers to us, to those similar to us, and to those quite different from us. God judges and forgives. Signs are abundant. How many do we notice?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 25, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/signs-part-ii/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: The Destruction of Sodom
Image in the Public Domain
The Apocalyptic Discourse, Part IV
AUGUST 6, 2023
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 19:1-29
Psalm 59
Matthew 24:33-35 (36-44) or Luke 17:20-37
1 John 2:3-29 or 2 John 1-13 or 2 Peter 2:1-22
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
False teaching becomes apparent in bad behavior. Simply put, one will know a tree by its fruits, or deeds reveal creeds. If I affirm that I have a moral obligation to think of the best interests of others, I will act accordingly more often than not.
Living according to love is the best way to spend one’s time on Earth. By doing so one will not, for example, seek to rape anyone–such as daughters or angels–as in Genesis 19. By living according to love (as in 2 John 5b-6) one will not seek anyone’s blood or life. By living according to love one will not mislead anyone spiritually or theologically. By living according to love one will think of the best interests of others and recognize them as being one’s own best interests, and therefore seek the common good, not selfish gain.
God has called us to love one another and to glorify Himself, not to become legalistic people who imagine ourselves to be spiritual elites.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment , are gummed up in the sentence “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
–Romans 13:8-10, Revised Standard Version–Second Edition (1971)
Furthermore,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.
–Galatians 5:22-23, RSV II (1971)
And such things do not provoke divine, apocalyptic wrath.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/the-apocalyptic-discourse-part-iv/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Fists
Complaining Against God
JULY 27, 2022
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jeremiah 15:10, 15-21 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):
(Jeremiah speaking)
Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me–
A man of conflict and strife with all the land!
I have not lent,
And I have not borrowed;
Yet everyone curses me.
…
O LORD, you know–
Remember me and take thought of me,
Avenge me on those who persecute me;
Do not yield to Your patience,
Do not let me perish!
Consider how I have borne insult
On Your account.
When Your words were offered, I devoured them;
Your words were offered, I devoured them;
Your word brought me the delight and joy
Of knowing that Your name is attached to me,
O LORD, God of Hosts.
I have not sat in the company of revelers
And made merry!
I have sat lonely because of Your hand upon me,
For You have filled me with gloom.
Why must my pain be endless,
My wound incurable,
Resistant to healing?
You have been to me like a spring that fails,
Like waters that cannot be relied on.
Assuredly, thus said the LORD:
If you turn back, I shall take you back
And you shall stand before Me;
If you produce what is noble
Out of the worthless,
You shall be My spokesman.
They shall come back to you
As a fortified wall of bronze:
They shall attack you
But they shall not overcome you,
For I am with you to deliver and save you
–declares the LORD.
I will save you from the hands of the wicked
And rescue you from the clutches of the violent.
Psalm 59:1-4, 18-20 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Rescue me from my enemies, O God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Rescue me from evildoers
and save me from those who thirst for my blood.
3 See how they lie in wait for my life,
how the mighty gather together against me;
not for any offense or fault of mine, O LORD.
4 Not because of any guilt of mine
they run and prepare themselves for battle.
18 For my part, I will sing of your strength;
I will celebrate your love in the morning;
19 For you have become my stronghold,
a refuge in the day of my trouble.
20 To you, O my Strength, will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold and my merciful God.
Matthew 13:44-46 (J. B. Phillips, 1972):
[Jesus continued,]
Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like some treasure which has been buried in a field. A man finds it and buries it again, and goes off overjoyed to sell all his possessions to buy himself that field.
Or again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he has found a single pearl of great value, he goes and sells all his possessions and buys it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Collect:
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; 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 our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some Related Posts:
Week of Proper 12: Wednesday, Year 1:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/week-of-proper-12-wednesday-year-1/
A Prayer for Those Who Have Harmed Us:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/a-prayer-for-those-who-have-harmed-us/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jeremiah had a difficult vocation. He delivered the bad news God had told him to utter. For his trouble the prophet faced not only rampant unpopularity but persecution. So here we find him in Chapter 15, at a breaking point. Is this self-pity, for which he needs to repent, or is it a legitimate complaint? Many Bible commentaries argues the former, but I side with the latter. There is nothing wrong with demanding answers from God when one deserves them. There is no error in shaking one’s fist at God and screaming, “Why!?!” If the relationship is troubled, at least it exists.
Some, out of piety (surely a good motive), have stated that one ought not to argue with God. Submit to God passively, they claim. But the Old Testament contains stories of people who struggled with God and emerged stronger spiritually. Consider Israel and Job, for example. God was with them before, during, and after their struggles. And God was with Jeremiah after the prophet’s complaint.
Did Jeremiah come dangerously close to committing blasphemy? Some think so. May we take a useful lesson away from the reading from Jeremiah 15: Be honest, but do not commit blasphemy or come close to doing so.
KRT
ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
You must be logged in to post a comment.