Archive for the ‘Joshua 24’ Category
Above: Marriage Cross
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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Joshua 24:1-2, 14-18
Psalm 34:15-22
Ephesians 5:21-31
John 6:60-69
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God of all creation,
you reach out to call people of all nations to your kingdom.
As you gather disciples from near and far,
count us also among those
who boldly confess your Son Jesus Christ as Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
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O almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life,
grant us without doubt to know your Son Jesus Christ
to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life
that, following his steps,
we may steadfastly walk in the say that leads to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 77
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Cultural context is crucial. Consider that assertion, O reader, as we ponder Ephesians 5:21-31.
- Patriarchy was ubiquitous. The text did not question it. We may justly question patriarchy, though.
- A household was like a small fortress with bolted outer gates and inner doors. These security measures were necessary because the society lacked domestic police forces.
- Wives were frequently much younger than their husbands.
- So, the theme of reciprocal service and protection within marriage was relatively progressive. The husband had the duty to sacrifice himself to protect his wife, if necessary.
David Bentley Hart translates 5:21 to read:
Being stationed under one another in reverence for the Anointed, ….
The Revised New Jerusalem Bible offers a variation on the standard English-language translation:
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
J. B. Phillips‘s final translation (1972) of the New Testament provides a different and thought-provoking version of this verse:
And “fit in with” each other, because of your common reverence for Christ.
Clarence Jordan‘s version of this epistle, the Letter to the Christians in Birmingham, renders this verse as follows:
Put yourselves under one another with Christ-like respect.
I, without justifying ancient social norms I find objectionable, do try to understand them in context. I also recognize that a text says what it says, not what (a) I wish it ways, and (b) what it may superficially seem to say. So, within the context of ancient Roman society, we have a text about reciprocal service and protection within marriage. The text makes clear that there is no room for exploitation in marriage. The model for the husband is Jesus, who laid down his life.
Speaking of Jesus, he lost some followers in John 6:66. Yet may we say with St. Simon Peter:
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we know that you are the Holy One of God.
—The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
The theme of the importance of following God exists in Joshua 24, a book edited together from various sources after the Babylonian Exile. The Book of Joshua benefits from centuries of hindsight. Other portions of the Hebrew Bible tell us which choice–polytheism–adherents of the Hebrew folk religion made for centuries. Yet the authorial voice in the sources of the Hebrew Bible is that of the priestly religion. This is appropriate.
Serve God and God alone, that authorial voice repeats. Avoid idolatry and practical atheism, it tells us again and again. This is a message for the community first and the individual second. Western rugged individualism is alien to the Bible.
If we apply the advice to be subject to one another/fit in with each other/be stationed under one another/put ourselves under one another out of reverence for Christ–or God, if you, O reader, prefer–to our communities, congregations, and mature (as opposed to casual or immature) relationships, we will have stronger communities, congregations, and mature relationships. To value other people because of who they are–not what they can do for us–is to orientate relationships in a mutually healthy direction. Everyone benefits, regardless of the cultural context, with its societal norms. This approach, if it becomes normative, will transform those societal norms for the common good.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 14, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD THOMAS DEMBY AND HENRY BEARD DELANY, EPISCOPAL SUFFRAGAN BISHIPS FOR COLORED WORK
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTHONY, JOHN, AND EUSTATHIUS OF VILNIUS, MARTYRS IN LITHUANIA, 1347
THE FEAST OF GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL, COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUCIEN BOTOVASOA, MALAGASY ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 1947
THE FEAST OF SAINT WANDREGISILUS OF NORMANDY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT LAMBERT OF LYONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENAIDA OF TARSUS AND HER SISTER, SAINT PHILONELLA OF TARSUS; AND SAINT HERMIONE OF EPHESUS; UNMERCENARY PHYSICIANS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Good Shepherd
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Third Sunday after Trinity, Year 1
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O God, the Protector of all that trust in thee,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us thy mercy;
that thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal,
that we finally lose not the things eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 188
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Joshua 24:14-27
Psalm 19
1 Peter 5:1-11
Matthew 5:1-6
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Joshua 24 and Psalm 19 remind us of the power and jawdropping, stunning awesomeness of the one deity, YHWH. (“Fear of God” is a poor translation; “awe of God” is a good one.) Joshua’s warning about idolatry remains germane. The false gods may differ, however. Human ego seems to be an evergreen idol, nevertheless.
