Archive for the ‘1 Corinthians 11’ Category
Above: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci
Image in the Public Domain
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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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Exodus 12:1-14 (Year A)
Exodus 24:3-11 (Year B)
Jeremiah 31:31-34 (Year C)
Psalm 116:10-17 (Years A. B, and C)
1 Corinthians 11:17-32 or 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (Year A)
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (18-21) (Year B)
John 13:1-17, 34 (Year A)
Mark 14:12-26 (Year B)
Luke 22:12-26 (Year C)
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Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal,
Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment:
To love one another as he had loved them.
By your Holy Spirit write this commandment in our hearts;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
Lord God, in a wonderful Sacrament
you have left us a memorial of your suffering and death.
May this Sacrament of your body and blood so work in us
that the way we live will proclaim the redemption you have brought;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 20
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O Lord Jesus, since you have left us
a memorial of your Passion in a wonderful sacrament,
grant, we pray,
that we may so use this sacrament of your body and blood
that the fruits of your redeeming work
may continually be manifest in us;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 44
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In Exodus, the blood of the Passover lambs protected the Hebrew slaves from the sins of Egyptians. The Gospel of John, mentioning three Passovers during the ministry of Jesus, placed the crucifixion of Jesus on Thursday, not Friday, as in the Synoptic Gospels. The Fourth Gospel made clear that Christ was the Passover lamb that third Passover of his ministry. In the Johannine Gospel, Jesus died while sacrificial lambs were dying at the Temple.
We read of the Last Supper in 1 Corinthians 11. That is good, for John refers to it only in passing.
Jesus modeled humility and self-sacrificial love.
These are timeless principles. The nature of timeless principles is that how one lives them depends upon circumstances–who, when, and where one is. Certain commandments in the Bible are culturally-specific examples of keeping timeless principles. Legalism results from mistaking culturally-specific examples for timeless principles. Bishop Robert C. Wright, of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, says:
Love like Jesus.
To that I add:
Be humble like Jesus.
Circumstances dictate how living according to these maxims looks where and when you are, O reader. By grace, may you succeed more often than you fail, for the glory of God and the benefit of your neighbors in God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 14, 2022 COMMON ERA
HOLY/MAUNDY THURSDAY
THE FEAST OF EDWARD THOMAS DEMBY AND HENRY BEARD DELANY, EPISCOPAL SUFFRAGAN BISHOPS FOR COLORED WORK
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTHONY, JOHN, AND EUSTATHIUS OF VILNIUS, MARTYRS IN LITHUANIA, 1347
THE FEAST OF SAINT WANDREGISILUS OF NORMANDY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT LAMBERT OF LYONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENAIDA OF TARSUS AND HER SISTER, SAINT PHILONELLA OF TARSUS; AND SAINT HERMIONE OF EPHESUS; UNMERCENARY PHYSICIANS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Holy Eucharist
Image in the Public Domain
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For Maundy/Holy Thursday, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O Lord God, who hast left unto us in a wonderful Sacrament a memorial of thy passion:
grant, we beseech thee, that we may so use this Sacrament of thy Body and Blood that,
the fruits of thy redemption may continually be manifest in us;
who livest and reignest with the Father, and the Holy Spirit,
ever One God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947),161
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Isaiah 50:4-11
Psalm 56
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
John 13:1-15
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The choice of Isaiah 50:4-11 as a reading for Maundy Thursday is interesting and ironic. The figure there is the personification of those deported during the Babylonian Exile. The theology of the text holds that their suffering was justifiable, that they suffered the consequences of their sins. Yet, in Christian theology, Jesus was sinless.
The choice of Psalm 56 today is also ironic.
