Archive for the ‘Psalm 77’ Category
I covered 150 psalms in 82 posts.
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Posted February 25, 2023 by neatnik2009 in Psalm 1, Psalm 10, Psalm 100, Psalm 101, Psalm 102, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 105, Psalm 106, Psalm 107, Psalm 108, Psalm 109, Psalm 11, Psalm 110, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 115, Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Psalm 118, Psalm 119, Psalm 12, Psalm 120, Psalm 121, Psalm 122, Psalm 123, Psalm 124, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, Psalm 127, Psalm 128, Psalm 129, Psalm 13, Psalm 130, Psalm 131, Psalm 132, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 137, Psalm 138, Psalm 139, Psalm 14, Psalm 140, Psalm 141, Psalm 142, Psalm 143, Psalm 144, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, Psalm 15, Psalm 150, Psalm 16, Psalm 17, Psalm 18, Psalm 19, Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 24, Psalm 25, Psalm 26, Psalm 27, Psalm 28, Psalm 29, Psalm 3, Psalm 30, Psalm 31, Psalm 32, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 35, Psalm 36, Psalm 37, Psalm 38, Psalm 39, Psalm 4, Psalm 40, Psalm 41, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Psalm 44, Psalm 45, Psalm 46, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 5, Psalm 50, Psalm 51, Psalm 52, Psalm 53, Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, Psalm 6, Psalm 60, Psalm 61, Psalm 62, Psalm 63, Psalm 64, Psalm 65, Psalm 66, Psalm 67, Psalm 68, Psalm 69, Psalm 7, Psalm 70, Psalm 71, Psalm 72, Psalm 73, Psalm 74, Psalm 75, Psalm 76, Psalm 77, Psalm 78, Psalm 79, Psalm 8, Psalm 80, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 83, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, Psalm 86, Psalm 87, Psalm 88, Psalm 89, Psalm 9, Psalm 90, Psalm 91, Psalm 92, Psalm 93, Psalm 94, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, Psalm 99
READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART LIII
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Psalms 75, 76, and 77
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Psalms 75, 76, and 77 are psalms “of Asaph,” a Levite and, for a time, the choir director at the Temple in Jerusalem. These texts tell us of characteristics of God, in time and theology:
- God renders justice.
- God is victorious, and resident in Jerusalem.
- God properly inspires awe.
- God is sovereign.
- God has a track record of acting faithfully toward the Chosen People, as in the Exodus from Egypt.
- God’s faithfulness never disappears.
- God is merciful.
- God is compassionate.
Many people consider mercy and compassion to be signs of weakness. They mistake being strong for being a cruel bastard. In contrast, divine strength, mercy, and compassion coexist. Yes, divine rescue of the oppressed may prove most unpleasant for the oppressors. However, even in other circumstances, mercy and compassion flow from strength, just as cruelty flows from weakness and fear. This fear is the fear of what will happen if one ceases to act cruelly. So, cruelty becomes a perverse self-defense mechanism.
Just as God is strong enough to show mercy and compassion, may we mortals also possess such strength, mercy, and compassion.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 27, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JEROME, PAULA OF ROME, EUSTOCHIUM, BLAESILLA, MARCELLA, AND LEA OF ROME
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANGELA MERICI, FOUNDER OF THE COMPANY OF SAINT URSULA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CAROLINA SANTOCANALE, FOUNDER OF THE CAPUCHIN SISTERS OF THE IMMACULATE OF LOURDES
THE FEAST OF CASPAR NEUMANN, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF MARY EVELYN “MEV” PULEO, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC PHOTOJOURNALIST AND ADVOCATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE FEAST OF PIERRE BATIFFOL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, HISTORIAN, AND THEOLOGIAN
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READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART XLVI
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Psalms 63 and 73
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Psalms 63 and 73 are similar to each other; they express faith in God, come from circumstances of affliction, and insist that the wicked will reap what they have sown.
The dubious superscription of Psalm 63 links the text to a time when David was hiding in the wilderness of Judah and people were trying to kill him. This may refer to a portion of the reign of King Saul. Alternatively, Absalom’s rebellion works as a context for the superscription. Yet the psalm is a general lament from someone in mortal danger from human beings. And who is the king in the last verse? Is the king God or a mortal? Is this verse original to Psalm 63? Your guesses are as good as mine, O reader.