The Good Shepherd is YHWH in the Hebrew Bible and Jesus in the New Testament. The divine Good Shepherd has human good shepherds working under him in both Testaments. As 1 Peter 5:1-11, set in the context of suffering, reminds us, good shepherds shepherd out of devotion, not compulsion. They serve because they love. They serve, not dominate to the detriment of the flock.
Blessed are the meek/gentle, we read in Matthew 5:4. They will inherit the earth in the Kingdom of Heaven, the fully-realized Kingdom of God on earth. They certainly will not inherit the earth in the dominant world order, in which the Golden Rule is to do unto others before they do unto you, or he who has the gold, makes the rules.
Indeed, blessed are the meek. Blessed are the gentle. Blessed are those who shepherd their flocks self-sacrificially and for the good of their flocks. Blessed are they who take up their crosses and follow Christ. Blessed are they who love like Jesus.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 14, 2020 COMMON ERA
TUESDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF EDWARD THOMAS DEMBY AND HENRY BEARD DELANY, EPISCOPAL SUFFRAGAN BISHOPS FOR COLORED WORK
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTHONY, JOHN, AND EUSTATHIUS OF VILNIUS, MARTYRS IN LITHUANIA, 1347
THE FEAST OF GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL, COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT WANDREGISILUS OF NORMANDY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT LAMBERT OF LYONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENAIDA OF TARSUS AND HER SISTER, SAINT PHILONELLA OF TARSUS; AND SAINT HERMIONE OF EPHESUS; UNMERCENARY PHYSICIANS
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Above: Cyrus II
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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2 Chronicles 36:11-23 or Joshua 24:1-7, 13-25
Psalm 83:1-5, 13-18
Ephesians 6:11-24
Luke 7:1-17
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One should serve God, of course. Not trying to do so is mainly unacceptable. Yet trying to do so does not guarantee succeeding in doing so; one can be sincerely wrong. The history of religion is replete with those who have committed evils while laboring under the impression they were serving God. So is the present state of religion.
We are morally responsible for and to each other. Saying and writing that sentence is easy. Understanding how it properly translates into attitudes and actions in various contexts can prove very challenging, though.
Praying is a good start, of course. Yet we must distinguish between a dialogue and an internal monologue if we are to know the difference between God and what we want to hear.
God’s choice of human instruments may surprise us, as may the number of “others” who are among the faithful. We humans tend to prefer neat, orderly categories, such as “insiders” and “outsiders.” But what if we, who think ourselves as insiders, are really outsiders? I tell people sometimes that the lists of people who are in Heaven and who are not there would astound and scandalize us if we could see them.
Grace is astounding, is it not? It is free yet not cheap. Likewise, judgment and mercy exist in context of each other; they are in balance God knows what that balance is. So be it.
May we, by grace, succeed is serving God, in glorifying and enjoying God in the moment and forever.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 22, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT DEOGRATIAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CARTHAGE
THE FEAST OF EMMANUEL MOURNIER, PERSONALIST PHILOSOPHER
THE FEAST OF JAMES DE KOVEN, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF THOMAS HUGHES, BRITISH SOCIAL REFORMER AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM EDWARD HICKSON, ENGLISH MUSIC EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/22/devotion-for-the-ninth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c-humes/
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https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2020/03/22/devotion-for-proper-7-year-c-humes/
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Above: Joshua and the Israelite People
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Year 1, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of good things:
graft in our hearts the love of thy name, increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness, and by thy great mercy keep us in the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 125
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Joshua 24:14-24
Colossians 1:24-29
John 17:20-26
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Due to thematic similarity between the readings for this post and the previous one, I could slip into excessive repetitiveness easily. Nevertheless, I have tried not to do so.
Different Biblical authors had divergent opinions about how forgiving God is. God was unforgiving of apostasy and apostates in Deuteronomy 29 and Hebrews 10:26-31, for example. In Luke 9:62, Jesus, after listening to excuses for not following him, said,
No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Yet God was forgiving in Deuteronomy 30. This forgiving attitude did not indicate the absence of negative consequences of sins, though.
Heaven and Hell, which I understand to be realities, not places with geography and coordinates, are real. God predestines some people to Heaven, but nobody to Hell. God damns no person, but people damn themselves. God, in my theology, extends successive opportunities to repent.
