Archive for the ‘Ephesians 5’ Category
Above: Icon of Haggai
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Haggai 1:1-15a
Psalm 136
John 13:21-38
Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-9 (10-20) 21-24
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The thanksgiving for divine mercy in Psalm 136 and the teaching about domestic love and respect (including some awkward sexism and the lack of a condemnation of slavery) contrast with the predicted betrayal of Jesus in John 13. The gratitude to God in Psalm 136 also stands in contrast to the criticized attitude in Haggai 1. Some people, having departed Babylon for their ancestral home and settled there, have built new houses yet oppose rebuilding the Temple. God insists that not only has the time to rebuild the Temple come, but it has arrived already. The matter is one of respect.
If we respect God as we ought, we will want to behave in certain ways, including the care of houses of worship and the treatment of our fellow human beings. We will even oppose slavery and stand against the execution of the innocent.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 20, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL TAIT, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
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://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/devotion-for-proper-21-year-d/
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Above: The Parable of the Sower
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 6:(8) 9-13 or Ezekiel 17:22-24 or Daniel 4:1-37
Psalm 7
Matthew 14:10-17 (18-33) 34-35 or Mark 4:1-25 or Luke 8:4-25; 13:18-21
Ephesians 4:17-24 (26-32; 5:1-2) 3-7 or 2 Peter 2:1-22
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Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth.
–Ephesians 4:23-24, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
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Much of the content of the assigned readings, with their options, functions as commentary on that summary statement. To borrow a line from Rabbi Hillel, we ought to go and learn it.
The commission of (First) Isaiah might seem odd. Does the text indicate that God is commanding Isaiah to preach to the population but not to help them avoid the wrath of God? Or, as many rabbis have argued for a long time, should one read imperative verbs as future tense verbs and the troublesome passage therefore as a prediction? I prefer the second interpretation. Does not God prefer repentance among sinners? The pairing of this reading with the Parable of the Sower and its interpretation seems to reinforce this point. I recall some bad sermons on this parable, which is not about the sower. The sower did a bad job, I remember hearing certain homilists say. To fixate on the sower and his methodology is to miss the point. The name of the story should be the Parable of the Four Soils, a title I have read in commentaries. One should ask oneself,
What kind of soil am I?
Am I the rocky soil of King Zedekiah (in Ezekiel 17:11-21) or the fertile soil of the betrayed man in Psalm 7? A mustard seed might give rise to a large plant that shelters many varieties of wildlife, and therefore be like the Davidic dynastic tree in Ezekiel 17:22-24 and Nebuchadnezzar II in Daniel 4, but even a mustard seed needs good soil in which to begin the process of sprouting into that plant.
One might be bad soil for any one of a number of reasons. One might not care. One might be oblivious. One might be hostile. One might be distracted and too busy. Nevertheless, one is bad soil at one’s own peril.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 16, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF GUSTAF AULEN, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT FILIP SIPHONG ONPHITHAKT, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN THAILAND
THE FEAST OF MAUDE DOMINICA PETRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MODERNIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF RALPH ADAMS CRAM AND RICHARD UPJOHN, ARCHITECTS; AND JOHN LAFARGE, SR., PAINTER AND STAINED GLASS MAKER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/devotion-for-proper-6-year-d/
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Above: Icon of Ezekiel
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without you nothing is strong, nothing is holy.
Embrace us with your mercy, that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may live through what is temporary without losing what is eternal,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 53
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 11:14-25 (Monday)
Ezekiel 39:21-40:4 (Tuesday)
Ezekiel 43:1-12 (Wednesday)
Psalm 141 (All Days)
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 (Tuesday)
Matthew 23:37-24:14 (Wednesday)
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But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD;
in you I take refuge;
do not strip me of my life.
–Psalm 141:8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The reading from Matthew is apocalyptic and Psalm 141 is also bleak. These texts come from difficult times. Oppressed people pray for God to destroy their enemies. The textual context in Matthew is the impending crucifixion of Jesus. From the perspective of the composition of the Gospel itself, however, there is wrestling with fading expectations of Christ’s imminent Second Coming. One also detects echoes of reality for Matthew’s audience, contending with persecution (or the threat thereof) and conflict with non-Christian Jews.
