Archive for the ‘1 Kings 3’ Category
Above: The Parable of the Net
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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1 Kings 3:5-12
Psalm 119:129-136
Romans 8:28-30
Matthew 13:44-52
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O God, your ears are always open to the prayers of your servants.
Open our hearts and minds to you,
that we may live in harmony with your will
and receive the gifts of your Spirit;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 26
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O God, the Protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy,
increase and multiply your mercy on us,
that with you as our Ruler and Guide,
we may so pass through things temporal,
that we lose not the things eternal;
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), 71
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Redeem me from human oppression….
–Psalm 119:134a, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
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Good news and bad news come together.
- The reading from 1 Kings 3 marinates in hindsight and the wasted potential of King Solomon, who had come to power like Michael Corleone, settling disputes with murder. One may reasonably speculate that King Solomon had already cast his die before 1 Kings 3. Nevertheless, hope springs eternal, to quote a cliché.
- We read a portion of Psalm 119, in which the author extols God’s commandments in the context of human oppression.
- Single Predestination (Romans 8:28-30) is to Heaven. Those not so predestined have the witness of the Holy Spirit available to them.
- We read that, at the end of the age, the angels will separate the wicked from the righteous. This is good news for the righteous and bad news for the wicked. Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance.
I paid little attention to predestination when I was a Methodist. My theology has shifted, however, into Anglican-Lutheranism, which includes Single Predestination. After growing up ignoring passages such as Romans 8:28-30, I have embraced them.
The good news of Single Predestination, paired with the witness of the Holy Spirit, is grace. Those predestined receive one form of grace. Those not predestined receive another form of grace. Their free will to accept or reject the witness of the Holy Spirit exists because of grace. Everything boils down to grace.
We human beings do not have to earn everything. We cannot earn grace. If we accept it, we also accept its demands on our lives. Grace is free, not cheap.
Good news and bad news come together. We mere mortals make our bad news and some of our good news. God brings us good news. Are we receptive to it?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYL0R
JUNE 18, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM BINGHAM TAPPAN, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER. POET, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ADOLPHUS NELSON, SWEDISH-AMERICAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF BERNARD MIZEKI, ANGLICAN CATECHIST AND CONVERT IN SOUTHERN RHODESIA, 1896
THE FEAST OF JOHANN FRANCK, HEINRICH HELD, AND SIMON DACH, GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF RICHARD MASSIE, HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF VERNARD ELLER, U.S. CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN MINISTER AND THEOLOGIAN
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Adapted from this post
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Above: The Judgment of Solomon, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LV
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1 Kings 3:1-28
1 Kings 4:29-34 (Protestant)
1 Kings 5:9-14 (Jewish and Roman Catholic)
3 Kingdoms 5:9-14 (Eastern Orthodox)
2 Chronicles 1:2-17
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Give the King your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the King’s Son;
That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice;
That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people,
and the little hills bring righteousness.
He shall defend the needy among the people;
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
–Psalm 72:1-4, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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One should read scripture in various contexts. The historical record is such a context. Other contexts include geography, cultural anthropology, and human psychology. And other scripture provides essential contextualization, too.
Both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles tell the story of the dream encounter between Solomon and God. The petition for wisdom, to rule justly, sounds good, does it not? One could forget the bloody purge in 1 Kings 2. One could also ignore the foreshadowing of trouble and idolatry evident in King Solomon’s marriage to an Egyptian princess. Furthermore, 1 Kings 5 and 2 Chronicles 2 refer to the use of forced labor to construct the First Temple. The account in 2 Chronicles 2 minimizes this problem by stating that the burdens of forced labor fell solely on foreigners. However, 1 Kings 5:13/27 (depending on versification) tells us that the monarch imposed forced labor on “all Israel.”
Perhaps we would all feel better if we were to focus on the dream vision and on how King Solomon determined which prostitute was lying to him about being the baby’s mother.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 21, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF GEORGE MCGOVERN, U.S. SENATOR AND STATESMAN; AND HIS WIFE, ELEANOR MCGOVERN, HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF DAVID MORITZ MICHAEL, GERMAN-AMERICAN MORAVIAN MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF JAMES W. C. PENNINGTON, AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST AND PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, EDUCATOR, AND ABOLITIONIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT LAURA OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, FOUNDRESS OF THE WORKS OF THE INDIANS AND THE CONGREGATION OF MISSIONARY SISTERS OF IMMACULATE MARY AND OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA
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Above: Jethro and Moses, by James Tissot
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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Exodus 18 or 1 Kings 3:16-28
Psalm 55:1-8, 16-19, 22
2 Corinthians 12:2-20
Mark 7:1-23
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The condemnation of those who have knowledge of God yet do not put their knowledge into practice is more severe. Even sin committed in ignorance is not without risk.
