Archive for the ‘Violence’ Tag
Above: Jesus and His Disciples
Image in the Public Domain
Estrangement from God
JUNE 9, 2024
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Genesis 3:9-15
Psalm 61:2-5, 8 (LBW) or Psalm 28 (LW)
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Mark 3:20-35
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O God, the strength of those who hope in you:
Be present and hear our prayers;
and, because in the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do nothing good without you,
give us the help of your grace,
so that in keeping your commandments
we may please you in will and deed,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 24
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O God, from whom all good proceeds,
grant to us, your humble servants,
that by your holy inspiration we may think the things that are right
and by your merciful guiding accomplish them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 64
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In the great mythology of Genesis 3, the knowledge of good and evil is not intellectualized and academic. No, this is lived knowledge. One can have this knowledge of good and evil only by performing good and evil. The consequences for humans include the inevitable estrangement from God, who had required only obedience. This estrangement from God is the opposite of what we read in the selected psalms and in the epistle lection. In Christian terms, the point of the Incarnation and the Atonement is to reverse that estrangement. Thus, as one can read in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Christ breaks down the walls of estrangement have from each other. Nevertheless, O reader, as you may observe, even Christians rebuild these walls of estrangement and separation. How ironic is that tendency?
The lection from Mark 3 brings us to the topic of the unpardonable sin. The textual context is invaluable in understanding the unpardonable sin–blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The context of the inability to discern between good and evil–in this case, manifested in attributing the deeds of Jesus to an alliance with Satan–indicates estrangement from God. This estrangement is of human origin. Those who, for any reason, persist in this estrangement from God cut themselves off from God, who reaches out to them. Many of them may not know of their estrangement from God.
In textual context of the Gospel of Mark, we can read 3:1-6, in which Jesus scandalously healed a man with a withered hand in a synagogue on the sabbath. That story tells us that some conventionally pious people–other Jews–sought to accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath for healing that unfortunate man on that day. In Mark 3:1-6, all the educators are Jewish, so we read of an intra-Jewish dispute. Verse 5 tells us that Jesus felt anger toward those accusers and grieved their hardness of heart. Verse 6 informs us that plotting for the death of Jesus ensued immediately. So, Mark 3:20-35 plays out in the context of a conspiracy to kill Jesus–in the name of God, of course.
Religion–regardless of its label–is what adherents make of it. If one seeks justification for killing people, one can find it. One may have to distort that religion to locate that mandate or permission slip, but seeking usually culminates in finding. And if one is prone to being merciful and compassionate, one can find justification for that in religion, too. As David Bentley Hart astutely and correctly observes, there is no such thing as generic religion.
In Mark 3, the religion is Second Temple Judaism. The existence of capital offenses in the Law of Moses is a fact. Yet so are cultural considerations of antiquity relative to the first century of the Common Era. Lest we Christians rush to judgment against Judaism, the Law of Moses, or those conspiring Pharisees and Herodians, may we not neglect the logs in our proverbial eyes and the violent sins of our tradition. We have the blood of victims of crusades, inquisitions, pogroms, and wars of religion on our collective hands. David Bentley Hart contextualizes this violent past by (a) explaining that the drivers of it were usually political, and (b) that the religious moral vision exposes the sinfulness of such violence. That is a nuance–one worth considering while never minimizing the devastation of such violence.
Lambasting long-dead Pharisees and Herodians is easy. Condemning long-dead Christians for killing in the name of Jesus (himself executed horribly) requires minimal moral effort, too. But think, O reader: Is there someone whose death you would cheer? Have you ever applauded anyone’s execution, murder, or any other mode of death? If so, are you any different from those whom you deplore for plotting or committing violence, especially in the name of God? If so, you may be estranged from God. This estrangement need not persist, though.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 3, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTY-FIFTH DAY OF LENT
MONDAY IN HOLY WEEK
THE FEAST OF LUTHER D. REED, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST
THE FEAST OF SAINTS BURGENDOFARA AND SADALBERGA, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESSES, AND THEIR RELATIVES
THE FEAST OF MARC SAGNIER, FOUNDER OF THE SILION MOVEMENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARY OF EGYPT, HERMIT AND PENITENT
THE FEAST OF REGINALD HEBER, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF CALCUTTA, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SIDNEY LOVETT, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND CHAPLAIN OF YALE UNIVERSITY
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Jeremiah
Image in the Public Domain
Human Agents of God
JULY 2, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 69:1-20 (LBW) or Psalm 91 (LW)
Romans 5:12-15
Matthew 10:24-33
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O God our defender,
storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid.
