Archive for the ‘Acts of the Apostles 2’ Category
Above: Pentecost Dove
Image Scanned from a Church Bulletin
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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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Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104:25-34 (LBW) or Psalm 143 (LW) or Veni Creator Spiritus
Acts 2:1-21
John 7:37-39a
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God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
as you sent upon the disciples the promised gift of the Holy Spirit,
look upon your Church and open our hearts to the power of the Spirit.
Kindle in us the fire of your love,
and strengthen our lives for service in your kingdom;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
God our creator, earth has many languages,
but your Gospel announces your love
to all nations in one heavenly speech.
Make us messengers of the good news that,
through the power of your Spirit,
everyone everywhere may unite in one song of praise;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 23
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O God, on this day you once taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit.
Grant us in our day the same Spirit
to have a right understanding in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy consolation;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in communion with the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 59
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VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come, Holy Spirit;
send down from heaven’s heigh
your radiant light.
Come, lamp of every heart,
come, parent of the poor,
all gifts ar yours.
Comforter beyond all comforting,
sweet unexpected guest,
sweetly refresh.
Rest in hard labour;
coolness in heavy heat,
hurt souls’ relief.
Refill the secret hearts
of your faithful,
O most blessed light.
Without your holy power
nothing can bear your light,
nothing is free from sin.
Wash all that is filthy,
water all that is parched,
heal what is hurt within.
Bend all that is rigid,
warm all that has frozen hard,
lead back the lost.
Give to your faithful ones,
who come in simple trust,
your sevenfold mystery.
Give virtue its reward,
give, in the end, salvation
and joy that has no end.
–Original Latin text by Rabanus Maurus, 800s C.E.; translation courtesy of The Church of England, Common Worship: Daily Prayer (2005), 642
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I will not try to make sense of the Trinity, for doing so has led to the creation, repetition, and perpetuation of major heresies. Anyway, my growing mysticism makes me increasingly comfortable with not explaining the unexplainable, in human terms. Therefore, I choose to focus on a prominent theme: We all depend entirely on God. A corollary is that the Holy Spirit (part of the Trinity, however that works) bestows renewed vigor and life to communities, peoples, and individuals.
John 7:38 provides a quote of uncertain origin–certainly not from the Hebrew Bible:
Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.
—Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition
The Greek text can mean that the heart is Christ’s heart or the believer’s heart. I prefer a theocentric interpretation, for God, not people or human experience, belongs at the center of theology. The Holy Spirit flows from the heart of Jesus. This passage, in context, is primarily about God, not people. And, consistent with the Gospel of John, Jesus is the ultimate source of living water.
What may this living water gushing out of Christ’s heart perform through you, O reader, for the glory of God and the benefit of others? What may the Holy Spirit work through various groups and organizations for the same purposes? To play with the metaphor of living water, many people, peoples, and places are thirsty for such water. They need the living water of the Holy Spirit for restoration to occur. They require this living water to achieve their destiny, which God defines. How may you and various groups and organizations function as vehicles of the living water of the Holy Spirit?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 25, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT DISMAS, PENITENT BANDIT
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Pentecost Dove
Image Scanned from a Church Bulletin
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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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Joel 2:28-29
Psalm 104:25-34 or Veni Creator Spiritus
Acts 2:1-21
John 20:19-23
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God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
as you sent upon the disciples the promised gift of the Holy Spirit,
look upon your Church and open our hearts to the power of the Spirit.
Kindle in us the fire of your love,
and strengthen our lives for service in your kingdom;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
God our creator, earth has many languages,
but your Gospel announces your love
to all nations in one heavenly speech.
Make us messengers of the good news that,
through the power of your Spirit,
everyone everywhere may unite in one song of praise;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 23
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O God, on this day you once taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit.
Grant us in our day the same Spirit
to have a right understanding in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy consolation;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in communion with the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 59
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VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come, Holy Spirit;
send down from heaven’s heigh
your radiant light.
Come, lamp of every heart,
come, parent of the poor,
all gifts ar yours.
Comforter beyond all comforting,
sweet unexpected guest,
sweetly refresh.
Rest in hard labour;
coolness in heavy heat,
hurt souls’ relief.
Refill the secret hearts
of your faithful,
O most blessed light.
Without your holy power
nothing can bear your light,
nothing is free from sin.
Wash all that is filthy,
water all that is parched,
heal what is hurt within.
Bend all that is rigid,
warm all that has frozen hard,
lead back the lost.
Give to your faithful ones,
who come in simple trust,
your sevenfold mystery.