Judgment and mercy exist in balance throughout the Bible. I do not pretend to know where one ends and the other begins. Yet I understand that we ought to take faithful response to God seriously.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 9, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE EIGHTH DAY OF ADVENT: THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF KARL BARTH, SWISS REFORMED MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR; AND HIS SON, MARKUS BARTH, SWISS LUTHERAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF GEORG FRIEDRICH HELLSTROM, DUTCH-GERMAN MORAVIAN MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER FOURIER, “THE GOOD PRIEST OF MATTAINCOURT;” AND SAINT ALIX LE CLERC, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF NOTRE DAME OF CANONESSES REGULAR OF SAINT AUGUSTINE
THE FEAST OF WALTER CISZEK, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY PRIEST AND POLITICAL PRISONER
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Above: Landscape with the Parable of the Sower, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Image in the Public Domain
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FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, ACCORDING TO A LECTIONARY FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE BOOK OF WORSHIP FOR CHURCH AND HOME (1965)
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O God, your never-failing providence orders all things both in heaven and earth:
We humbly ask you to put away from us all hurtful things,
and to give us those things which are profitable for us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–Modernized from The Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965), page 139
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Joshua 24:1-15, 24
Psalm 12
Acts 17:21-31
Luke 8:4-15
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As Joshua 24 reminds us, we should revere God, who has done much for us out of graciousness. Nevertheless, many of us do not, and not always out of ignorance.
The so-called Parable of the Sower is actually the Parable of the Four Soils. The emphasis in the parable falls on the four types of soil. The explanation of the parable in Luke 8:11-15 is clear; only one of the types of soil is good. If we expect the spiritual path to be Easy Street, circumstances (and God) will disappoint us, but we will have only ourselves to blame. If we are easily distractible people, that is also a problem. If we yield to certain temptations, the seed of faith also fails to take root.
May we nourish the seed of faith and be good soil.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 5, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE NEUMANN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF PHILADELPHIA
THE FEAST OF ANTONIO LOTTI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT GENOVEVA TORRES MORALES, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE HOLY ANGELS
THE FEAST OF MARGARET MACKAY, SCOTTISH HYMN WRITER
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Above: Olive Trees, the Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Palestine, Ottoman Empire, Between 1900 and 1910
Image Source = Library of Congress
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2007675856/)
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsca-13199
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The Collect:
O God our rock, you offer us a covenant of mercy,
and you provide the foundation of our lives.
Ground us in your word, and strengthen our resolve to be your disciples,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 38
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The Assigned Readings:
Joshua 8:30-35 (Monday)
Joshua 24:1-2, 11-28 (Tuesday)
Job 28:12-28 (Wednesday)
Psalm 52 (All Days)
Romans 2:1-11 (Monday)
Romans 3:9-22a (Tuesday)
Matthew 7:13-20 (Wednesday)
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Why do you glory in evil, you tyrant,
while the goodness of God endures continually?
–Psalm 52:1, Common Worship (2000)
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The rules of holy war in the Old Testament precluded any human gain. Thus holy warriors were supposed to kill, pillage, and destroy completely—in the name of God, of course.
I would lie if I were to deny that this does not disturb me.
Anyhow, the reading of the commandments in Joshua 8 follows the destruction of Ai and the hanging of the king of that city. I would lie if I were to pretend that this fact does not disturb me. Whom would Jesus hang?
At sunset they cut down the body on Joshua’s orders and flung it on the ground at the entrance of the city gate.
–Joshua 8:29b, The Revised English Bible
Whose body would Jesus order cut down then fling to the ground?
I do detect a repeated theme in the assigned readings for today, however. I might not detect the goodness of God in Joshua 8, but I read about it—along with judgment—in assigned texts for these days. One should never take a covenant with God lightly, I read. Nor should one be too quick to judge others, for God does not show favoritism, I also read. God, I read, fathoms the depths of wisdom and wants us to reject evil.