Rescue your people from despair,
deliver your sons and daughters from fear,
and preserve us all from unbelief;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 25
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O Lord, whose gracious presence never fails to guide
and govern those whom you have nurtured
in your steadfast love and worship,
make us ever revere and adore your holy name;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 66
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Following God is frequently a guarantee that one will experience rejection, often from devout people. The Golden Rule exists in most of the world’s religions. Yet, O reader, practice the Golden Rule and notice how much criticism you receive from some adherents to some of these religions, including your own.
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.
Faith has the power to transform people. Religion often reinforces positive and negative tendencies people have. God or a deity frequently functions as a justification for what one wants to do anyway. People often create God in their image.
Jeremiah did not create God in his image. The Weeping Prophet struggled with God, complaining while obeying. The authors of the assigned texts from the Hebrew Bible wrote of divine protection. Divine protection kept Jeremiah alive yet did not prevent his involuntary exile in Egypt. And Jesus died horribly via crucifixion.
Martyrs populate Christian calendars of saints. This is consistent with various sayings of Jesus from the canonical Gospels. Commandments to deny oneself, take up one’s cross, and follow Jesus dovetail with Matthew 10:24:
No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
Yet, in sovereignty, God makes unjust suffering work for a positive end. Persecutions and martyrdoms water the church. Redemption comes via the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Often, social injustice prompts a backlash in favor of social justice. The New Testament depicts the violent, oppressive Roman Empire as an involuntary tool of God. God works with what is available.
As much as I enjoy forces of evil functioning involuntarily as agents of God, I assert that being a voluntary agent of God is superior. I try to be one of these voluntary agents of God. To the extent I succeed, I do so by grace. May you, O reader, succeed by grace, in that effort, too.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 4, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CEFERINO JIMENEZ MALLA, SPANISH ROMANI MARTYR, 1936
THE FEAST OF ANGUS DUN, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF WASHINGTON, AND ECUMENIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT BASIL MARTYSZ, POLISH ORTHODOX PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF SAINT JEAN-MARTIN MOYË, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MISSIONARY IN CHINA, AND FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND THE CHRISTIAN VIRGINS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN HOUGHTON, ROBERT LAWRENCE, AUGUSTINE WEBSTER, HUMPHREY MIDDLEMORE, WILLIAM EXMEW, AND SEBASTIAN NEWDIGATE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 1535
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Ruth and Boaz, by Julian Schnorr von Carolsfield
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
OCTOBER 9, 2022
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 18:16-33 or Ruth 2:1-13
Psalm 141
Revelation 19:11-21
John 14:1-14
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Divine judgment and mercy are in balance throughout the Bible. The intercession of Abraham on the behalf of the people of Sodom (Genesis 18:16-33) proved to be in vain, but he did haggle God down. That story expresses something positive about God. When we turn to Revelation 19:11-21, we need to notice that the triumph of suffering, divine love in Christ (mercy, for sure) follows judgment on Babylon (code for the Roman Empire).
I offer a lesson that may be difficult: Mercy for the oppressed may be judgment and punishment of the oppressors. Furthermore, oppressors may not think of themselves as such. They may be the heroes of their own stories. They may think they are righteous, just.
All of us should squirm in discomfort when we think about the human capacity for self-delusion. Human psychology can be a person’s worst enemy. It can also be the worse foe of any community, nation-state, government, institution, corporation, et cetera. Human psychology is the worst enemy of Homo sapiens and Planet Earth.
Thomas Jefferson, a slaveholder, wrote regarding the consequences of slavery for the United States of America:
I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his his justice cannot sleep forever.
The Apocalypse of John is about, among other topics, what will happen when divine judgment wakes up. That warning remains germane at all times and in all places. Exploitation, economic injustice, needless violence, and oppression are always present, to some degree. They are evil. God will vanquish them and inaugurate the fully realized Kingdom of God.
