Above: A Candle
Image Source = Martin Geisler
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The Collect:
O God of justice and love,
you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son.
Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 52
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The Assigned Readings:
Amos 8:7-14 (Monday)
Joel 1:1-14 (Tuesday)
Joel 3:9-21 (Wednesday)
Psalm 63 (All Days)
1 Corinthians 14:20-25 (Monday)
1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (Tuesday)
Matthew 24:29-35 (Wednesday)
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The hit parade of judgment comes in these days’ readings. Among the themes therein is the final judgment, which a glorious future for God’s people will follow. First, however, one must survive the judgment, if one can.
A theme from the New Testament informs the Old Testament lessons nicely. Faith–by which I mean active faith, in the Pauline sense of the word, not in sense of purely intellectual faith one reads about in the Letter of James–is not just for one’s benefit and that of one’s faith community. No, faith is for the good of those whom one draws to God and otherwise encourages spiritually. The people of God have the assignment to function as a light to the nations. That was the mission in which many Hebrews failed in the days of the Old Testament. They became so similar to other nations that they could not serve as a light to those nations. The same holds true for much of Christianity, whether liberal, moderate, or conservative, for organized religion has a knack for affirming certain prejudices while confronting others. Some denominations, especially in then U.S. South, formed in defense of race-based slavery. Others, especially in the U.S. North, formed in opposition to that Peculiar Institution of the South. Many nineteenth-century and twentieth-century U.S. Protestants recycled pro-slavery arguments to defend Jim Crow laws, and one can still identify bastions of unrepentant racism in churches. Also, mysogyny and homophobia remain entrenched in much of organized Christianity.
To separate divine commandments from learned attitudes and behaviors can prove difficult. It is, however, essential if one is to follow God faithfully and to function as a light to others. May those others join us in praying, in the words of Psalm 63:8:
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 COMMON ERA
PROPER 18: THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF THE SAINTS AND MARTYRS OF THE PACIFIC
THE FEAST OF ELIE NAUD, HUGUENOT WITNESS TO THE FAITH
THE FEAST OF JANE LAURIE BORTHWICK, TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER, POET
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Adapted from this post:
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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