Give virtue its reward,
give, in the end, salvation
and joy that has no end.
–Original Latin text by Rabanus Maurus, 800s C.E.; translation courtesy of The Church of England, Common Worship: Daily Prayer (2005), 642
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Pentecost is the fiftieth and last day of the season of Easter. The baptismal connection to this feast is strong. The alternative name, Whitsunday (White Sunday) refers to the white garments of the newly baptized.
The divine nature exceeds human comprehension. Orthodox theology offers partial answers, the best we mere mortals can receive. Receiving those answers does not guarantee comprehending them, though. So be it. Christianity is not Gnosticism; salvation depends on grace, not knowledge. With all this in mind, we can still utilize useful language, much of which may be theological poetry, not theological prose. God is with us. God empowers us. Christian language for this truth is “the Holy Spirit.”
However, I seek to avoid committing modalism, an ancient Trinitarian heresy. This heresy denies the permanent existence of the members of the Holy Trinity and focuses on allegedly transitory distinctions, defined by functions. Know, O reader, that I am not a modalist. I merely acknowledge that the full nature of God is too much for a human mind to grasp and that we mere mortals experience God in certain ways.
I like the Jewish way of explaining the divine nature and character, as much as doing so is possible. That method is recalling what God has done. This method pervades the Hebrew Bible. Think, O reader, what God has done that you have noticed. Ask yourself what these divine actions tell you about the nature and character of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 26, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM COWPER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELARD OF CORBIE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND ABBOT; AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, SAINT PASCAHSIUS RADBERTUS, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF ROBERT HUNT, FIRST ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN AT JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
THE FEAST OF RUGH BYLLESBY, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAW KUBITSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940; AND SAINT WLADYSLAW GORAL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM STRINGFELLOW, EPISCOPAL ATTORNEY, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Pentecost Dove
Image Scanned from a Church Bulletin
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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 19:1-9 or Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 33:12-22 (LBW) or Psalm 130 (LBW) or Psalm 98 (LW)
Romans 8:14-17, 22-27
John 7:37-39a
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Almighty and ever-living God,
you fulfilled the promise of Easter
by sending your Holy Spirit to unite the races and nations on earth
and thus to proclaim your glory.
Look upon your people gathered in prayer,
open to receive the Spirit’s flame.
May it come to rest in our hearts
and heal the divisions of word and tongue,
that with one voice and one song
we may praise your name in joy and thanksgiving;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 23
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O God, on this day you once taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending a right understanding in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy consolation;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in communion with the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982)
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The Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic traditions provide for the Vigil of Pentecost, a service I have never had the opportunity to attend. Page 227 of The Book of Common Prayer (1979) contains a rubric regarding the vigil. The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), Lutheran Worship (1982), and Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) offer collects and readings for the Vigil of Easter. The Lutheran Service Book (2006), which offers no collects in the pew edition, includes readings for this vigil.
The Vigil of Pentecost was popular during the Middle Ages. It was one of the favored occasions for baptism. Continental Protestant reformers rejected this vigil in the 1500s; they restored the liturgical primacy of Sunday.
Yet here we are, with Lutherans approving the celebration of the Vigil of Pentecost. Liturgical renewal, blessed by thy name!
The theme of unity carries over from the readings for the preceding Sunday. The faith community gathers in expectation of the fulfillment of divine promises, including the “promise of Easter,” to quote the collect from the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978).
God is the central actor, despite the anthropocentric tendencies of much of human theology. That God is central should cause much thanksgiving and place human egos in proper context.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 26, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM COWPER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELARD OF CORBIE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND ABBOT; AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, SAINT PASCAHSIUS RADBERTUS, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF ROBERT HUNT, FIRST ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN AT JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
THE FEAST OF RUGH BYLLESBY, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAW KUBITSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940; AND SAINT WLADYSLAW GORAL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM STRINGFELLOW, EPISCOPAL ATTORNEY, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Herod Agrippa I
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART LXVI
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Acts 12:1-25
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Herod Agrippa I was a Roman client king from 37 to 44 C.E. We have another, more precise, dated detail–the martyrdom of St. James Bar-Zebedee (the brother of Saint John the Evangelist and a first cousin of Jesus–circa 44 C.E,
Herod Agrippa (10 B.C.E.-44 C.E.) was a grandson of Herod the Great, the brother of Herodias, the uncle of Salome, and a brother-in-law of Herod Antipas. Herod Agrippa I, who lived extravagantly and in debt, found refuge courtesy of Herod Antipas, who appointed him the inspector of markets in Antipas’s new capital, Tiberias, circa 27 C.E. Herod Agrippa I, a friend of Gaius Caligula, made a pro-Caligula remark in the presence of Emperor Tiberius in Rome six months prior to the death of Tiberius (d. 37 C.E.) Therefore, Herod Agrippa I spent the last six months of Tiberius’s reign as a prisoner. Caligula (reigned 37-41 C.E.) released Herod Agrippa I and appointed him a king in 37 C.E. After Caligula died, Emperor Claudis (I) expanded Herod Agrippa I’s territory to include Judea and Samaria. Herod Agrippa I, a supporter of Pharisaic Judaism, persecuted Christianity (Acts 2 and 12). His death in Caesarea (Acts 12:22-23) was sudden. The Biblical text wrote of his death so as to portray him as evil and unrepentant, in the infamous footsteps of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Judas Iscariot.