We read of mercy following judgment in Ezekiel 11, 39, 40, and 43. Punishment for societal sins will ensue, but so will restoration. In the end, God’s Presence returns to Jerusalem, which it departed in Chapters 10 and 11.
Those sins included not only idolatry but judicial corruption and economic injustice, which, of course, hurt the poor the most. Not seeking the common good violated the Law of Moses. Seeking the common good defined the assigned readings from Ephesians and 1 Corinthians.
“Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds up. No one should seek his own advantage, but that of his neighbor.
–1 Corinthians 10:23-24, The New American Bible (1991)
We also read, in the context of how we treat each other:
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, for that Spirit is the seal with which you were marked for the day of final liberation.
–Ephesians 4:30, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Those are fine guiding principles. Some of the details in their vicinity in the texts might not apply to your circumstances, O reader, but such lists are not comprehensive and some examples are specific to cultures and settings. Timeless principles transcend circumstances and invite us to apply them when and where we are. May we live them in love of God and our fellow human beings, daring even to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-48). That is a difficult standard to meet, but it is possible via grace.
There must be no limit to your goodness, as your heavenly Father’s goodness knows no bounds.
–Matthew 5:48, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Amen.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 6, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANKLIN CLARK FRY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA AND THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLAUDE OF BESANCON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF HENRY JAMES BUCKOLL, AUTHOR AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM KETHE, PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-28-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: A Salt Shaker
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Benevolent God, you are the source, the guide, and the goal of our lives.
Teach us to love what is worth loving,
to reject what is offensive to you,
and to treasure what is precious in your sight,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 44
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The Assigned Readings:
Ecclesiastes 2:1-17 (Monday)
Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:8 (Tuesday)
Psalm 127 (Both Days)
Colossians 3:18-4:1 (Monday)
Colossians 4:2-6 (Tuesday)
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If Yahweh does not build a house
in vain do its builders toil.
If Yahweh does not guard a city
in vain does its guard keep watch.
–Psalm 127:1, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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The key word from the readings from Ecclesiastes is “futility.” The quest for wealth is futile. Seeking happiness in wealth is futile. At least one can obtain some enjoyment from possessions, not that one can take them along for the journey after death.
Colossians 3:18-4:6 offers some uncomfortable material. First we encounter the verse about wives being subject to their husbands. The next verse mitigates it somewhat by speaking of a husband’s obligation to love his wife and never to be harsh with her. At least in Ephesians 5, when these topics arise, they do so in the context of
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
–5:21, Revised Standard Version–Second Edition (1971)
The next difficult topic is slavery, which the New Testament condemns nowhere. Slavery in the Roman Empire was different from race-based chattel slavery, of courrse, but I posit that all forms of slavery are wrong at all times and at all places. The expectation that Jesus would return soon and inaugurate social justice informed the absence of a condemnation of slavery, but (A) that was nearly 2000 years ago, (B) Jesus did not return, and (C) the mandate to love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself applies in all places an at all times. At least the text noted that there is no partiality with God.
The parting advice from Colossians 4 is timeless:
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.
4:6, Revised Standard Version–Second Edition (1971)
Graciousness flows from and imparts grace. Salt preserves and amplifies flavor. Contrary to the term “salty language,” gracious speech seasoned with salt builds up others. It edifies them; it does not insult them. And it is not futile.
May your speech, O reader, be gracious and seasoned with salt more often that it is already. May mine be likewise. May we glorify God, not ourselves. May we function as effective agents of grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 18, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEONIDES OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR; ORIGEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN; SAINT DEMETRIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; AND SAINT ALEXANDER OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANSELM II OF LUCCA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP, THEOLOGIAN, AND LITURGIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAUL OF CYPRUS, EASTERN ORTHODOX MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/devotion-for-monday-and-tuesday-after-proper-13-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Dawn
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Sovereign God, ruler of all hearts,
you call us to obey you, and you favor us with true freedom.