Faith, in Pauline theology, is both intellectual and active. (In contrast, faith, in the Letter of James, is merely intellectual, hence the text’s insistence on the necessity of faith and works for justification.) Active faith is that to which Paul, James, Jesus, and Joshua called people. So, to use our Lord and Savior’s metaphor, may we be good trees, bearing good fruit. And, taking Matthew 7:12 (the Golden Rule) into consideration, may we bear the good fruits of treating people properly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 10, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THEODORE PARKER, ABOLITIONIST AND MAVERICK UNITARIAN PASTOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTONY PIEROZZI, A.K.A. ANTONINUS OF FLORENCE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF FLORENCE
THE FEAST OF JOHN GOSS, ANGLICAN CHURCH COMPOSER AND ORGANIST; AND WILLIAM MERCER, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF NICOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF, RENEWER OF THE CHURCH
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Adapted from This Post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-4-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: King Herod Agrippa I
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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 everlasting 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:
Joshua 23:1-16 (July 5)
Joshua 24:1-31 (July 6)
Psalm 86 (Morning–July 5)
Psalm 122 (Morning–July 6)
Psalms 6 and 19 (Evening–July 5)
Psalms 141 and 90 (Evening–July 6)
Acts 12:1-25 (July 5)
Acts 13:1-12 (July 6)
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A Related Post:
Acts 12-13:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/twenty-fifth-day-of-easter/
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Joshua’s farewell, with its emphasis on keeping the covenant with God (or else…), sets up the Book of Judges and summarizes the theology of much of the Old Testament. I admit to continuing to struggle with this God concept, which depicts God as one of whom to be terrified and not with whom to have a positive relationship. ”Fear of God,” a healthy attitude, is one of awestruck respect, not terror. Despite my struggles with a certain God concept, I grasp the point that, by keeping the covenant, people were glorifying God. So, by doing the opposite, they were not glorifying God.
Herod Agrippa I (lived 110 BCE-44 CE, reigned 37-44 CE) was a mean person. He, a grandson of the infamous Herod the Great, was also a client ruler for the Roman Empire. Agrippa I was also a close friend of Emperor Caligula and an energetic persecutor of Christianity. (My source = The Oxford Companion to the Bible, 1993, page 283)
Acts 12 confirms a negative portrait of Herod Agrippa I. He ordered the execution of the prison guards whom God had thwarted. And he ordered the beheading of James Bar-Zebedee, brother of St. John the Apostle and first cousin of Jesus. And who knows what Agrippa I might have done to Peter?
The Romans and their allies, for all the persecution they unleashed on the church, could not kill it? Successive waves of persecution elsewhere have also failed. In fact, persecution has usually backfired, leading to more conversions. Herod Agrippa I and his ilk failed. For that I give glory to God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 21, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALBERT JOHN LUTHULI, WITNESS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
THE FEAST OF J. B. PHILLIPS, BIBLE TRANSLATOR AND ANGLICAN PRIEST
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/devotion-for-july-5-and-6-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Niagara Falls
Image Source = sbittante
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Niagara_falls_panorama.jpg)
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FIRST READING AND PSALM: OPTION #1
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 (New Revised Standard Version):
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people,
Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors– Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor– lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.
Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Then the people answered,
Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.
But Joshua said to the people,
You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.
And the people said to Joshua,
No, we will serve the LORD!
Then Joshua said to the people,
You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.
And they said,
We are witnesses.
He said,
Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.
The people said to Joshua,
The LORD our God we will serve, and him we will obey.
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.
THEN
Psalm 78:1-7 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Hear my teaching, O my people;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us,
we will not hide from their children.
4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD,
and the wonderful works he has done.
5 He gave his decrees to Jacob
and established a law for Israel,
which he commanded them to teach their children;
6 That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn;
so that they in their turn might tell it to their children;
7 So that they might put their trust in God,
and not forget the deeds of God,
but keep his commandments.
OR
Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 (New Revised Standard Version):
Wisdom is radiant and unfading,
and she is easily discerned by those who love her,
and is found by those who seek her.
She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty,
for she will be found sitting at the gate.
To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding,
and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
and she graciously appears to them in their paths,
and meets them in every thought.
FIRST READING AND PSALM: OPTION #2
Amos 5:18-24 (New Revised Standard Version):
Alas for you who desire the day of the LORD!
Why do you want the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, not light:
as if someone fled from a lion,
and was met by a bear;
or went into a house and rested a hand against the wall
and was bitten by a snake.
Is not the day of the LORD darkness, not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
THEN
Psalm 70 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me.
2 Let those who seek my life be ashamed
and altogether dismayed;
let those who take pleasure in my misfortune
draw back and be disgraced.
3 Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat over me turn back,
because they are ashamed.
4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation say to for ever,
“Great is the LORD!”
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
come to me speedily, O God.
6 You are my helper and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not tarry.
OR
Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 (New Revised Standard Version):
The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction,
and concern for instruction is love of her,
and love of her is the keeping of her laws,
and giving heed to her laws is assurance of of immortality,
and immortality brings one near to God;
so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom.
SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (New Revised Standard Version):
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
GOSPEL READING
Matthew 25:1-13 (New Revised Standard Version):
Jesus said,
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
The Collect:
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Joshua 24:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/week-of-proper-14-friday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/week-of-proper-14-saturday-year-1/
Matthew 25:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/week-of-proper-16-friday-year-1/
1 Thessalonians 4:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/week-of-proper-17-monday-year-1/
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PART ONE
Sophia, Lady Wisdom
Image Source = Radomil
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Efez_Celsus_Library_3_RB.jpg)
The Bible uses a variety of metaphors for God. Most of these are masculine, but some are feminine. God, in Deuteronomy, is the mother eagle who teaches the eaglets how to fly. And Jesus likens himself to a mother hen when he laments over Jerusalem. Then there is Sophia, the wisdom of God personified as a woman in Old Testament wisdom literature, from Proverbs to Sirach/Ecclesiasticus to the Wisdom of Solomon.
Deity, of course, exists beyond human concepts of sex and gender, terms I use in their sociological contexts. Sex is the physical state, a matter of anatomy. Gender is what that anatomy means for one. Is there a glass ceiling? Which professions does society consider fit and proper for one to pursue? Does one receive equal pay for equal work? Can one vote? And does one carry a purse or a shoulder bag?
The authors of the Bible came from male-dominated societies, so it is not surprising that their vision of God was mainly masculine. Had they been born into matriarchal societies, metaphors of God the Mother would seem like second nature to us. My point is this: Let us not become distracted by metaphors. No, let us learn from them and focus on the divine reality behind them.
The love of wisdom, we read, leads to eternal life, or life in God. The love of wisdom, we read, leads to the keeping of the law. And what fulfills the law? Love of one’s neighbors does. See Romans 13:10 (http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/week-of-proper-26-wednesday-year-1/) for details.
PART TWO
The (Western) Christian year always ends with Proper 29, Christ the King Sunday, in late November. The readings for the Sundays immediately prior to Christ the King Sunday tend to take an eschatological tone, for Advent is near, with the twelve days of Christmas on its heels.
The reading from Joshua contains foreboding. The people swear to serve and obey God, but Joshua knows better. The prophet Amos, a few centuries later, warns of God’s judgments on their descendants. And what have the people done? They have practiced idolatry, economic exploitation, judicial corruption, and condoned rampant social inequality beyond that which exists in a simple meritocracy. They have not loved their neighbors as themselves. We read in Romans 13:10 that love of one’s neighbors fulfills the law of God.
There is hope, even in Amos. The divine judgment has not come down yet, so there is still time to repent–to turn around, to change one’s mind. And Paul, in 1 Thessalonians, does not look upon the return of Jesus with dread. No, he thinks of it as an occasion to encourage people. Those who have followed Jesus have no reason to dread the Second Coming, in Paul’ mind, for God has justified them. And so there is no condemnation for them. But, as the reading from Matthew cautions us, those who become lax at the wrong time will regret their inaction.
Church history contains many incidents of people predicting the Second Coming of Jesus. He has not kept any of those dates yet. One might think that, after a while, more people would learn not to place their trust in dates. We–you and I–have an assignment from God. It is to love our neighbors as ourselves and to honor the image of God in ourselves and others, whether or not they are similar to us. How this translates into actions will vary from person to person, according to one’s time, place, gifts, abilities, and circumstances. But, however God calls you to live this vocation, may you do so. Then you will be like a bridesmaid with plenty of oil.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 19, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW BOBOLA, JESUIT MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT DUNSTAN OF CANTERBURY, ARCHBISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT IVO OF CHARTRES, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT IVO OF KERMARTIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND ADVOCATE FOR THE POOR
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/proper-27-year-a/
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Above: Nablus, Palestine, Ottoman Empire, 1898 (Built on the Site of Shechem)
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Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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Joshua 24:14-29 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):
Joshua said,
Now, therefore, revere the LORD and serve Him with undivided loyalty; put away the gods that your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. Or, if you are loath to serve the LORD, choose this day which ones you are going to serve–the gods that your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates, or those of the Amorites in whose land you are settled; but I and my household will serve the LORD.