Repay them, O God, for their crimes;
in your wrath, bring down the peoples,
is a far cry from,
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
The readings from the New Testament remind us in concrete terms to care for one another. Love is active. Love does not care if it looks unseemly or beneath one’s preferred social status. Love does practice mutuality. Love also hopes for the repentance of enemies and stubborn sinners.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 9, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PEPIN OF LANDEN, SAINT ITTA OF METZ, THEIR RELATIONS, SAINTS AMAND, AUSTREGISILUS, AND SULPICIUS II BOURGES, FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS ACROSS GENERATIONAL LINES
THE FEAST OF EMILY GREENE BALCH, U.S. QUAKER SOCIOLOGIST, ECONOMIST, AND PEACE ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF JULIA CHESTER EMERY, UPHOLDER OF MISSIONS
THE FEAST OF SAINT PHILIP II OF MOSCOW, METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA, AND MARTYR, 1569
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JONES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND MUSICIAN
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Above: The Parish Soup Kitchen, by George Elgar Hicks
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Third Sunday Before Lent, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O Lord, we beseech thee favorably to hear the prayers of thy people;
that we, who are justly punished for our offenses,
may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name;
though Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit,
ever one God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 136
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Ezekiel 3:4-11
Psalm 86
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Matthew 5:1-16
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Some people are hopelessly stubborn; they refuse to heed wisdom. They persist in telling God and those who speak for God to go fly a kite, so to speak. They persist in behavior that harms even members of their community and congregation.
Taking the Holy Eucharist improperly has long been a topic for theologians and denominations. Many of them have resorted to an excessive, Donatistic emphasis on doctrine as the litmus test for partaking of that sacrament. Some still do. I, as an Episcopalian, am, according to some denominations with congregations in my town, one of the theologically and doctrinally impure. Therefore, if I were, theoretically, to take communion in any of those denominations, I would violate the rule of closed communion. I favor open communion. That is how “impure” I am.
The issue in Corinth had a particular context. The Eucharist was still a communal meal in a house church. Members of the congregation came from a variety of economic backgrounds. Poorer members depended partially on food wealthier members provided. Denying those vulnerable members of the church what they needed was wrong. So was mistaking the Eucharist for an opportunity to drink too much.
The lectionary committee’s choice to schedule the Beatitudes from Matthew 5 was odd. The Beatitudes and Woes from Luke 6 would have been better. “Blessed are you who are poor” would have fit better than “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
The poor are always with us. A combination of factors, from sound economic policy to good decisions, can raise many of them out of poverty. Yet, even under the best of circumstances in the human order, the poor will always be with us. Helping them is the wise, ethical course. Blaming and scorning them is not. Neither is criminalizing poverty, another matter of policy.
I write this post during the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic damage of that virus is severe. May governments and other institutions play their part in doing what they can–rebuilding systems and infrastructures so that the opportunities for the economically devastated to lead better lives will exist. May the post-COVID-19 economic order be just. And may we, as individuals, do what we can. May we have proper attitudes, with actions to match.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 11, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF LUKE OF PRAGUE AND JOHN AUGUSTA, MORAVIAN BISHOPS AND HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT KAZIMIERZ TOMASZ SYKULSKI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1942
THE FEAST OF LARS OLSEN SKREFSRUD, HANS PETER BOERRESEN, AND PAUL OLAF BODDING, LUTHERAN MISSIONARIES IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF MARYRS OF EL MOZOTE, EL SALVADOR, DECEMBER 11-12, 1981
THE FEAST OF SAINT SEVERIN OTT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
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Above: The Angel of Death and the First Passover, by Charles Foster
Image in the Public Domain
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For Maundy/Holy Thursday, Year 1
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O Lord God, who hast left unto us in a wonderful Sacrament a memorial of thy passion:
grant, we beseech thee, that we may so use this Sacrament of thy Body and Blood that,
the fruits of thy redemption may continually be manifest in us;
who livest and reignest with the Father, and the Holy Spirit,
ever One God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947),161
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Exodus 12:1-14
Psalm 55:1-14
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Matthew 26:36-46
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For the sake of not flying off in several directions in this post, I refer you, O reader, to the germane tags attached to this post. One could pursue a number of threads. I have pursued most or all of them over the years.
March 25 is an important date. It is, according to ancient mythology, the anniversary of the creation of the world. March 25 is also, in tradition, the anniversary of the conception of Jesus, the annunciation to St. Mary of Nazareth. Also, March 25 was the date of the crucifixion of Jesus, traditionally. March 25 is the Feast of the Annunciation, hence December 25 is Christmas Day. March 25 is also the Feast of St. Dismas, the penitent bandit,
We are approaching Good Friday, the commemoration of the execution of our Lord and Savior. Although we read of that execution occurring on Friday in the Synoptic Gospels, we also read of it taking place on Thursday–Passover itself–in the Gospel of John. The Johannine Gospel makes clear that Jesus was the Passover Lamb that year (29 C.E. or so).