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Faith must be active to have any power. Faith that includes the law to honor one’s elders, for example, must lead to actions indicating honor of one’s elders. Faith that adjures people to be positive influences must express itself in ways including good advice. Faith that mandates justice must lead to that result.
People are still people, with their weaknesses, of course. We continue to be petty, cruel, selfish, et cetera. These and other negative characteristics detract us from our high callings from God. Do we really want to bicker, as the Corinthian Church did? Perhaps we do. Yet we could do much better than that, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 24, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS À KEMPIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, PRIEST, AND SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN NEWTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH, U.S. BAPTIST MINISTER AND THEOLOGIAN OF THE SOCIAL GOSPEL
THE FEAST OF SAINTS VINCENTIA GEROSA AND BARTHOLOMEA CAPITANIO, COFOUNDERS OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF LOVERE
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2019/07/24/devotion-for-proper-16-year-b-humes/
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Above: Christ Walking on the Sea, by Amédée Varint
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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Exodus 17:1-7 or 1 Kings 2:13, 10-12; 3:3-14
Psalm 54
2 Corinthians 11:18-33
Mark 6:45-56
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Those compulsively protected from risk do not grow strong in faith.
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The way of proper faith is not Easy Street. No, the path leads through peaks and valleys on its way to union with God. The way of proper faith includes storms, too, but one need not endure them alone. The presence of God may seem more obvious during times of difficulty, actually.
I attest, O reader, that times spiritual darkness and turbulence, regardless of what triggered them, are opportunities for spiritual growth. Perhaps you, O reader, know this from experience, too.
One detail from the Gospel reading caught my attention this time, the umpteenth time I have read the story. I focused on Jesus, walking on the water of the stormy Sea of Galilee, intending to pass by the boat carrying the Apostles. This was no casual detail. No, it was an allusion to the presence of YHWH passing before Moses in Exodus 33:19-22. Furthermore, in Mark 6:50, the words of Jesus,
It is I,
echo the great
I AM,
from Exodus 3:13f.
When we encounter the presence of God in a way out of the ordinary for us, how do we respond? Do we fall into sin? Do we remain somewhat oblivious, as the Apostles did for a while? Do we laugh (Genesis 17:17 and 18:12) because divine promises seem absurd? Or do we respond faithfully?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 24, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS À KEMPIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, PRIEST, AND SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN NEWTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH, U.S. BAPTIST MINISTER AND THEOLOGIAN OF THE SOCIAL GOSPEL
THE FEAST OF SAINTS VINCENTIA GEROSA AND BARTHOLOMEA CAPITANIO, COFOUNDERS OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF LOVERE
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2019/07/24/devotion-for-proper-15-year-b-humes/
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Above: Icon of St. Paul the Apostle
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Year 1, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Eternal God, who hast taught us that we shall life if we love thee and our neighbor:
help us to know who is our neighbor and to serve him, that we may truly love thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 125
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1 Kings 3:3-14
Acts 28:23-31
Matthew 10:16-25
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This set of readings is interesting; the first pericope seems not to fit with the other two, at least initially.
St. Paul the Apostle ended his days under house arrest in Rome. He was free to preach there, until he died of beheading. His martyrdom was a form of religious persecution.
Religious persecution is recognizable. If one, for example, risks severe penalties (such as incarceration or death), legal or informal, for attending the church of one’s choice, one suffers from religious persecution. Many of my fellow Christians live their faith under religious persecution. I, a citizen and resident of the United States of America, do not suffer religious persecution, fortunately; nobody interferes with my church-going. Yet I do know of incidents of domestic terrorists burning churches or vandalizing houses of worship, often out of racism or xenophobia. These actions constitute forms of religious persecution. Yet legal authorities in the United States often deal with those domestic terrorists.
Wise governance can minimize, although not prevent, informal religious persecution. Wise governance certainly prevents official religious persecution. Yet there is no such thing as absolute freedom. I know, for example, of some extreme cases in which child abusers have attempted to hide behind appeals to religious freedom. However, religious freedom does not excuse domestic violence; prosecution of that offense does not constitute religious persecution.
