Archive for the ‘Psalm 97’ Tag
Above: Church of the Common Ground, Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, May 27, 2013
Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Jeremiah and Matthew, Part IX: Loving God and People Actively
NOVEMBER 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:
Jeremiah 23:21-40
Psalm 136 (Morning)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening)
Matthew 25:31-46
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The call to action for God from the previous post continues. We read of impending disgrace for false prophets in Jeremiah 23; they acted contrary to God. In Matthew 25 we read a familiar story which provides a concrete standard for acting righteously: doing practical, constructive good deeds for others in the name of God. This is a rather Jewish standard, one present in the Law of Moses. Only here the commandments to stone people do not accompany laws about how to provide for the less fortunate.
When we look at others do we see the Image of God habitually? When we look at those with whom we disagree profoundly, do we see those whom God loves? When we look at those whom we really dislike, do we see people for whom Jesus died? When we look at the merely inconvenient, do we wee people of sacred worth? When we look at people whom we do not understand because they are so different from us, do see bearers of the Image of God? How we think about people shapes our attitudes toward them. This is a great moral lesson, one which I need to ponder along with many other people, perhaps including you, O reader.
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-ix-loving-god-and-people-actively/
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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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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