Archive for the ‘Acts of the Apostles 26’ Category
Above: Herod Agrippa II
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART LXXII
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Acts 23:23-26:32
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One motif in the Acts of the Apostles is that attempts to prevent the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ failed. They created new opportunities for that proclamation instead.
Caesarea, on the Mediterranean coast, was the official seat of the procurators of Judea. The germane procurators were Antonius Felix (52-60) and Porcius Festus (60-62).
Meanwhile, Herod Agrippa II (b. 27 C.E.) ruled as a Roman client king over various territories from 50 to 100 C.E. Herod Agrippa II, who appointed the high priest in Jerusalem, conducted an incestuous relationship with Bernice, his sister. Herod Agrippa II, who died childless in 100 C.E., was the last ruler of the Herodian Dynasty.
St. Paul was a prisoner at Caesarea from 58 to 60 C.E. The conditions were lenient, though.
Tertullus, from Jerusalem, described St. Paul as “a perfect pest” (24:5) for being a Christian evangelist.
St. Paul, as a Roman citizen, appealed to the emperor–Nero, in this case. Besides, the Apostle’s life remained in danger in Caesarea.
Notice another parallel with Jesus, O reader. Recall that in the Lucan Passion narrative, a series of people–especially Roman officials–proclaimed the innocence of Jesus. We read that pattern repeating in Acts 23:23-26:32.
The irony of St. Paul’s appeal to the emperor is that he could have gone free without it (27:32).
Herod Agrippa II’s response to St. Paul has launched many sermons and bad Gospel songs. (“Bad Gospel songs” is redundant, by the way.)
A little more, and your arguments would make a Christian of me.
–Acts 26:28, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
Recall the Parable of the Sower/the Four Soils (Luke 8:4-9, 11-15), O reader. Not all soils are receptive to the seed.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 3, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIE-LÉONIE PARADIS, FOUNDER OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MAURA AND TIMOTHY OF ANTINOE, MARTYRS, 286
THE FEAST OF SAINT TOMASSO ACERBIS, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
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Above: Icon of St. Luke the Evangelist
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART I
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The whole of Luke’s gospel is about the way in which the living God has planted, in Jesus, the seed of that long-awaited hope in the world.
–N. T. Wright, Lent for Everyone: Luke, Year C–A Daily Devotional (2009), 2
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The Gospel of Luke is the first volume of a larger work. The Acts of the Apostles is the second volume. One can read either volume spiritually profitably in isolation from the other one. However, one derives more benefit from reading Luke-Acts as the two-volume work it is.
Each of the four canonical Gospels bears the name of its traditional author. The Gospel of Luke is the only case in which I take this traditional authorship seriously as a matter of history. One may recall that St. Luke was a well-educated Gentile physician and a traveling companion of St. Paul the Apostle.
Luke-Acts dates to circa 85 C.E.,. “give or take five to ten years,” as Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998) wrote in his magisterial An Introduction to the New Testament (1997). Luke-Acts, having a Gentile author, includes evidence that the audience consisted of Gentiles, too. The text makes numerous references to the inclusion of Gentiles, for example. Two of the major themes in Luke-Acts are (a) reversal of fortune, and (b) the conflict between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of God. The smoldering ruins of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70 C.E. inform the present tense of the story-telling.
Many North American Christians minimize or ignore the imperial politics in the New Testament. In doing so, they overlook essential historical and cultural contexts. Luke-Acts, in particular, performs an intriguing political dance with the Roman Empire. The two-volume work unambiguously proclaims Jesus over the Emperor–a treasonous message, by Roman imperial standards. Luke-Acts makes clear that the Roman Empire was on the wrong side of God, that its values were opposite those of the Kingdom of God. Yet the two-volume work goes out of its way to mention honorable imperial officials.
Know six essential facts about me, O reader:
- This weblog is contains other blog posts covering Luke-Acts, but in the context of lectionaries. I refer you to those posts. And I will not attempt to replicate those other posts in the new posts. Finding those posts is easy; check the category for the book and chapter, such as Luke 1 or Acts 28.
- I know far more about the four canonical Gospels, especially in relation to each other, than I will mention in the succeeding posts. I tell you this not to boast, but to try to head off anyone who may chime in with a rejoinder irrelevant to my purpose in any given post. My strategy will be to remain on topic.
- My purpose will be to analyze the material in a way that is intellectually honest and applicable in real life. I respect Biblical scholarship that goes deep into the woods, spending ten pages on three lines. I consult works of such scholarship. However, I leave that work to people with Ph.Ds in germane fields and who write commentaries.