In the meantime, one duty of we who follow God is to leave the world better than we found it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 27, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JEROME, PAULA OF ROME, EUSTOCHIUM, BLAESILLA, MARCELLA, AND LEA OF ROME
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANGELA MERICI, FOUNDRESS OF THE COMPANY OF SAINT URSULA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CAROLINA SANTOCANALE, FOUNDRESS OF THE CAPUCHIN SISTERS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
THE FEAST OF CASPAR NEUMANN, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF PIERRE BATIFFOL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, HISTORIAN, AND THEOLOGIAN
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/27/judgment-and-mercy-part-xxi/
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Above: Ruth, the Dutiful Daughter-in-Law, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
The Inclusive Gospel of Jesus
OCTOBER 2, 2022
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 18:1-15 or Ruth 1:1-19
Psalm 140
Revelation 19:1-10
John 12:37-50
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I detect some themes in the assigned readings. These include:
- Failure to believe, sometimes despite evidence:
- The victory of God over evil regimes, institutions, and people;
- Divine destruction of the corrupt, violent, exploitative, and oppressive world order ahead of replacing it with the fully realized Kingdom of God;
- The divine preference for the poor; and
- God acting in the lives of people, often via other people.
This week, the Humes lectionary takes us to the Book of Ruth, a delightful book about the faithfulness of God, especially in the lives of women. The Book of Ruth also teaches that some Gentiles have faith in the God of the Jews. When one considers that the text may date to either the Babylonian Exile or to the Postexilic period, one may recognize more hope in the story than one would see otherwise. One may even recognize a protest against Ezra 9:9, 10 and Nehemiah 13:23-30, as well as an assertion that foreigners may join the Jewish community.
Divine love includes all who follow God, after all. I, as a Gentile, approve of that message. Divine love also reaches out to those who reject it. Divine love calls upon all people to respond affirmatively.
I do not presume to know who has gone to Heaven or Hell, or who will go to either reality. I guess that Adolf Hitler, for example, is in Hell. However, I affirm that even Hitler was not beyond redemption. I also affirm that he made decisions, which had negative consequences for himself and the world.
The Gospel of Jesus is inclusive. The love of God is inclusive. When we say that salvation comes via Jesus, what does that mean? That question is distinct from what we think it means? I leave to the purview of God what belongs there. My role is to point toward Jesus. To whom else would I, a Christian, point?
How inclusive do we who claim to follow God want to be? Do we want to include all those whom God includes? In other words, who are our Gentiles?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 26, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS TIMOTHY, TITUS, AND SILAS, COWORKERS OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/26/the-inclusive-gospel-of-jesus-part-ii/
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Above: The Tower of Babel, from Metropolis (1927)
A Screen Capture
Glorifying God
SEPTEMBER 4, 2022
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 11:1-9 or Acts 28:16-31
Psalm 135:1-14
Revelation 6:1-17
John 9:1-41
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The gospel of Christ will always stand in judgment of the things that are happening in the political, economic, and social spheres of communities and nations. And if this is so, then martyrdom is not as far away as we think. The word “martyr” in Greek is the same word from which we get the word “witness.”
–Ernest Lee Stoffel, The Dragon Bound: The Revelation Speaks to Our Time (1981), 49-50
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To be a witness to God can be risky. The risk may or may not involve violence, injury or death. However, even under the best of circumstances, to ignore or minimize that risk is foolish. Risk may even come from conventionally religious people–from powerful ones, perhaps.
I detect an element of humor in John 9:1-41. (Reading the Bible in such a way as to miss humor is far too common.) By the time a reader arrives at the end of the story, one may imagine steam pouring out of the ears of some of the Pharisees, if this story were in the form of a Looney Tunes cartoon. This would make for a wonderful scene in verse 27, with the healed man’s question,
Do you want to become his disciples yourselves?
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
At the end of that story, the healed man found himself expelled from the synagogue. His plight must have resonated with members of the Johannine Jewish Christian community, on the margins of their Jewish communal life. Therefore, some Jews referred to other Jews as “the Jews.”
At the end of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul the Apostle lived under house arrest in Rome. Ultimately, he did via beheading.
God may have struck down many enemies and oppressors of Israel, but many of the faithful have suffered and/or died for the faith, too.