Keep us faithful to the ways of your Son, that,
leaving behind all that hinders us,
we may steadfastly follow your paths,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 41
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 3:15-18 (Tuesday)
Jeremiah 23:16-22 (Wednesday)
Psalm 140 (Both Days)
Ephesians 5:6-20 (Tuesday)
Matthew 10:16-25 (Wednesday)
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Rescue me, Yahweh, from evil men,
protect me from violent men,
whose heart is bent on malice,
day after day they harbour strife;
their tongues as barbed as a serpent’s,
viper’s venom behind their lips.
–Psalm 140:1-3, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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The reading from Jeremiah 3 comes from a section of scripture about repentance. God is calling a rebellious people to holiness. One day, the passage says,
They shall no longer follow the willfulness of their evil hearts.
–Jeremiah 3:17c, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
That prophecy had not come true by the end of the first century of the Common Era. It had not come true by the time of Jeremiah 23, which includes references to false prophets. That prophecy had not come to fruition by the time of Ephesians 5:6-20, during evil days. It had not become reality by the time of Matthew 10:16-25, which refers to the persecution of followers of Jesus.
That prophecy has yet to come true, for its fulfillment resides in the future. Until then the best advice to follow is that we find in the readings for these two days:
- Live as children of the light,
- Be filled with the Holy Spirit,
- Give thanks to God for everything and at all times,
- Trust in God during good times and good times, and
- Remember that no pupil ranks above his or her master.
God will save the world, but we can leave it better than we found it. We have a moral obligation to do so.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 8, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT, JULIA ANNE ELLIOTT, AND EMILY ELLIOTT, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT HUMPHREY OF PRUM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF THEROUANNE
THE FEAST OF JOHN HAMPDEN GURNEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN OF GOD, FOUNDER OF THE BROTHERS HOSPITALLERS OF SAINT JOHN OF GOD
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/devotion-for-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-8-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Lightbulb in Darkness
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe
and the beginning of time you are the triune God:
Author of creation, eternal Word of salvation, life-giving Spirit of wisdom.
Guide is to all truth by your Spirit, that we may
proclaim all that Christ has revealed and rejoice in the glory he shares with us.
Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 37
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The Assigned Readings:
Proverbs 8:4-21
Psalm 124
Ephesians 5:15-20
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If Yahweh had not been on our side
–let Israel repeat it–
if Yahweh had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
in the heat of their anger.
–Psalm 124:1-3, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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The wisdom literature of the Old Testament identifies the power of God as masculine and the wisdom of God as feminine. Thus, for example, we read Psalm 124, in which God has delivered Israel, and Proverbs 8, in which Lady Wisdom (Sophia) offers spiritual discipline more valuable than gold or rubies. Spiritual discipline is also the theme of Ephesians 5:15-20. Be filled with God; do not be drunk, it says.
The context of that passage is the renunciation of pagan ways. Christianity was a young and small religion, and was still a school of Judaism. The author’s concern in the passage was that Ephesian Christians behave themselves–be good examples. This entailed curtailing certain appetites and resisting temptations.
That can prove difficult to do in any time and at any place. Indeed, I think of a cocktail napkin I saw years ago. It read,
LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION. I CAN FIND MY OWN WAY.
My own temptations keep me busy. Among my spiritual difficulties is the fact that, quite often, virtues and vices resemble each other. I know well that resolving to do the right thing is easy, but succeeding is frequently challenging. Fortunately, God knows that I, like my fellow human beings, am dust, and grace is abundantly available.
In some ways my cultural context is similar to that of Ephesians 5. Christianity is old, not new, but, in the Western world, it is increasingly in the position of occupying minority status. In the United States, for example, the fastest-growing religious category is “none.” Some people are overtly hostile to religion; Reza Aslan calls them antitheists, a category distinct from atheists. Some adherents of other religions are openly hostile to Christianity. In such contexts the advice from Ephesians 5:15-20 proves especially helpful. May the light of Christ shine through us who identify as Christians. May it scatter the darkness of ignorance and antipathy. May we, by grace, comport ourselves in a manner worthy of Christ, our Master.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 26, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF EMILY MALBONE MORGAN, FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE HOLY CROSS
THE FEAST OF FRED ROGERS, EDUCATOR AND U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/devotion-for-tuesday-after-trinity-sunday-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Blue Marble, December 17, 1972
Image Source = NASA
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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:
Daniel 2:1-19 (Thursday)
Daniel 2:24-49 (Friday)
Psalm 72 (Both Days)
Ephesians 4:17-5:1 (Thursday)
Ephesians 5:15-20 (Friday)
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Thanks be to the Lord GOD, the God of Israel,
for he alone does marvellous things.