- I am a student of the Bible, not a scholar thereof.
- I am a left-of-center Episcopalian who places a high value on human reason and intellect. I value history and science. I reject both the inerrancy and the infallibility of scripture for these reasons. Fundamentalists think I am going to Hell for asking too many questions. I try please God, not fundamentalists. I know too much to affirm certain theological statements.
- I am a sui generis mix of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican theological influences. I consider St. Mary of Nazareth to be the Theotokos (the Bearer of God) and the Mater Dei (the Mother of God). I also reject the Virgin Birth and the Immaculate Conception with it.
Make of all this whatever you will, O reader.
Shall we begin our journey through Luke-Acts?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 20, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF BATES GILBERT BURT, EPISCOPAL PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF BENJAMIN TUCKER TANNER, AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL BISHOP AND RENEWER OF SOCIETY
THE FEAST OF D. ELTON TRUEBLOOD, U.S. QUAKER THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JOHANN CHRISTOPH SCHWEDLER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MICHAL PIASCZYNSKI,POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940
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Above: Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, 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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Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace,
that they may be cleansed from all their sins,
and serve thee with a quiet mind. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 221
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1 Kings 21:17-25
Psalm 92
Acts 26:1-32
Matthew 21:28-44
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Your enemies, LORD, your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
–Psalm 92:9, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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That was cold comfort for Naboth and his family.
We have evildoers in the readings this week. Those of us who know the stories realize that justice eventually came for King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, that St. Paul the Apostle died as a martyr in Rome, and that the targets of Christ’s justifiably harsh words did not take those words well.
I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you.
–Matthew 21:31b, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
Those are harsh words to direct at conventionally pious religious leaders. After reading the four canonical Gospels many times, I conclude that our Lord and Savior, although capable of being very forgiving, had a low tolerance for malarkey. Good for him!
Anyhow, punishment and reward in the afterlife are emotionally satisfying. Given the injustice rife in this world, reversal of fortune in the hereafter (perhaps not the sweet hereafter) makes good the divine promise to punish the evil and to reward the righteous.
Evildoers come in three varieties:
- Those who know what they are doing is wrong,
- Those who think what they are doing is right, and
- Those who cannot tell the difference between right and wrong.
Circumstances are not always black-and-white. Frequently, circumstances are gray. Sometimes the choices are bad and worse. In such cases, people need to do the best they can in a fallen world.
Yet evil remains evil, objectively.
May you, O reader, and I, by grace, pursue just and righteous courses in life. May we do so regardless of the costs to us. And, when we must choose between bad and worse, may we opt for God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 26, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS TIMOTHY, TITUS, AND SILAS, COWORKERS OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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Above: Ancient City of Laodicea
Image Source = Google Earth
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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 8:1-13 or Acts 26:1, 9-23, 27-29, 31-32
Psalm 132:1-5, 11-18
Revelation 3:14-22
John 8:31-47
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Laodicea was a wealthy city, a center of the refining of gold, the manufacture of garments, and the manufacture of a popular salve for eyes. The church in that city was also wealthy, not on Christ. Jesus said to keep his commandments. St. Paul the Apostle relied on Christ.
As I have written many times, deeds reveal creeds. To quote Proverbs, as a man thinks, he is. And as one thinks, one does. God is like what God had done and does, in Jewish theology. Likewise, we are like what we have done and do.
Are we like the Laodicean congregation? Are we lukewarm? Are we comfortable, resting on our own laurels and means? Do we have the luxury of being that way? (FYI: “We” can refer either to congregations or to individuals.)
Wealth is not the problem. No, wealth is morally neutral. Relationships to wealth are not morally neutral. To the extent that a person or a congregation may rely on wealth, not God, one makes wealth an idol.
There was once a man who owned a large tract of land. He enjoyed boasting about how much land he owned. One day, the landowner was bragging to another man:
I can get in my truck early in the morning and start driving around the edge of my property. Late in the day, I haven’t gotten home yet.
The other man replied,
I used to have a truck like that, too.
The Bible burst the proverbial balloons of those who trust in their wealth, not in God. Aside from Revelation 3:14-22, one may think readily of the Gospel of Luke and various Hebrew prophets, for example. One may also quote 1 Timothy 6:10 (The Jerusalem Bible, 1966):
The love of money is the root of all evils and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls to any number of fatal wounds.
One may also quote Luke 6, in which the poor are blessed (verse 20), but the rich are having their consolation now (verse 24).