In reply, the people declared,
Far be it from us to forsake the LORD and serve other gods! For it was the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, and who wrought those wondrous signs before our very eyes, and guarded us all along the way we traveled and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. And then the LORD drove out before us all the peoples–the Amorites–that inhabited the country. We too will serve the LORD, for He is our God.
Joshua, however, said to the people,
You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve alien gods, He will turn and deal harshly with you and make an end of you, after having been gracious to you.
But the people replied to Joshua,
No, we will serve the LORD!
Thereupon Joshua said to the people,
You are witnesses against yourselves that you have left your own act chosen to serve the LORD.
They responded,
Yes, we are!
Joshua replied,
Then put away the alien gods that you have among you and direct your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.
And the people declared to Joshua,
We will serve none but the LORD our God, and we will obey none but Him.
On that day at Shechem, Joshua made a covenant for the people and he made a fixed rule for them. Joshua recorded all this in a book of divine instruction. He took a great stone and set it at the foot of the oak in the sacred precinct of the LORD; and Joshua said to all the people,
See, this very stone shall be a witness against us, for it heard all the words that the LORD spoke to us; it shall be a witness against you, lest you break faith with your God.
Joshua then dismissed the people to their allotted portions.
After these events, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred and ten years.
Psalm 16:1, 5-11 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;
I have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord,
my good above all other.”
5 O LORD, you are my portion and my cup;
it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD who gives my counsel;
my heart teaches me, night after night.
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;
my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Matthew 19:13-15 (J. B. Phillips, 1972):
Then some little children were brought to him, so that he could put his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples strongly disapproved of this but Jesus said,
You must let little children come to me, and you must never stop them. The kingdom of Heaven belongs to little children like these!
Then he laid his hands on them and walked away.
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The Collect:
Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Links to posts covering Jesus and children:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/week-of-proper-2-saturday-year-1/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/week-of-7-epiphany-saturday-year-1/
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The Hebrew Bible assumed its current form in stages. Among these was the editing together of documents (among them J, E, P, and D) into various books, including Joshua. This process reached completion after the return from the Babylonian Exile, hence the strong foreshadowing in certain books, such as Joshua. Those who came out of exile and relocated to an ancestral homeland in which they had not lived understood that national apostasy had led to the decline and fall of the Jewish kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
The Enlightenment and U.S. history inform my views on the proper relationship between religion and state. I know that colonial New England Puritans did not tolerate religious dissent, for the exiled Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. They also expelled the Quakers they did not execute. The Enlightenment value of the separation of church and state is wise. It also protects the church from state interference and religious dissidents from execution as alleged traitors.
So national holiness is not a matter of theocracy. It is not so much an issue of policy as it is of personal behavior fostered in community. The main principle of holiness in a social context is the Golden Rule. How we treat others reveals much about how we value God and ourselves. This is an affirmative statement, one intended only to point to the light. There is no wrong in acting according to the Golden Rule, although obeying it constitutes at least what the Lutheran confessions of faith call civic righteousness, which is good yet cannot save us from ourselves. Only God can do that, but we have an abiding obligation to serve this deity with undivided loyalty. May we do so, by grace.
By doing this we will improve our communities, societies, and nations. National holiness is a matter of attitudes, which translate into actions. By reforming the way we act toward one another we can change society. May we do so for the better. This is what God commands us to do.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 10, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT OF ARIANE, RESTORER OF WESTERN MONASTICISM, AND SAINT ARDO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF HENRY WILLIAMS BAKER, ANGLICAN PRIEST
THE FEAST OF RENE DESCARTES, PHILOSOPHER
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/week-of-proper-14-saturday-year-1/
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Above: Nablus, Palestine, Ottoman Empire, 1918 (Built on the Site of Shechem)
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Joshua 24:1-14 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):
Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders and commanders, magistrates and officers; and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people,
Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: In olden times, your forefathers–Terah, father of Abraham and father of Nahor–lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through the whole land of Canaan and multiplied his offspring. I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir as his possession, while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with [the wonders] that I wrought in their midst, after which I freed you–I freed your fathers–from Egypt, and you came to the Sea. But the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Sea of Reeds with chariots and horsemen. They cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians; then He brought the Sea upon them, and it covered them. Your own eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians.
“After you had lived a long time in the wilderness, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They gave battle to you, but I delivered them into your hands; I annihilated them for you, and you took possession of their land. Thereupon Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, made ready to attack Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I refused to listen to Balaam; he had to bless you, and thus I saved you from him.
