Above: Ruins of Corinth
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-00671
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The Collect:
Lord God, source of every blessing,
you showed forth your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son,
who brought gladness and salvation to his people.
Transform us by the Spirit of his love,
that we may find our life together in him,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 22
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The Assigned Readings:
Song of Songs 4:1-8 (Tuesday)
Song of Songs 4:9-5:1 (Wednesday)
Psalm 145 (Both Days)
1 Corinthians 1:3-17 (Tuesday)
Luke 5:33-39 (Wednesday)
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The Lord draws near to all who summon him,,
to all who summon him in sincerity.
For his worshippers he does all they could wish for,
he hears their cry for help and saves them.
–Psalm 145:18-19, The Psalms Introduced and Newly Translated for Today’s Readers (1989), by Harry Mowvley
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They should, therefore, dwell in unity and mutual respect, I suppose, but the opposite is true much of the time.
Two of the three readings contain references to disputes. (The lovers in the Song of Songs are in harmony with each other.) The question of fasting–that some people do it and others do not–arises in Luke 5. And in 1 Corinthians, that community’s notorious factionalism is at issue. Such divisiveness probably arose from well-intentioned attempts to discern and to act in accordance with the will of God and to hold to correct theology; that is my most charitable guess. However, again and again we human beings have proven ourselves capable of fouling up while trying to do the right thing. Then opinions become tribal boundaries. The result is an unholy mess.
The truth is, of course, that there is such a thing as objective reality, and that each of us is right about some details of it and wrong about others. Laying competing fundamentalisms aside and acknowledging a proper degree of ambiguity (in what Calvinist theology labels matters indifferent) is a fine strategy for working toward peace and faithful community.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 COMMON ERA
PROPER 21: THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEOBA, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN AND MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA, 1947
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Adapted from this post:
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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