Wealth is morally neutral. Relationships to it are not. May we always trust in God and acknowledge our duties to one another, in mutuality, under God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 21, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MIROCLES OF MILAN AND EPIPHANIUS OF PAVIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ALBAN ROE AND THOMAS REYNOLDS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, 1642
THE FEAST OF EDGAR J. GOODSPEED, U.S. BAPTIST BIBLICAL SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN YI YON-ON, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN KOREA, 1867
THE FEAST OF W. SIBLEY TOWNER, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/01/21/devotion-for-proper-16-year-d-humes/
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Above: Goliath Laughs at David
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year 1, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Grant us, Lord, the Spirit to think and do what is right;
that we, who cannot do anything good without thee, may,
with thee, be enabled to live according to thy will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 125
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1 Samuel 17:41-47
Acts 26:12-23
Matthew 10:5-15
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I admit without any hesitation and regret that I do not like people knocking on my doors unless I know them already. When I want or need to interact with the outside world, I go out into it. However, when I am home, I enjoy my privacy. When I want to interact with strangers, I do not go home and lock the doors.
Needless to say and write, I usually avoid speaking with people who knock on my front door with the intention of converting me. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are easy to recognize; I simply refuse to open the door. This strategy is more effective and easier than my previous one, which was confusing them with my superior knowledge of comparative religion and Christian theology and history until they left. I recall one unpleasant encounter with two Church of Christers, to whom I spoke honestly. I also remember them telling me that I was going to Hell for not belonging to the Churches of Christ. My Anglicanism, influenced by Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism, does not meet with the approval of such members of the Churches of Christ.
I am certain that more than one person regards me as one of those who rejects the Gospel and consigns me to the judgment of God, as in the Gospel pericope.
The message of God has outlasted Philistines, the Roman Empire, and the martyrdom of St. Paul the Apostle. It has survived rejection by many people.
The message of God will outlast all of us. We can either reject or accept it, but we cannot halt it. Depending on how we act, we may condemn ourselves.
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: World Map 1570
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Almighty and most merciful God, your bountiful goodness fills all creation.
Keep us safe from all that may hurt us,
that, whole and well in body and spirit,
we may with grateful hearts accomplish all that you would have us to do,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 50
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 5:15-19a (Monday)
2 Kings 5:19b-27 (Tuesday)
2 Kings 15:1-7 (Wednesday)
Psalm 61 (All Days)
Acts 26:24-29 (Monday)
Ephesians 6:10-20 (Tuesday)
Matthew 10:5-15 (Wednesday)
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So I will always sing he praise of your Name,
and day by day I will fulfill your vows.
–Psalm 61:8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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In the assigned readings for these three days we read of people accepting and recognizing God or doing the opposite. Jews and Gentiles alike accept and recognize God. Jews and Gentiles alike do the opposite. The standard of acceptability before God has nothing to do with national identity.
This principle occurs elsewhere in scripture. Off the top of my head, for example, I think of the Book of Ruth, in which a Moabite woman adopts the Hebrew faith and marries into a Hebrew family. I recall also that Matthew 1:5 lists Ruth as an ancestor of Jesus. That family tree also includes Rahab the prostitute (Joshua 2:1-21 and 6:22-25), who sheltered Hebrew spies in Jericho. I think also of St. Simon Peter, who, at the home of St. Cornelius the Centurion, said:
The truth I have now come to realize is that God does not have favorites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
–Acts 10:34-35, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
Nationalism is inherently morally neutral. What people do with it is not morally neutral, however. These applications can be positive or negative. Nationalism seems to be a human concern, not a divine one. As we seek to build up our communities and nations may we not label those who are merely different as dangerous because of those differences. Many of them might be people of God, after all. Others might become followers of God. Furthermore, many within our own ranks might not be devout.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-23-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The Apostle Paul, by Rembrandt van Rijn
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Compassionate God, you have assured the human family of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Deliver us from the death of sin, and raise us to new life,
in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 39
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Samuel 14:1-11 (Thursday)
2 Samuel 14:12-24 (Friday)
2 Samuel 14:25-33 (Saturday)
Psalm 30 (All Days)
Acts 22:6-21 (Thursday)
Acts 26:1-11 (Friday)
Matthew 9:2-8 (Saturday)
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To you, Yahweh, I call,
to my God I cry for mercy.
–Psalm 30:8, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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We read of forgiveness in the lections from the New Testament. Saul of Tarsus receives forgiveness and a new mandate from God. (Grace is free yet not cheap.) Jesus forgives a man’s sins during a healing in Matthew 9. Critics who are present think that our Lord and Savior is committing blasphemy, for their orthodoxy makes no room for Jesus. The healed man becomes a former paralytic, but Christ’s critics suffer from spiritual paralysis.