The story of the Tower of Babel is a myth. Anyone consulting it in search for a reliable source of linguistic origins is on a doomed mission. That is not to say, however, that the story contains no truth.
This is a story about the folly of self-importance–collective self-importance, in this case. Verse 5 reads:
The LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
That verse conveys the insignificance of human achievements relative to God.
The desire to make a name for ourselves–collectively and individually–is a great value in many societies. It is not, however, a value the Bible champions. Psalm 135 reads, in part:
Hallelujah.
Praise the name of the LORD;
give praise, you servants of the LORD,
who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing hymns to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel, as His treasured possession.
–Verses 1-4, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
If we–collectively or individually–have a name that should last for generations, centuries, and millennia, God will give it to us. That name may not persist in human memory, though.
Some of them left a name behind them,
so that their praises are still sung.
While others have left no memory
and disappeared as though they had not existed.
They are now as though they had never been,
and so too, their children after them.
–Ecclesiasticus 44:8-9, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
So be it.
To seek to glorify God and to maintain divine standards of political, economic, and social justice can be dangerous. At minimum, the risk is social marginalization and scorn. Much of this contempt may come from conventionally devout people who should know better. To serve God or to serve Caesar. To glorify God or to glorify oneself? To worship God or to worship country? The decisions are ours to make?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 23, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE ALMSGIVER, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA
THE FEAST OF CHARLES KINGSLEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST, NOVELIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD GRUBB, ENGLISH QUAKER AUTHOR, SOCIAL REFORMER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JAMES D. SMART, CANADIAN PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF PHILLIPS BROOKS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF MASSACHUSETTS, AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/23/glorifying-god-vii/
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Above: The Parable of the Unjust Steward, by Jan Luyken
Image in the Public Domain
Perplexing Readings
OCTOBER 10, 2021
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of 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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1 Samuel 15:1-23 or Jeremiah 31:27-34
Psalm 109:1-5, 21-27, 30-31
Romans 11:1-21
Luke 16:1-15
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We have some perplexing readings this Sunday. Seldom does a lectionary load a Sunday with difficult lessons.
- The attack on the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15 was to avenge an Amalekite attack on Israelites centuries prior, in Exodus 17:8-16.
- According to Deuteronomy 20:16-18 and 25:17-19, King Saul and his forces, engaged in a holy war (Is there such a thing?), should have killed all enemies, taken no prisoners, and taken no booty. They took booty and spared the life of King Agag, though. This, according to 1 Samuel 15, led to God’s final rejection of Saul, who had blamed others for his violation of the law. (Are we not glad that leaders everywhere no longer deflect blame for their errors? That is a sarcastic question, of course.)
- The tone in Psalm 109 is relentlessly unforgiving.
- We read in Romans 11:1-21 that Gentile believers are, by the mercy of God, a branch grafted onto the Jewish tree. Yet the Gentile branch is not exempt from the judgment of God. The Gentile branch also has a long and shameful record of anti-Semitism.
- The Parable of the Unjust Steward/Corrupt Manager is a challenging text. The titular character is not a role model, after all. Yet he is intelligent and able to secure his future by committing favors he can call in when he needs to do so. One point is that we should be astute, but not corrupt. Naïveté is not a spiritual virtue.
- Money is a tool. It should never be an idol, although it frequently is. Greed is one of the more common sins.
I admit my lack of comfort with 1 Samuel 15 and its background. As Amy-Jill Levine says, people did things differently back then.
I also know well the desire for divine vindication, as well as the unwillingness to forgive. And, when I want to forgive, I do not always know how to do so. This reminds me of the predicament of St. Paul the Apostle in Romans 7:19-20.
Each of us is susceptible to many forms of idolatry. Something or someone becomes an idol when one treats something of someone as an idol. Function defines an idol.
And what about that parable? In the context of the Gospel of Luke, one needs also to consider teachings about wealth–blessed are the poor, woe to the rich, et cetera. The theme of reversal of fortune is germane. Also, the order not to exalt oneself, but to be kind to those who cannot repay one (Luke 14:7-14) constitutes a counterpoint to the dishonest/corrupt/astute manager/steward. Remember, also, that if the fictional manager/steward had been honest, he would have kept his job longer, and we would not have that parable to ponder as we scratch our heads.