We need deliverance from our sins, of course. Yet that is not all. When we consider the meaning of the first Passover (the one in Exodus), we ought to perceive that we also need deliverance from the sins of others. Do we not read in Exodus that the deaths of firstborn sons in Egypt was divine judgment on Egyptians? Do we not read also that the blood prompted the angel of death to pass over a (Hebrew) home so marked?
The politics of celebrating Passover in Roman-occupied Jerusalem was perilous. A Roman fortress looked down into the Temple complex. Passover was not just an annual religious commemoration; it was also a celebration of God having freed Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. The political parallels to the time were obvious.
A partial explanation of why Jesus died is that he died because of the sins of others–Pontius Pilate, crowd members, various Temple officials, et cetera. (I am trying to remain focused.) That was neither the first nor the last time an innocent person has suffered because of the sins of others, usually the sins of members of officialdom or an institution.
People will not stop dying because of the sins of others until the fully-realized Kingdom of God becomes reality.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 1, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK DENISON MAURICE, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT GIUSEPPE GIROTTI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF JOHN GRAY, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, MYTHOLOGIST, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND PROFESSOR OF HEBREW AND SEMITIC LANGUAGES
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUDOVICO PAVONI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINTS SYRAGIUS OF AUTUN AND ANARCHARIUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; AND SAINTS VALERY OF LEUCONE AND EUSTACE OF LUXEUIT, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
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Above: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci
Image in the Public Domain
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For the First Sunday of the Season of God the Father, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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O Lord Jesus, who prayed for thy disciples that they might be one even as thou art one with the Father:
draw us to thyself that, in common love and obedience to thee,
we may be united to one another in the fellowship of the one Spirit,
that the world may believe that thou art Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
or
Eternal God, who hast called us to be members of one body:
bind us to those who in all times and places have called upon thy name,
that, with one mind and heart, we may display the unity of thy church
and bring glory to thy Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 127
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Isaiah 53:1-11
1 Corinthians 11:17-26
Mark 14:17-25
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This is a devotion for World Communion Sunday, hence the Eucharistic language in Mark and 1 Corinthians, texts that speak for themselves. I, as an Episcopalian, do not think much about World Communion Sunday, for the Holy Eucharist is our default service. The Book of Common Prayer (1979) defines the Holy Eucharist as
the central act of Christian worship.
Why should there be just one Sunday on which as many churches as possible celebrate Communion?
I choose to focus on Isaiah 53:1-11. The identity of the suffering servant is a topic of long-standing disagreement that reaches back into antiquity, before the birth of Christ. My question at the moment is, who was the suffering servant at the time of the Babylonian Exile and Second Isaiah? The most likely answer is the nation of Israel, a seemingly insignificant people who played a prominent role in divine plans and whose suffering was redemptive and salvific for Gentiles. According to this interpretation, resurrection is a metaphor for national renewal after the exile. Besides, a well-informed student of the development of Jewish theology knows that the resurrection of the dead was not yet part of Jewish theology.
In many ways, Jesus is a better fit for the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 because collective sin brought on the Babylonian Exile. Nevertheless, I remind you, O reader, pious Jews studying this passage in the 500s B.C.E. were not talking about Jesus, for obvious, temporal reasons, five centuries prior to the Incarnation.
I do not know how to process the thought that the suffering of Jewish exiles during the Babylonian Exile was redemptive for Gentiles. I suppose that one could argue that suffering brought them back to faith, thereby transforming them into a light to the nations. One could make that case, one which the author of the Book of Jonah probably would have favored. But what about the inward-looking, post-Exilic reaction that led to shunning Gentiles?
Anyway, suffering can lead to positive results for others, regardless of the cause of the suffering. If one grows spiritually, that growth will influence other people, who will influence other people, et cetera. Suffering is bad and unpleasant, but grace can bring about a high yield of benefit from it. Thanks be to God!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 25, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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Above: Joseph Reveals His Identity, by Peter von Cornelius
Image in the Public Domain
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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 45 or Isaiah 56:1-8
Psalm 31:9-18
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Matthew 18:15-35
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Dealing with people can be difficult for various reasons, not the least of which is that some people are difficult. Many are toxic, emotionally and spiritually.