Then you crossed the Jordan and you came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho and the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites fought you, but I delivered them into your hands. I sent a plague ahead of you, and it drove them out before you–[just like] the two Amorite kings–not by your sword or by your bow. I have given you a land for which you did not labor and towns which you did not build, and you have settled in them; you are enjoying vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.
Now, therefore, revere the LORD and serve Him with undivided loyalty; put away the gods that your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD….
Psalm 136:1-3, 16-22 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures for ever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his mercy endures for ever.
16 Who led his people through the wilderness,
for his mercy endures for ever.
17 Who struck down great kings,
for his mercy endures for ever;
18 And slew mighty kings,
for his mercy endures for ever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his mercy endures for ever;
20 And Og, the king of Bashan,
for his mercy endures for ever;
21 And gave away their lands for an inheritance,
for his mercy endures for ever;
22 An inheritance for Israel his servant,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Matthew 19:3-12 (J. B. Phillips, 1972):
Then the Pharisees arrived with a test-question.
Is it right,
they asked,
for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds whatever?
He answered,
Haven’t you read that the one who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said: “For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall become one flesh”? So they are no longer two separate people but one. No man therefore must separate what God has joined together.
They retorted,
Then why did Moses command us to give a written divorce notice and dismiss the woman?
He answered,
It was because you knew so little about the meaning of love that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives! But that was not the original principle. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife on any grounds except her unfaithfulness and marries some other woman commits adultery.
His disciples said to him,
If that is a man’s position with his wife, it is not worth getting married!
Jesus replied,
It is not everybody who can accept this principle–only those who have a special gift. For some are incapable of marriage from birth, some are made incapable by the action of men, and some have made themselves so for the kingdom of Heaven. Let the man who can accept what I have said accept it.
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The Collect:
Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Marriage is indeed a great gift, and not one for everybody. I write as a never-married man who is content to remain unattached. It is good that I am not a Mormon, for my single state would place me at a great spiritual disadvantage within that tradition. But, as William Barclay wrote in Volume 2 of his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew:
…there are those who have taken upon themselves voluntarily vows of chastity, celibacy, purity, poverty, abstinence, continence. That will not be the way for the ordinary man, but the world would be a poorer place were it not for those who accept the challenge to travel alone for the sake of the work of Christ. (Page 208)
Here are links to other posts pertaining to divorce:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/week-of-7-epiphany-friday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/week-of-proper-2-friday-year-1/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/sixth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/proper-1-year-a/
KRT
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Now, for my main point…
The reading from Joshua is the first part of a speech which continues with the devotion for Saturday in the week of Proper 14, Year 1. So, to help provide a hint of what verses 1-13 build up to, I have extended the reading by one verse:
Now, therefore, revere the LORD and serve Him with undivided loyalty; put away the gods that your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
That is the original purpose of the many laws of the covenant. It is possible to become lost in the details of any elaborate law code, thereby reducing morality to a check list. But that misses the point and evades the spirit of the law. We human beings are as we think, for actions (excluding accidents) flow from attitudes. And both the Old and New Testaments tell us to God fully and our neighbors as we love ourselves. That is the big picture, the forest view. So let us avoid becoming legalistic, lost amid the trees while deluding ourselves into thinking that we are practicing righteousness.
Let us consider the issue of divorce, for example. The Law of Moses permitted a man to divorce his wife for almost any reason, but he had to issue a certificate of divorce. And she had the right to remarry in such an event. The assumed reason in the Mosaic Law was adultery, but the letter of the law did not specify this. So, in a highly patriarchal age, a woman might find herself at great economic risk due to the whims of an uncaring man. Jesus condemned this.
There was also a practice called Korban, by which a person gave property to the religious establishment, for the support of the professional religious. This was often noble and well-intentioned, but not always. Some used this as a way of depriving family members with whom they were at odds of financial support. Jesus condemned this, too.
Many of us in the human species like to game any given system for own advantage, fulfilling the letter of a specified legal or religious system to appear good. But we do not fool God when we act for selfish reasons. God tells us to love each other, to care for each other, to support each other in our common life together. That is the big picture, the forest view. How is that for an original principle?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 10, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SCHOLASTICA, ABBESS AT PLOMBARIOLA
THE FEAST OF HENRY WILLIAMS BAKER, ANGLICAN PRIEST
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Published originally at ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS BY KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR on February 1o, 2011
Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/week-of-proper-14-friday-year-1/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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