Obeying the Golden Rule, being as innocent as doves, and being as wise as serpents seems like a good policy. May we heed the law of God written on our hearts, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 27, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF GEORGE WASHINGTON DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF NEW JERSEY; AND HIS SON, WILLIAM CROSWELL DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF ALBANY; HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTONY AND THEODOSIUS OF KIEV, FOUNDERS OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MONASTICISM; SAINT BARLAAM OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT; AND SAINT STEPHEN OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, POET AND RELIGIOUS WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS REMACLUS OF MAASTRICHT, THEODORE OF MAASTRICHT, LAMBERT OF MAASTRICHT, HUBERT OF MAASTRICT AND LIEGE, AND FLORIBERT OF LIEGE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT LANDRADA OF MUNSTERBILSEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESS; AND SAINTS OTGER OF UTRECHT, PLECHELM OF GUELDERLAND, AND WIRO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZITA OF TUSCANY, WORKER OF CHARITY
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/perplexing-readings/
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Above: Elijah in the Wilderness, by Washington Allston
Image in the Public Domain
Signs
SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
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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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Exodus 32:1-14 or 1 Kings 19:1-15
Psalm 59:1-5, 16-17
Hebrews 4:1-13
Mark 8:22-33
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Yahweh, God of Hosts, God of Israel!
Awake to punish all the nations,
show no mercy to wicked traitors.
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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
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/signs-part-ii/
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Above: Elijah Slays the Prophets of Baal
Image in the Public Domain
Uncomfortable and Difficult
SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
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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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Exodus 24:12-18 or 1 Kings 18:1, 17-40
Psalm 58
Hebrews 3
Mark 8:14-21
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I teach a Sunday School class in which I cover each week’s readings according to the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL has much to commend it, but it is imperfect. (Of course, it is imperfect; it is a human creation.) The RCL skirts many challenging, violent passages of scripture. This post is is a devotion for a Sunday on an unofficial lectionary, however. The note on the listing for Psalm 58 reads,
Not for the faint of heart.
Indeed, a prayer for God to rip the teeth from the mouths of one’s enemies is not feel-good fare. Neither is the slaughter of the prophets of Baal Peor (1 Kings 18:40).
I remember a Sunday evening service at my parish years ago. The lector read an assigned passage of scripture with an unpleasant, disturbing conclusion then uttered the customary prompt,
The word of the Lord.
A pregnant pause followed. Then the congregation mumbled its proscribed response,
Thanks be to God.
The theme uniting these five readings is faithfulness to God. Jesus, we read, was the paragon of fidelity. We should be faithful, too, and avoid committing apostasy. We should also pay attention and understand, so we can serve God better. Hopefully, metaphors will not confuse us.
I perceive the need to make the following statement. Even a casual study of the history of Christian interpretation of the Bible reveals a shameful record of Anti-Semitism, much of it unintentional and much of it learned. We who abhor intentional Anti-Semitism still need to check ourselves as we read the Bible, especially passages in which Jesus speaks harshly to or of Jewish religious leaders in first-century C.E. Palestine. We ought to recall that he and his Apostles were practicing Jews, too. We also need to keep in mind that Judaism has never been monolithic, so to speak of “the Jews” in any place and at any time is to open the door to overgeneralizing.
To condemn long-dead Jewish religious leaders for their metaphorical leaven and not to consider our leaven would be to miss an important spiritual directive. To consider our leaven is to engage in an uncomfortable, difficult spiritual exercise. It does not make us feel good about ourselves.
We also need to ask ourselves if we are as dense as the Apostles in the Gospel of Mark. To do that is uncomfortable and difficult, also.
Sometimes we need for scripture to make us uncomfortable.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 25, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/uncomfortable-and-difficult/
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Above: The Parable of the Talents
Image in the Public Domain
Active Faith
NOVEMBER 19, 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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Nahum 1:1-9, 12-15 or Isaiah 66:10-14
Psalm 38:1-4, 9-15, 21-22
1 Corinthians 16:1-9, 13-14, 20-24
Matthew 25:14-30
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A talent was fifteen years’ worth of wages for a laborer. In the Parable of the Talents all the stewards were honest men, fortunately. Unfortunately, one gave into fearful inactivity while the other two were active. The parable, set amid apocalyptic texts in the context of the build up to the crucifixion of Jesus, cautioned against fearful inactivity when action is necessary.