Regardless of martyrdoms and persecution, the Christian movement remained unhindered.
Meanwhile, Sts. (Joseph) Barnabas and Paul the Apostle returned to Antioch from Jerusalem. This relief mission complete, they brought St. (John) Mark to Antioch.
I feel sorry for the guards Herod Agrippa I ordered executed. They did their job guarding St. Simon Peter. On the other hand, I am glad St. Simon Peter escaped.
The rest of the story: A series of Roman procurators succeeded Herod Agrippa I until 66 C.E.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 22, 2022 COMMON ERA
FRIDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF GENE BRITTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF DONALD S. ARMENTROUT, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HADEWIJCH OF BRABERT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MYSTIC
THE FEAST OF KATHE KOLLWITZ, GERMAN LUTHERAN ARTIST AND PACIFIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT VITALIS OF GAZA, MONK, HERMIT, AND MARTYR, CIRCA 625
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Above: Icon of the Ministry of the Apostles
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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Acts 17:1-15
Psalm 33:1-11 (LBW) or Psalm 146 (LW)
1 Peter 2:4-10
John 14:1-12
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O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that, amid, all the changes of this world,
our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 22
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O God, you make the minds of your faithful to be of one will;
therefore grant to your people that they may love what you command
and desire what you promise,
that among the manifold changes of this age our hearts
may ever be fixed where true joys are to be found;
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), 53
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…the people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now….
–Acts 17:6b, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
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One need not be evil to favor maintaining the status quo, even when it is exploitative and for overturning. Good, morally defensible change can cause disorientation and discomfort, even among conventionally pious people. The terms “revolutionary,” “liberal,” “conservative,” and “reactionary” are inherently relative to the center, the definition of which varies according to time and place. These four labels are, in the abstract, morally neutral. In circumstances, however, they are not. Being conservative, for example, may be right or wrong, depending on what one hopes to conserve. And, if one is not a revolutionary in certain circumstances, one is morally defective.
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., called for a
moral revolution of values
on April 4, 1967, when he finally unambiguously and unapologetically opposed the Vietnam War. That address, which he delivered at the Riverside Church, Manhattan, proved to be extremely controversial, mainly because of King’s position on the Vietnam War. That controversy obscured much of the rest of the contents of the speech. (King was correct to oppose the Vietnam War, by the way.) The other content of that speech remains prophetic and germane. The call for a society that values people more than property, for example, has not come to fruition, sadly.
Sometimes “turning the world upside down” is really turning it right side up, as in Psalm 146 and the Beatitudes. Giving justice to the oppressed, feeding the hungry, caring for the strangers, sustaining the orphan and the widow, and frustrating the way of the wicked are examples of turning the world right side up, not upside down. You, O reader, and I live in an upside-down world.
This is theologically orthodox. False theological orthodoxy mistakes social justice for heresy and bolsters social injustice. However, the Law of Moses, the Hebrew prophets, and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are consistent in holding that social injustice is a divine mandate.
So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 21, 2022 COMMON ERA
THURSDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ADAME ROSALES, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT CONRAD OF PARZHAM, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE B. CAIRD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST THEN UNITED REFORMED MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGIA HARKNESS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, ETHICIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMON BARSABAE, BISHOP; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 341
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Supper at Emmaus, by Caravaggio
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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Acts 2:14a. 36-47
Psalm 16
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35
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O God, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this fallen world,
rescuing us from the hopelessness of death.
Grant your faithful people a share in the joys that are eternal;
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 21
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O almighty and eternal God,
now that you have assured us of
the completion of our redemption
through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
give us the will to show forth in our lives
what we profess with our lips;
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), 51
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The readings from the New Testament come from a time when the Church was young, small, and not influential. This context frames Christian communalism in Acts 2. Christian communalism remains a feasible option in many contemporary settings.
