Above: Ruins at Laodicea
Image Source = Roymail
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Turquie_2009_177_Laodicee.jpg)
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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:
Isaiah 30:27-31:9
Psalm 90 (Morning)
Psalms 80 and 72 (Evening)
Revelation 3:1-22
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A Related Post:
Revelation 3:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/week-of-proper-28-tuesday-year-2/
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The church–or a congregation–as John of Patmos reminds us, needs to be alive in Christ, to endure suffering faithfully when it comes, and to embrace Christ and his promises firmly. There will be reward for righteousness in the end and condemnation for its absence. Likewise, in Revelation 30-31, there will be deliverance for Judah and destruction for Assyria. Both will come from God.
But He too is wise!
He has brought on misfortune,
And has not canceled his word.
So He shall rise against the house of evildoers,
And the allies of the workers of iniquity.
–Isaiah 31:2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
We monotheists lack the luxury which dualists and polytheists have; we cannot blame one deity for misfortune and credit another with causing blessings. No, both flow from the God of Judaism and Christianity. This can cause theological discomfort for some people (including me) some of the time, but this is a reality with which we need to wrestle. Perhaps our discomfort arises from inaccurate (to some degree, if not entirely) God concepts. I suspect, in fact, that all of us carry somewhat (at least) inaccurate God concepts in our heads. So our discomfort is entirely predictable.
May we seek God all our days and seek to understand the only deity as best we can. Admitting the limits of our knowledge while holding firmly to our eternal hope, may we receive more commendation than criticism from our Lord and Savior.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 31, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF JOHN WYCLIFFE, BIBLE TRANSLATOR
NEW YEAR’S EVE
BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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