Consider the family of Jacob, O reader. The happy turn of events does not negate the perfidy of previous chapters. Do you not, O reader, know that eventually Jacob confronted those sons of his who had told him years prior that Joseph was dead? That is not a conversation recorded in Genesis.
Yet forgiveness carried the day. And why not? How often have we prayed to God for forgiveness and not been forgiving, of others or ourselves? The hyperbolic debt of 10,000 talents (150,000 years’ worth of wages for a laborer) was impossible to repay. Those who have received forgiveness have always incurred the obligation to forgive. Forgiving others and self has always been the best policy for another reason also; grudges have always hurt those who have nurtured them.
God, in Isaiah 56:1-8, is quite inclusive, abolishing many barriers. All those who believe in God and keep the divine commandments may participate in the future messianic salvation. Foreigners may participate. Eunuchs (excluded in Deuteronomy 23:2) may participate.
But we human beings tend to like exclusionary categories God rejects, do we not? Divine grace seeks people like us and dissimilar from us. It welcomes those who, regardless of any one of a set of factors, we might exclude, but whom God also loves. The standard is a faithful response.
I have long been a churchy person. Yet I have felt more spiritual kinship with refugees from organized religion than with certain other churchy people. Many of the former group have been more receptive to grace than many of the latter group, the ones who made them feel unwelcome in the church. These refugees from church have included homosexuals and people who have asked too many questions. I, as a churchy heterosexual who enjoys questions, have sat among them and shown them that many Christians harbor attitudes that welcome them.
Eucharist in the Corinthian Church in the 50s C.E. was apparently not always welcoming. It was a potluck meal upon which many of the poorer members depended. Yet some of the more prosperous members ate ahead of time, did not contribute to the common meal, and took the occasion to become intoxicated. All of these practices were abuses.
From the beginning of Christianity the Church has been rife with abuses. Human nature has not changed over time, after all. Ecclesiastical partisanship has not ceased. Exploitation has not ceased. However, God has not ceased to bely our ecclesiastical sins either.
May we pay closer attention to that last point.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, SEPTEMBER 15, 1963
THE FEAST OF CHARLES EDWARD OAKLEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JAMES CHISHOLM, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIBERT AND AICARDUS OF JUMIEGES, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2018/09/15/devotion-for-proper-22-year-a-humes/
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Above: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
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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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 12:1-14
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Luke 22:7-38 and/or John 12:1-7, 31b-35
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The Gospel of John provides the three-year framework for the ministry of Jesus, for that gospel refers to three Passover celebrations. In the Gospel of John we read that Jesus was the Passover Lamb the third year. Thus the Last Supper, referred to in passing in the Johannine Gospel, was not a Passover meal, according to that gospel.
The commandment to serve others–to love as Jesus loved–is timeless. The account from Luke 22 juxtaposes the selflessness of Christ with a foolish and ill-timed dispute among the Apostles about who was the greatest. Jesus, we know, went on to die painfully, unlike the author of Psalm 116, who recovered.
Ego can be a difficult temptation to resist. The problem is one of imbalance. People with inadequate or raging egos are trouble, but people with proper senses of self are helpful to have around. One with a weak ego seeks to reinforce it, thereby living selfishly. A person with a raging ego also lives selfishly. Yet we human beings have a commandment to live self-sacrificially and unconditionally–not to occupy the center. No, God should occupy the center. As Gale Sayers stated the case so ably,
God is first, my friends are second, and I am third.
Getting to that point can be challenging, but possible, via grace. We have a fine exemplar–Jess. Loving as he loved is an example of faithful response.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 27, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B: TRINITY SUNDAY
THE FEAST OF PAUL GERHARDT, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ALFRED ROOKER, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST PHILANTHROPIST AND HYMN WRITER; AND HIS SISTER, ELIZABETH ROOKER PARSON, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF AMELIA BLOOMER, U.S. SUFFRAGETTE
THE FEAST OF SAINT LOJZE GROZDE, SLOVENIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/devotion-for-holy-maundy-thursday-years-a-b-c-and-d-humes/
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Above: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci
Image in the Public Domain
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FOR MAUNDY THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO A LECTIONARY FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE BOOK OF WORSHIP FOR CHURCH AND HOME (1965)
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O God, who by the example of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ
has taught us the greatness of true humility,
and calls us to watch with him in his passion:
Give us grace to serve one another in all lowliness,
and to enter into the fellowship of his sufferings;
in his name and for his sake. Amen.