When Christianity endures religious persecution, the faith emerges stronger for the ordeal. The blood of the martyrs truly waters the Church.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 11, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE TENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF LUKE OF PRAGUE AND JOHN AUGUSTA, MORAVIAN BISHOPS AND HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT KAZIMIERZ TOMAS SYKULSKI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF LARS OLSEN SKREFSRUD, HANS PETER BOERRESEN, AND PAUL OLAF BODDING, LUTHERAN MISSIONARIES IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SEVERIN OTT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
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Above: The Judgment of Solomon, by Giorgione
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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1 Kings 3:16-28
Psalm 119:49-56
1 Corinthians 14:6-19
John 7:19-24
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Do not judge by appearances,
but judge with right judgment.
–John 7:24, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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When I think of your ordinances from of old,
I take comfort, O LORD.
–Psalm 119:52, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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Sometimes exercising right judgment is easy. For example, the actual mother of a child will not want to see him killed and cut in half. At other times, however, the circumstances exist in the gray, vague area. There people might agree regarding goals yet differ as to proper tactics. May we, by grace, make proper decisions, choices consistent with right judgment.
A principle related to right judgment is the building up of the community, secular or religious. The gifts of the Spirit, for example, exist to glorify God and benefit the faith community in 1 Corinthians 14. They do not exist to draw attention to the recipients of those gifts. Human beings are inherently social, community-oriented creatures. We depend entirely on God and on each other. We are responsible to and for each other. We have no moral right to exploit one another. Our responsibilities fall into two categories–individual and collective. We cannot harm others without injuring ourselves or help others without benefiting ourselves.
These principles exist in the Law of Moses, present in many culturally specific examples. May we, by grace, apply these principles to our circumstances correctly.
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-16-ackerman/
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Above: The Temple of Solomon
Scan (from an old book) by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
Discomfort with Scripture
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015, and THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2015
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you gave us your only Son
to take on our human nature and to illumine the world with your light.
By your grace adopt us as your children and enlighten us with your Spirit,
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 20
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 3:10-17 (December 30)
1 Kings 3:5-14 (December 31)
Psalm 147:12-20 (Both Days)
Mark 13:32-37 (December 30)
John 8:12-19 (December 31)
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Psalm 147 is a happy hymn of praise to God. Reading, chanting, or singing that text makes people feel good and holy. But what about other psalms and parts thereof?
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy the one who repays you
for all you have done to us;
Who take your little ones,
and dashes them against the rock.
–Psalm 137:8-9, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
The pericopes for these days constitute a combination of the comfortable and the cringe-worthy. King Solomon, after obeying his father’s advice and conducting a royal purge after his accession, allegedly received wisdom from God. He also built a beautiful Temple in Jerusalem, financing it with high taxes and using forced labor. The Temple was, in the Hebrew religion of the time, where people found reconciliation with God. And it existed courtesy of the monarchy. Solomon was using religion to prop up the dynasty. Meanwhile, the details of Solomon’s reign revealed a lack of wisdom, especially in governance.
Jesus as the light of the world (John 8:12-19) fits easily inside the comfort zones of many people, but the entirety of Mark 13 does not. That chapter, a miniature apocalypse, proves terribly inconvenient to those who prefer a perpetually smiling Jesus (as in illustrations for many Bibles and Bible story books for children) and a non-apocalyptic Christ. Yet the chapter is present.
The best approach to scripture is an honest and faithful one. To pretend that contradictions which do exist do not exist is dishonest, and to lose oneself among the proverbial trees and therefore lose sight of the continuity in the forest is faithless. Many authors from various backgrounds and timeframes contributed to the Bible, that sacred anthology. They disagreed regarding various topics, and theology changed as time passed. Yet there is much consistency on major topics. And, when certain passages cause us to squirm in discomfort, we are at least thinking about them. Bringing one’s intellect to bear on scripture is a proper thing to do, for higher-order thinking is part of the image of God, which each human being bears.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 24, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2015/08/24/devotion-for-december-30-and-31-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Juvenile Coal Miners, United States of America, 1908-1912
Photographer = Lewis Hine
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
All-powerful and unseen God, the coming of your light
into our world has brightened weary hearts with peace.
Call us out of darkness, and empower us to proclaim the birth of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 20
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Kings 3:5-14
Psalm 148
John 8:12-19
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Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and women,
old and young together;
let them praise the name of the Lord.