Thanks be to the glorious name of God for ever,
his glory fills the earth.
Amen and amen.
–Psalm 72:18-19, The Psalms Introduced and Newly Translated for Today’s Readers (1989), by Harry Mowvley
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The prophecy of Daniel 2:44 seems problematic:
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people.
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
“The days of those kings” refers to the era of the successors of the empire of Alexander the Great. The conqueror had died after a brief reign.
So his officers took over his kingdom, each in his own territory, and after his death they all put on diadems, and so did their sons after them for many years, multiplying evils on the earth.
–1 Maccabees 1:8-9, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
The last of those successor empires, the Ptolomaic Empire, based in Egypt, had ended in 30 B.C.E., becoming a province of the Roman Republic, which was transforming into the Roman Empire. What, then, could the divine kingdom of Daniel 2:44 be? Ancient Jewish speculations offered two possibilities–the Messiah and the people of Israel. Christian interpretations have included the Messiah and the Church. The latter is possible if one includes the Roman Empire as a successor kingdom to the empire of Alexander the Great, for Rome did spread Hellenism, the cultural legacy of Alexander, far and wide.
I cannot forget, however, a lament of the excommunicated Roman Catholic theologian Alfred Fermin Loisy (1857-1940). Jesus promised us the Kingdom of God, Loisy wrote, and all we got was the Church. If we understand the Kingdom of God as having been present on the Earth in a partially evident way for a long time Loisy’s lament becomes less potent yet remains relevant. Christian history contains much that brings no glory to God–the Crusades, bigotry, discrimination, slavery, misogyny, legalism, anti-intellectualism, a suspicion of science, et cetera. Much of that litany of shame exists in the category of current events. Nevertheless, much of Christian history (as well as the Christian present day) is also positive, in the style of the readings from Ephesians, where we find the theme of imitating Christ. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the incarcerated and the hospitalized, welcoming the stranger, et cetera–in short, recognizing the image of God in others then acting accordingly–bring glory to God. In those and other deeds the partially unveiled Kingdom of God becomes visible and God’s glory fills the Earth.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 COMMON ERA
PROPER 20–THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF HENRI NOUWEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HENRY COLERIDGE PATTESON, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF MELANESIA, AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF NELSON WESLEY TROUT, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN U.S. BISHOP
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2015/09/20/devotion-for-january-7-and-8-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The Flight with the Torah (1986), by Willy Gordon, outside the Great Synagogue, Stockholm, Sweden
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Holy God, your word feeds your people with life that is eternal.
Direct our choices and preserve us in your truth,
that, renouncing what is evil and false, we may live in you,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 45
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The Assigned Readings:
Nehemiah 9:1-15 (Monday)
Nehemiah 9:16-31 (Tuesday)
Psalm 119:97-104 (Both Days)
Ephesians 5:21-6:9 (Monday)
Ephesians 6:21-24 (Tuesday)
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How I love your law!
All day long I pore over it.
Psalm 119:97, Harry Mowvley, The Psalms Introduced and Newly Translated for Today’s Readers (1989)
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One reason for the public confession of sin in Nehemiah 9 was that, for a long time, the majority of the Hebrew people had not loved and pored over God’s law. One principle (with culturally specific examples) of the Law of Moses was that the people had no right to exploit each other. They were responsible to and for each other, dependent upon each other, and completely dependent upon God. The testimony of Hebrew prophets confirmed that exploitation and other violations of the Law of Moses occurred frequently.
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
–Ephesians 5:21, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
It is a glorious passage, one which sets the context for 5:22-6:9. Unfortunately, the author of the Letter to the Ephesians (as did the Law of Moses) accepted patriarchy and slavery. Over time many people have cited the Law of Moses and parts of Ephesians 5:21-6:9, often quoting them selectively in the service of prooftexting, to justify the morally indefensible. To be fair, nothing in Ephesians 5:21-6:9 gives anyone carte blanche to abuse anyone. The opposite is true, actually. Yet the acceptance of slavery and sexism, although not unexpected, due to the cultural settings from which these writings emerged, contradicts the Golden Rule.