The global Western emphasis on individualism gives short shrift to the collective, mutual aspect of lived faith. This is my most severe critique of my culture and its politics. In Biblical terms, mutuality is a prominent theme. People are responsible to and for each other. This ethos exists in 1 Peter 1; “you” is plural.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 19, 2022 COMMON ERA
TUESDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALPHEGE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND MARTYR, 1012
THE FEAST OF SAINT EMMA OF LESUM, BENEFACTOR
THE FEAST OF OLAVUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, HISTORIAN, LITURGIST, MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH LITERATURE;” AND HIS BROTHER, LAURENTIUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN ARCHBISHOP OF UPPSALA, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH HYMNODY”
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Tango Postcard, 1920
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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Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Psalm 105:1-7
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31
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Almighty God, we have celebrated with joy
the festival of our Lord’s resurrection.
Graciously help us to show the power of the resurrection
in all that we say and do;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 21
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Grant, almighty God,
that we who have celebrated the mystery of the Lord’s resurrection
may by the help of your grace bring forth
the fruits thereof in our life and conduct;
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), 50
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Given that I have written lectionary-based devotions for more than a decade, I choose not to use this post to focus on a passage that may not seem like the obvious bullseye.
John 20:30-31 is probably the original conclusion to the Fourth Gospel. That conclusion ends:
…that through this belief [that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God] you may have life in his name.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
This theme, present also in the readings from Acts and 1 Peter, is where I dwell today, instead of defending St. Thomas the Apostle again. Two words attract my attention:
- Belief, in the full, Biblical sense, is trust. Whenever someone asks me if I believe in God, I ask what that person means. In vernacular English, “believe” indicates acceptance of a preposition. In the English-language vernacular, to believe in God is to affirm the existence of God. I always affirm the existence of God. I usually trust in God. Likewise, to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God is to trust that he is both of those.
- “Life” refers to eternal life. In Johannine theology, eternal life is knowing God via Jesus. Logically, beginning with Johannine theological assumptions, to trust that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God leads to eternal life. If x, then y.
These are articles of faith; we have no evidence for them or against them. When trust in God is required, the quest for certainty constitutes idolatry. Certainty feels comforting. We can be certain of much, either by proving or disproving propositions. Yet much falls into the gray zone of faith; we have it or lack it. That uncertainty may unnerve us. Fundamentalism undercuts trust in God by offering the crutch of false certainty.
Somewhere, years ago, I heard an intriguing spiritual metaphor–performing a daring dance with God. That daring dance is the dance of trust, of faith. It is daring from a human perspective. May God have this dance?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 18, 2022 COMMON ERA
MONDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF ROGER WILLIAMS, FOUNDER OF RHODE ISLAND; AND ANNE HUTCHINSON, REBELLIOUS PURITAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT CORNELIA CONNELLY, FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF THE HOLY CHILD JESUS
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARY ANNA BLONDIN, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF SAINT ANNE
THE FEAST OF MARY C. COLLINS, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MURIN OF FAHAN, LASERIAN OF LEIGHLIN, GOBAN OF PICARDIE, FOILLAN OF FOSSES, AND ULTAN OF PERONNE, ABBOTS; SAINTS FURSEY OF PERONNE AND BLITHARIOUS OF SEGANNE, MONKS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ARCHUTOWSKI, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1943
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Adapted from this post
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Above: The Death of Ananias, by Raphael
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART LVII
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Acts 4:32-5:11
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Acts 2:42-47 relates to 4:32-5:11.
The portion of scripture for this post comes in two parts: 4:32-37 and 5:1-11. 4:32-37 bears the stronger similarity to 2:42-47. The motif of members of Christian community in Jerusalem taking care of each other financially dominates in 4:32-37 and 2:42-47.
Also, we meet St. (Joseph) Barnabas in 4:36-37.
The famous story of Ananias and Sapphira is a cautionary tale. Do not lie to the community, we learn. One may be within one’s rights, legally, but do not lie.
What is done to the community is done to the Spirit of God.
–Dennis Hamm, in Daniel Durken, ed., The New Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament (2009), 387
How we regard God and how we think of each other are related to each other.