–Psalm 148:11-12, Common Worship (2000)
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The Old Testament texts are of two minds regarding monarchy, for there are layers of composition in the Hebrew Scriptures. The prophet Samuel warned people that they did not really want a king, who would raise their taxes, take their daughters, and send their sons to war. Yet much of the Old Testament tradition has led to faithful people reading of how God chose David the shepherd to become a great, although flawed, monarch. Much of that good press continued during the reign of King Solomon, who, according to 1 Kings, began his time on the throne with much promise. Nevertheless, the mixed perspective remained evident, for a post-accession purge preceded the gift of wisdom. And Solomon used forced labor and other economically exploitative policies, which led to the division of the realm after he died.
The Pharisees of John 8:12-19 also depended on economically exploitative policies for their status and finances. They also collaborated with the violent Roman Empire, which occupied Judea. Pharisaic piety depended on wealth, for nobody who was poor and therefore had to work hard for mere survival could satisfy that code. Thus the words of Jesus made sense:
You do not know me or my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father too.
–John 8:19, Revised English Bible (1989)
Unfortunately, exploitation seems to be part of human economic and political systems. Judicial systems favor the wealthy often. Governments find ways to criminalize poverty and homelessness. Certain self-identified advocates of capitalism endorse the destructive race toward lower wages, thereby shrinking the middle class and undercutting the economy. Many employees in developed countries lose their jobs due to globalization and the fact that workers in Third World countries earn less money and often lack even basic protections of their rights, such as to a safe workplace. Often these Third World workers become disposable employees who place themselves in great peril just to survive. And why? The rest of us demand more inexpensive items and corporations desire larger profit margins.
Do we know Jesus and the Father?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 9, 2014 COMMON ERA
PROPER 27: THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF MARTIN CHEMNITZ, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF BARTON STONE, COFOUNDER OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
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Adapted from this post:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2014/11/09/devotion-for-december-31-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: King Solomon’s Court
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Beloved and sovereign God,
through the death and resurrection of your Son
you bring us into your kingdom of justice and mercy.
By your Spirit, give us your wisdom,
that we may treasure the life that comes from
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 43
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Kings 3:16-28 (Monday)
1 Kings 4:29-34 (Tuesday)
Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33 (Wednesday)
Psalm 119:121-128 (All Days)
James 3:13-18 (Monday)
Ephesians 6:10-18 (Tuesday)
Mark 4:30-34 (Wednesday)
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I am your servant; grant me understanding,
that I may know your decrees.
–Psalm 119:125, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The Biblical authors, although usually honest about the faults of heroic or allegedly heroic figures, nevertheless created a tapestry of ancient texts which sometimes overplays the virtues of certain people. If David really was, for example, a man after God’s own heart, I have a major problem with the nature of God. And, although the narrative of 1 Kings turned against Solomon after Chapter 4, Chapter 2 contained troubling information about the methods by which the new monarch consolidated his power and eliminated his rivals. Thus the positive discussion of Solomon’s wisdom in Chapters 3 and 4 rings hollow for me. Nevertheless, the much vaunted wisdom won him such a reputation that tradition has credited him with writing Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, historically dubious claims.
Perhaps nostalgia from a time after the division of the united monarchy–a split due in large part to Solomon’s own domestic policies–accounted primarily for the minimization of the acknowledged faults of David and Solomon. I consider what the Bible tells me of those two kings and ponder Proverbs 1:7 (The New Revised Standard Version, 1989):
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Then I consider incidents from their lives and interpret the verse as a negative commentary on them. I arrive at the same conclusion regarding this passage:
The wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, approachable, full of merciful thoughts and kindly actions, straight forward, with no hint of hypocrisy. And the peacemakers go on quietly sowing for a harvest of righteousness.
–James 3:17-18, J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition, 1972
I think also of the large plant which grows from a mustard seed. (The mustard seed is not actually the smallest seed, but Jesus did not attend school to study horticulture. Besides, there is a rhetorical device called hyperbole, which we find in the Bible.) From that very small seed comes a large, pesky plant–a weed–to which the parable likens the Kingdom of God. The kingdom, like the mustard plant, provides shelter for a variety of creatures and goes where it will. One knows that not everyone in the Kingdom of God gets along well with each other, so this analogy is worth considering with regard to how we think of those who differ from us and are also of God.