St. Paul the Apostle was certainly active, maintaining a travel schedule, writing to churches and individuals, and raising funds for the church at Jerusalem.
Fearful inactivity is not the only sin that provokes divine wrath. To that list one can add institutionalized exploitation and violence (read Nahum). When oppressors refuse to change their ways and to cease oppressing, deliverance for the oppressed is very bad news for the oppressors. One might think also of the fate of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire and the end of the Babylonian Exile.
Back to individual sins, we have Psalm 38, a text by an ill man shunned by alleged friends. He also has enemies who plot violence against him. And he is aware of his sins. The psalmist prays for deliverance.
Confession of sin is a requirement for repentance. Sin can be active or passive, as well as collective or individual. May repentance and active faith marked by justice and mercy define us, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
THE FEAST OF EDWARD BOUVERIE PUSEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HENRY LASCALLES JENNER, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND
THE FEAST OF JOHN CAMPBELL SHAIRP, SCOTTISH POET AND EDUCATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/09/18/active-faith-v/
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Above: Caesar’s Coin, by Peter Paul Rubens
Image in the Public Domain
The Presence of God
OCTOBER 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 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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Song of Songs 2:8-13 or Isaiah 59:1-4, 7-14, 20-21
Psalm 34:11-22
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Matthew 22:15-33
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The Song of Songs is a text between a man and a woman, lovers, perhaps married. They are in mortal danger because of their love. I reject overly metaphorical interpretation of the book, such as it is between YHWH and Israel or Christ and the Church. Nevertheless, the affirmation that God is present in the details of our lives does sacramentalize them.
Speaking of our lives, we Christians have the calling to fulfill our roles in the Church, the body of Christ. We are all important in that respect. If we do not do our part, we diminish the Church.
The readings from which Isaiah 59 and Psalm 34 complement each other. God does not separate Himself from us. No, we separate ourselves from God. We do this collectively and individually. We do this via rife injustice. We do this via idolatry. We do this via violence. These sins have consequences in this life and the next one, we read, but God remains faithful and merciful. Divine judgment comes bound up with divine mercy, however.
Speaking of idolatry, what was one of our Lord and Savior’s supposedly devout adversary doing with that idolatrous, blasphemous Roman coin? The Pharisaic trick question was, in the mind of the man who asked it, supposed to entrap Jesus, who might sound like a traitor by advising against paying the Roman head tax or might offend Zealots, Jewish nationalists. The empire had instituted the head tax in the province of Judea in 6 C.E. The tax had prompted insurrection. The tax’s existence contributed to the First Jewish War, after the time of Jesus and before the composition of the Gospel of Matthew. The tax was payable only in Roman coinage. At the time of the scene the coinage bore the image of Caesar Tiberius (I) and the inscription (in Latin) translated
Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine Augustus, high priest.
Jesus found the middle way and turned the tables, so to speak, on those seeking to ensnare him in his words.
Another trick question followed. Some Sadducees, who rejected belief in the afterlife, asked a question, rooted in levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). At the time of the writing of that law, the concept of the afterlife was not part of Judaism. Those Sadducees had missed the point and weaponized scripture. Jesus challenged their religious authority.
Tip: Do not attempt to entrap Jesus in his words.
If we will trust God to help us lead holy lives mindful of the divine presence in all details, especially those we might think of as mundane or not sacred yet not bad, we will find sacred meaning in tasks as simple as housework. We will also be too busy finding such meaning that we will not act like those people condemned in Isaiah 59 or those who attempted to ensnare Jesus verbally. No, we will be too busy being aware of living in the presence of God to do any of that.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 COMMON ERA
PROPER 19: THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE, BISHOP AND MARTYR, 258; AND SAINTS CORNELIUS, LUCIUS I, AND STEPHEN I, BISHOPS OF ROME
THE FEAST OF GEORGE HENRY TRABERT, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, MISSIONARY, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR AND AUTHOR
THE FEAST OF JAMES FRANCIS CARNEY, U.S.-HONDURAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MISSIONARY, REVOLUTIONARY, AND MARTYR, 1983
THE FEAST OF MARTIN BEHM, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/09/16/the-presence-of-god-part-vi/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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