The language of 2 Samuel 14 indicates that King David has not reconciled with his son Absalom, who had killed his (Absalom’s) half-brother, Amnon, who had raped his (Absalom’s) sister, Tamar, in the previous chapter before he (Absalom) had gone into exile. The entire incident of pseudo-reconciliation had been for the benefit of Joab. The false reconciliation proved to be as useless as false grace, for Absalom, back from exile, was plotting a rebellion, which he launched in the next chapter.
The juxtaposition of Saul of Tarsus/St. Paul the Apostle, the paralyzed man, and Absalom is interesting and helpful. Both Saul/Paul and Absalom had egos, but the former struggled with his self-image as he made a pilgrimage with Jesus. Absalom, in contrast, did not strive to contain his ego. No, he permitted it to control him. We know little about the paralyzed man, but we may assume safely that a runaway ego was not among his problems.
If we are to walk humbly with God, we must contextualize ourselves relative to God. We are, in comparison, but dust, and God is the proper grounding for human identity. Proper actions will flow from appropriate attitudes.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 4, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF PAUL CUFFEE, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY TO THE SHINNECOCK NATION
THE FEAST OF SAINT CASIMIR OF POLAND, PRINCE
THE FEAST OF EMANUEL CRONENWETT, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MARINUS OF CAESAREA, ROMAN SOLDIER AND CHRISTIAN MARTYR, AND ASTERIUS, ROMAN SENATOR AND CHRISTIAN MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/devotion-for-thursday-friday-and-saturday-before-proper-5-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The Temple of Solomon
I scanned the image from a Bible salesman’s sample book from the late 1800s. The volume is falling apart, unfortunately, but it is quite nice to have nevertheless.
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The Collect:
O God, form the minds of your faithful people into one will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that, amid all changes of this world, our hearts
may be fixed where true joy is found,
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 35
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 5:2-14
Psalm 29
Acts 26:19-29
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And in the temple of the LORD
all are crying, “Glory!”
–Psalm 29:9, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The reading from 2 Chronicles depicts the Presence/glory of YHWH filling the new Temple at Jerusalem as a cloud, just as Exodus 40 depicts the divine Presence/glory filling the Tent of Meeting as a cloud.
King Solomon used the first Temple to bolster his monarchy. He had also used forced labor to construct that Temple. Furthermore, his unjust economic policies contributed greatly to the unrest which led to the division of his kingdom after his death. YHWH’s commandments in the Law of Moses demanded economic justice, but Solomon violated those statutes.
Saul of Tarsus became St. Paul the Apostle after encountering Jesus dramatically on the road to Damascus. He understood the demands of God on his life much better than Solomon grasped his duties to God. St. Paul still had some blind spots (as all of us do), but he did become a major figure in nascent Christianity and suffered much for his (active) faith until the day of his martyrdom.
The Presence/glory of God was more evident in the career of St. Paul the Apostle than it was in Solomon’s Temple. Is it evident in your life, O reader?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 8, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT THORFINN OF HAMAR, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF GALILEO GALILEI, SCIENTIST
THE FEAST OF HARRIET BEDELL, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/devotion-for-tuesday-after-the-seventh-sunday-of-easter-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The Vision of Ezekiel, Fra Angelico
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Eternal and all-merciful God,
with all the angels and all the saints we laud your majesty and might.
By the resurrection of your Son, show yourself to us
and inspire us to follow 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 33
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 1:1-25 (Monday)
Ezekiel 1:26-2:1 (Tuesday)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (Wednesday)
Psalm 121 (All Days)
Acts 9:19-31 (Monday)
Acts 26:1-18 (Tuesday)
Luke 5:1-11 (Wednesday)
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I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the LORD,
the maker of heaven and earth.
–Psalm 121:1-2, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Most of the readings for these three days are stories of commissioning by God, accompanied by a spectacular vision or event. Ezekiel and Isaiah become prophets, fishermen become Apostles, and Saul of Tarsus becomes St. Paul the Apostle, the great evangelist. God qualifies the called, who know well that they are, by themselves, inadequate for the tasks to which God has assigned them.
I do not know about you, O reader, but I have seen no visions and have not witnessed miraculous deeds. Neither has God called me to do anything in the same league as the tasks assigned to Ezekiel, Isaiah, St. Paul, and the original twelve Apostles. I do know some of my inadequacies, however, and affirm that God has work for me to do. Furthermore, I acknowledge my need for grace to complete those tasks for the glory of God.