–Modernized from The Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965), page 101
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Exodus 12:1, 3, 6-8, 11, 14, 25-27
Psalm 7
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Mark 14:17-25
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The annual Passover celebration is the commemoration of God’s act of liberating the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago. A diligent student of Biblical history should know that, int he time of Christ, these observances occurred under Roman occupation. Talk about awkward politics!
The author of Psalm 7 demonstrates great concern regarding his righteousness as well as that of God. Yes, individual actions matter, for they affect not only the one who commits them but other people, even if only indirectly. That said, divine righteousness is more important, for it is more constant than ours. In particular the righteousness of Jesus provides a model to emulate and a life to proclaim.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 18, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF MARC BOEGNER, ECUMENIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT GIULIA VALLE, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF SAINT ISAAC HECKER, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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Above: Absalom Conspires Against David
Image in the Public Domain
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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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2 Samuel 16:20-17:7, 11-14, 23
Psalm 119:41-48
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
John 7:10-18
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The assigned portion of Psalm 119 contrasts with the sordid deeds of 2 Samuel 16 and 17. The proverbial chickens of King David (2 Samuel 11) are coming home to roost, the narrative suggests.
A perennial question is how to live as a Christian, with liberty, in the world while avoiding undue scandal, especially when, whatever one does, one will offend somebody. A related perennial question is to what extent one should value the opinions of non-Christians in society. Consider, for example, gender roles, O reader. The practice of women worshiping with their heads uncovered was common in pagan cults. Not only did St. Paul the Apostle share in a portion of culturally inherited sexism, but he also valued the opinions of outsiders too highly. I have concluded that, if I were to cease engaging in all the activities that might offend one person or another, I would do nothing.
Besides, I seldom see women in church cover their heads. In my culture this is not an issue.
The proper standard to pursue is to glorify God. As Jesus knew well, doing that alone incurs the wrath of even a portion of the religious population.
May we, by grace, glorify God and let the proverbial chips fall where they will.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 18, 2017 COMMON ERA
PROPER 6: THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINTS DELPHINUS OF BORDEAUX, AMANDUS OF BORDEAUX, SEVERINUS OF BORDEAUX, VENERIUS OF MILAN, AND CHROMATIUS OF AQUILEIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF ADOLPHUS NELSON, SWEDISH-AMERICAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF ANSON DODGE, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM BINGHAM TAPPAN, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2017/06/18/devotion-for-proper-15-ackerman/
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Above: A Crucifix
Photograph by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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The Collect:
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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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 11:1-6; 12:29-36
Psalm 69:19-21
1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-34
John 15:18-25
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The Corinthian congregation was fractious during and after the time of St. Paul the Apostle. A generation after St. Paul, for example, St. Clement of Rome wrote his letter, called 1 Clement, to that church, which had recently deposed all of its presbyters. Reinstate them, he instructed. The issue at hand in 1 Corinthians 11 was the potluck meal, an early version of the Holy Eucharist. The poorer members of the congregation depended on that meal, which some of the more fortunate members were abusing by eating ahead of time and/or taking the occasion of the potluck meal to become intoxicated. These individuals were not contributing their fair share of the menu.
Jesus, unlike them, gave of himself selflessly and sacrificially. He understood well that following God might make one unpopular to the point of persecution and even execution. To make a mockery of the Holy Eucharist was (and is) to take Jesus lightly.
The author of the canonical Gospels were clear that Jesus was innocent of the charge (insurrection) upon which Roman imperial officials crucified him. Also innocent were the firstborn Egyptian sons in Exodus; they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Maundy Thursday is an especially appropriate time, guided by these readings, to ponder the suffering of the innocent, whether at the hand of the state, selfish individuals, or any other actors. It is also a fine time to consider how our religious tradition continues to ascribe much of this suffering of the innocent to God. What are we accusing God of being like anyway?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 10, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.), 1983
THE FEAST OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA, 1925
THE FEAST OF SAINT LANDERICUS OF PARIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2017/06/10/devotion-for-maundy-thursday-ackerman/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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