A community will be a peace when its members respect the dignity of each other, acknowledge how much they depend upon each other, and act accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 1, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL STENNETT, ENGLISH SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN HOWARD, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN MARTYR, APOLOGIST
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PAMPHILUS OF CAESAREA, BIBLE SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF SYRACUSE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/devotion-for-monday-and-tuesday-after-proper-16-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath, by Bartholomeus Breenbergh
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Gracious God, your blessed Son came down from heaven
to be the true bread that gives life to the world.
Give us this bread always,
that he may live in us and we in him,
and that, strengthened by this food,
may live as his body in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 44
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Kings 17:1-16
Psalm 81
Ephesians 5:1-4
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Oh, that my people would listen to me!
that Israel would walk in my ways!
–Psalm 81:13, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Much of Christianity has condemned personal sins (such as swearing, gambling, fornicating, and fighting) exclusively or primarily while justifying oppressive violence and unjust economic systems over time. One could point to, among other examples, the tradition of Roman Catholic support for feudalism and manorialism then for various dictators (such as Francisco Franco of Spain; at least he was anti-Communist) or to the Lutheran tradition of supporting the state, even when that is dubious. And Martin Luther (1483-1546) did support the brutal repression of a peasants’ revolt by the German ruler who was protecting his life during the earliest years of the Protestant Reformation. I cannot forget that fact either. (To be fair, the Roman Catholic Church has also opposed dictatorships and many German Lutherans opposed the Third Reich.) I choose to emphasize an example of which many people are unaware. The Presbyterian Church in the United States, the old “Southern” Presbyterian Church, began in 1861 with a narrow range of moral concerns: private behavior. Slavery was not a moral concern fit for the church. No, that was a matter for governments to address. This was an example of the “Spirituality of the Church,” one of the biggest cop-outs I have encountered. In the 1930s part of the left wing of that denomination succeeded in expanding the church’s range of moral concerns to include structural economic inequality, war and peace, et cetera. In 1954 the Southern Presbyterians became the first U.S. denomination to affirm the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) as consistent with scripture and Christian values. Much of the right wing of that denomination objected to these changes vocally, even to the point of defending Jim Crow laws in print. (I have index cards full of evidence.) Nevertheless, did not Jesus command people to love their neighbors as they love themselves?
“How long will you judge unjustly,
and show favor to the wicked?
Save the weak and the orphan;
defend the humble and the needy;
Rescue the weak and the poor;
deliver them from the power of the wicked….”
–Psalm 82:2-4, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
Sins come in the personal and collective responsibilities, among others. Infractions of both kinds require confession and repentance, but addressing offenses in the former category is easier than seeking to correct offenses in the latter category. Focusing on the former primarily or exclusively is, I suppose, a way (albeit an unsuccessful way) to seek to let oneself off the proverbial hook morally.
God commands us to care for people actively and effectively. Sometimes this occurs on a small scale, as in the pericope from 1 Kings 17. On other occasions the effort is massive and might even entail resisting unjust laws which place the poor at further disadvantage. All of these efforts are consistent with the command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 28, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN H. W. STUCKENBERG, LUTHERAN PASTOR AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF EDWIN POND PARKER, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARGARET POLE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/devotion-for-monday-after-proper-14-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Construction of St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Nondalton, Lake and Peninusla Borough, Alaska, 1990
Photographer = Jet Lowe
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = HABS AK,5-NODA,1–1
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Lord Jesus Christ, master craftsman of our salvation,
we thank you for those artisans who have glorified you with their skills
and for those who continue to do so.
May we, inspired by their positive examples,
glorify you with all our skills, no matter how mundane we think they are.
In the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 38:24-34
Psalm 86:1-13
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Matthew 13:54-58
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 COMMON ERA
PROPER 19: THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS
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Adapted from this post:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/proper-for-artisans/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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