David and Solomon presided over a kingdom built on force and compulsion, as political states are by nature. Their Kingdom of Israel also sat on a foundation composed partially of economic injustice, evident partly in artificial scarcity. In the weed-like Kingdom of God, however, there is no scarcity; everybody has enough. The Kingdom of God functioned partially as a negative commentary on political-religious-economic realities within the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus and the early Church, contributing to his crucifixion. The Kingdom of God continues to indict all forms of exploitation and injustice, including those which people have institutionalized.
The purpose of the Gospel, I have heard, is to comfort the afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. Are we among the comfortable or the afflicted?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 14, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BASIL THE GREAT, FATHER OF EASTERN MONASTICISM
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY FRANCES BLOMFIELD GURNEY, ENGLISH POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT METHODIUS I OF CONSTANTINOPLE, PATRIARCH
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Adapted from This Post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2014/06/14/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-12-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Christ Pantocrator
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The Collect:
Eternal Father, you gave your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be a sign for our salvation.
Plant in every heart the love of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 54
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Kings 3:5-14 (December 31)
Numbers 6:22-27 (January 1)
Psalm 20 (both days)
John 8:12-19 (December 31)
Galatians 4:4-7 or Philippians 2:5-11 (January 1)
Luke 2:15-21 (January 1)
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Some Related Posts:
1 Kings 3:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/week-of-4-epiphany-saturday-year-2/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/proper-12-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/proper-15-year-b/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/devotion-for-august-23-lcms-daily-lectionary/
Numbers 6:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/eighth-day-of-christmas-the-feast-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus-january-1/
Galatians 4:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/eighth-day-of-christmas-the-feast-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus-january-1/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/first-sunday-after-christmas-years-a-b-and-c/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/devotion-for-thursday-friday-and-saturday-before-the-fourth-sunday-of-advent-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/week-of-proper-23-monday-year-2/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/devotion-for-july-14-15-and-16-lcms-daily-lectionary/
Philippians 2:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/eighth-day-of-christmas-the-feast-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus-january-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/feast-of-the-holy-cross-september-14/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/proper-21-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/week-of-proper-26-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-year-2/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/devotion-for-september-9-lcms-daily-lectionary/
John 8:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/devotion-for-february-24-in-epiphanyordinary-time-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/devotion-for-may-28-29-and-30-in-ordinary-time-lcms-daily-lectionary/
Luke 2:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/eighth-day-of-christmas-the-feast-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus-january-1/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/first-day-of-christmas-christmas-day/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/devotion-for-january-2-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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O Lord our Governor,
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
–Psalm 8:1, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and say:
This is how you must address the Israelites. You will say:
‘May Yahweh bless you and keep you.
May Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May Yahweh show you his face and bring you peace.’
This is how you must call down my name on the Israelites, and thus I will bless them.”
–Numbers 6:22-27, The New Jerusalem Bible
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Among the basic claims of Christianity is that, somehow via the Incarnation, there is a form of unity between Yahweh of the Book of Numbers and Jesus, born of a woman. Related to that claim is another: In Jesus there is fulfillment of the Law of Moses and salvation from sin, individual and societal. ”Jesus” derives from the Hebrew for
Yahweh is salvation.
The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 1) is an especially appropriate time to ponder the meaning of that name. Wrapped up in that name is God, who granted Solomon wisdom. Wrapped up in that name is Yahweh of Psalm 20, whose defense is superior to that which chariots and horses provide. Through the bearer of this name we become spiritual children of God. In the bearer of this name we see the prime example of service.
So it is appropriate that, in the words of Caroline Maria Noel (1817-1877) (http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/feast-of-gerald-thomas-noel-baptist-wriothesley-noel-and-caroline-maria-noel-december-7/), we say:
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess him King of glory now;
’tis the Father’s pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 20, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL HANSON COX, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND ABOLITIONIST; AND HIS SON, ARTHUR CLEVELAND COXE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF WESTERN NEW YORK, HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANSEGIUS OF FONTANELLE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF ELIZAETH CADY STANTON, AMELIA BLOOMER, SOJOURNER TRUTH, AND HARRIET ROSS TUBMAN, WITNEEES TO CIVIL RIGHTS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WOMEN
THE FEAST OF SAINTS FLAVIAN II OF ANTIOCH AND ELIAS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCHS
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Adapted from this post:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/devotion-for-december-31-and-january-1-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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