Each of us has a role to play in God’s design. Many of us seek or will seek to fulfill it, but others do not or will not seek to do so. God will win in the end, as the Book of Revelation tells me, so divine victory is up to God, not any of us. Nevertheless, is responding faithfully to God and accepting the demands of grace not better than doing otherwise?
What is God calling and equipping you, O reader, to do?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 20, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CANISIUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN BLEW, ENGLISH PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-the-third-sunday-of-lent-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The New Jerusalem
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Almighty and ever-living God,
you hold together all things in heaven and on earth.
In your great mercy, receive the prayers of all your children,
and give to all the world the Spirit of your truth and peace,
through 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 34
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 6:5-22 (33rd Day)
Genesis 7:1-24 (34th Day)
Genesis 8:13-19 (35th Day)
Psalm 66:8-20 (All Days)
Acts 27:1-12 (33rd Day)
Acts 27:13-38 (34th Day)
John 14:27-29 (35th Day)
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Some Related Posts:
Genesis 6:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/week-of-6-epiphany-tuesday-year-1/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/devotion-for-the-fifth-day-of-lent-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/week-of-proper-1-tuesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/proper-4-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/devotion-for-friday-before-the-first-sunday-of-advent-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/devotion-for-saturday-before-the-first-sunday-of-advent-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
Genesis 7:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/week-of-6-epiphany-tuesday-year-1/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/devotion-for-the-fifth-day-of-lent-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/devotion-for-the-sixth-day-of-lent-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/week-of-proper-1-tuesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/proper-4-year-a/
Genesis 8:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/week-of-6-epiphany-wednesday-year-1/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/devotion-for-monday-after-the-first-sunday-in-advent-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/devotion-for-the-seventh-day-of-lent-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/proper-4-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/week-of-proper-1-wednesday-year-1/
Acts 27:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/devotion-for-july-31-august-1-and-august-2-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/devotion-for-august-3-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/devotion-for-august-4-5-and-6-lcms-daily-lectionary/
John 14:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/thirty-first-day-of-easter/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/thirty-sixth-day-of-easter-sixth-sunday-of-easter-year-c/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/devotion-for-june-12-and-13-in-ordinary-time-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water;
but you brought us into a place of refreshment.
–Psalm 66:12, Book of Common Worship (1993)
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Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
–Revelation 21:1, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
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Water can be scary, for it has the potential to destroy much property and end lives. In much of the Bible water signifies chaos. The first creation myth (Genesis 1:1-2:4a), actually not as old as the one which follows it, depicts a watery chaos as the foundation of an ordered, flat earth with a dome over it. The lections from Genesis 6-8, being the union of of various texts (as evident in late Chapter 6 and early Chapter 7 with regard to the number of animals to take aboard the Ark), is a composite myth in which water is a force of divine destruction and recreation. And the water is something to fear in Acts 27. It is no accident that, in Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem has no sea; the city is free of chaos.
Professor Amy-Jill Levine, in her Teaching Company course, The Old Testament (2001), says that she does not like Noah. He, in the story, could have tried to save lives if he had argued with God, as Abraham did, she says. Maybe she has a valid point. It is certainly one nobody broached in my juvenile or adult Sunday School classes, for my first encounter with the idea came via DVD recently. Yet the story which the Biblical editor wanted us to hear was one of God’s covenant with Noah.
That theme of covenant fits well with the calm and confidence of St. Paul the Apostle en route to Rome. He had a legal case arising from preaching (Acts 21:27 forward). The Apostle had exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal directly to the Emperor (Acts 25:11). Yet Herod Agrippa II (reigned 50-100), a client ruler of the Roman Empire, had stated that the Apostle could have gone free if he had not appealed to the Emperor (Acts 26:32), who, unfortunately, was Nero. Anyhow, Paul’s calm and confidence during the storm on the Mediterranean Sea, with the danger on board the ship, came from a positive spiritual place.
That peace is the kind which Jesus bequeaths to us and which the world cannot give. That peace is the sort which enables one to remain properly–seemingly foolishly, to some–confident during daunting times. That peace carries one through the chaotic waters and the spiritual wilderness until one arrives at the New Jerusalem. That peace is available via grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 18, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF MARC BOEGNER, ECUMENIST
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY SAYERS, NOVELIST
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Adapted from this post:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/devotion-for-the-thirty-third-thirty-fourth-and-thirty-fifth-days-of-easter-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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