According to that standard, how do you measure up, O reader?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 9, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF DIETRICH BONHOEFFEFR, GERMAN LUTHERAN MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF JOHANN CRUGER, GERMAN LUTHERAN ORGANIST, COMPOSER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF JOHN SAMUJEL BEWLEY MONSELL, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND POET; AND RICHARD MANT, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF DOWN, CONNOR, AND DROMORE
THE FEAST OF LYDIA EMILIE GRUCHY, FIRST FEMALE MINISTER IN THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
THE FEAST OF MIKAEL AGRICOLA, FINNISH LUTHERAN LITURGIST, BISHOP OF TURKU, AND “FATHER OF FINNISH LITERARY LANGUAGE”
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LAW, ANGLICAN PRIEST, MYSTIC, AND SPIRITUAL WRITER
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Above: Pentecost Dove
Image Scanned from a Bulletin
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART LV
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Acts 2:1-47
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Historically, Christian communities in the United States of America that have emulated the young Jerusalem church have received much scorn and suspicion from other Christians. Cold War politics heightened this scorn and suspicion. What kind of weirdos would live in community and share their possessions? Were they communists? No, they were Christians who had paid close attention to the Acts of the Apostles.
I suspect that Acts 2 includes prose poetry. That is fine; poetry is the best method of expressing the truth sometimes. At the Feast of Weeks, a harvest festival associated with the giving of the Law of Moses, God reversed the curse from the mythical story of the Tower of Babel. The multiplicity of languages was not a barrier to communication. And St. Simon Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, proclaimed him fearlessly.
Consistent with Lucan themes, Jews and Gentiles alike were welcome.
I strive to write clearly, O reader. I do not mistake serial contrariness in the name of Jesus for Christian discipleship. The reflexive rejection of “the world” overlooks that which “the world” gets right. Yet Luke-Acts presents the dichotomy between the prevalent human order of the time and the fully-realized Kingdom of God.
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., was correct in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963): The Church was powerful when its members rejoiced to suffer for what they believed. The Church was powerful when it was disturbing the peace of the unjust social order. The Church was powerful when it agitated for justice. The Church was powerful when it was not
an arch-supporter of the status quo.
Christendom was not a golden age of the Church. I have detected no reason to feel nostalgic for the long age of Christendom, of Constantinian Christianity.
In these days when “none” is the fastest-growing religious affiliation in my society, I recognize that many people have abandoned the Church, which has frequently betrayed its foundational principles and become a powerful voice for injustice and varieties of hatred. I recognize an opportunity for ecclesiastical leaders and members to wake up from the slumber of the unjust status quo and to reclaim the pre-Constantinian Church’s power of witness.
Note: I borrowed “Constantinian Christianity” from Dr. Cornel West.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 29, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CHARLES VILLERS SANFORD, COMPOSER, ORGANIST, AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF DORA GREENWELL, POET AND DEVOTIONAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN KEBLE, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND POET
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JONAS AND BARACHISIUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 327
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Above: Icon of the Baptism of Christ
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART VII
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Luke 3:21-38
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Christological orthodoxy holds that Jesus was sinless. I affirm this doctrine. Consider also, O reader, that St. John the Baptist offered baptism for repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Why, therefore, did Jesus get baptized by St. John the Baptist? In the Gospel of Luke, the baptism of Christ functioned as a ritual of succession. Jesus was the successor of St. John the Baptist.
Three major germane points interest me:
- The opening of heaven (a motif in apocalyptic literature) at the baptism of Jesus signaled that he was the Messiah and that he fulfillment of Israel’s eschatological expectations was at hand.
- The descent of the Holy Spirit in a physical form, like a dove, was crucial, too. In ancient Near Eastern thought, doves symbolized virtue. They, worthy of sacrificing to God, symbolized the divine presence in this story.
- The Holy Spirit descended in a similar form upon the Apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
The genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:23-38) traces Christ’s family tree back to the mythical Adam (and Eve). The theological importance of this detail is two-fold:
- To point to the universality of the Gospel, and
- To affirm that Jesus was the Son of God. The numbers are symbolic, not historical. We read sequences of seven generations. The new age begins with Jesus in Luke 3.
Theologically, the genealogy of Jesus is important, regardless of the difficulties one faces in establishing its historical accuracy….Jesus stands within the history of the covenant with Israel; yet, the story of his life has significance for all people. Jesus is the Son of God who entered human history to declare the arrival of God’s reign in human history, to call together a new community and to redeem humanity. Read in this way, the genealogy, like the birth narratives, is a gospel in miniature.
–R. Alan Culpepper, in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IX (1995), 95-96
Amen.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 24, 2021 COMMON ERA
CHRISTMAS EVE
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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