The superscription of Psalm 73 attributes the text to Asaph, a Levite and the choir director at the Temple in Jerusalem. I do know if this attribution is historically accurate. That question may be irrelevant anyway. For your information, O reader, the Asaph psalms are numbers 50, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, and 83.
The psalmist–perhaps Asaph–notices how many wicked people flourish. He reports having doubted the purpose of remaining faithful until he visited the Temple. The psalmist concludes that God will remain faithful to the pious and that the wicked will go to destruction. This is mostly repetitive from other psalms, so I need not delve into that territory again, in this post.
Instead, I focus on the positive influence of religious institutions and congregations. Rugged individualism is not a spiritual virtue. We all rely upon God and each other. We need faith community to teach and support us in paths of God. This is why toxic faith and abusive and hateful religious institutions are so harmful; they drive people away from God and damage those whom they deceive. Many people project their bigotry and spiritual blindness onto God. In so doing, they create a mockery of religion that violates the Golden Rule. Yet positive, loving faith community embraces the Golden Rule.
If God has created us in his image, we have returned him the favor.
–François-Marie Arouet, a.k.a. Voltaire (1694-1778)
I, as an Anglican-Lutheran-Catholic Episcopalian with liberal tendencies in South Georgia, U.S.A., belong to a visible minority. I may belong to the one congregation in my county where I can speak my mind theologically without prompting either (a) concerns that I may be a damned heretic, or (b) certainty of that opinion, with (c) suspicions that I am too Catholic, tacked onto either (a) or (b). The growing influence of Eastern Orthodox spirituality within me places me more out of step with most of my neighbors and renders me more alien to the spirituality of the majority of nearby congregations. Certainly, I belong to the one congregation in my county I can feel comfortable joining. If I were a Low Church Protestant with liberal tendencies, I could choose from a handful of congregations. So, given my spiritual and religious reality, I understand the importance of faith community. My congregation, which helps to keep me grounded spiritually, is precious to me.
We human beings are social creatures. Even I, an introvert, am a social being. My personality type does not exempt me from evolutionary psychology. Faith is simultaneously individual and communal. Individual faith exists within the framework of a community. The two forms of faith interact. So, a solo person who claims to be “spiritual but not religious” pursues a nebulous path to nowhere.
May we, by grace, understand how much we rely on God and each other. Then may we act accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 20, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME, AND MARTYR, 250
THE FEAST OF SAINTS EUTHYMIUS THE GREAT AND THEOCTISTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
THE FEAST OF GREVILLE PHILLIMORE, ENGLISH PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF HAROLD A. BOSLEY, UNITED METHODIST MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HARRIET AUBER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF RICHARD ROLLE, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC SPIRITUAL WRITER
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Above: The Exorcism at the Synagogue in Capernaum
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 21:5-20 or Joshua 4:19-5:12
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Ephesians 2:1, 11-22
Luke 4:31-44
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We human beings like barriers, literal and metaphorical. We like walls, categories, and other ways of establishing who is an outsider and who is an insider. Usually, of course, we define “insider” to mean “like ourselves.”
God’s categories are not ours. God’s ways and thoughts differ from our ways and thoughts. We may seek to keep blessings for ourselves and those similar to ourselves, but we err in doing so. We will still suffer if we are faithful to God; I should not have to write that. Yet even when we suffer because of faithlessness, we do not suffer in the absence of God.
In my individualistic culture, collective suffering is frequently a difficult topic. In 2 Chronicles 21 we read of a kingdom (innocent subjects) suffering because of royal decisions and actions. Fewer kings populate the Earth in 2020, but the principle that a leader’s decisions and actions have consequences for many other people remains relevant. It seems unfair. It may be unfair. Yet it is reality, the way of the world.
God’s ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts. If our ways and thoughts were more similar to those of God, the world would be a much better place. We can, at least, marvel at God and admit how far we fall from that high standard.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAN SARKANDER, SILESIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND “MARTYR OF THE CONFESSIONAL,” 1620
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA BARBARA MAIX, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/17/devotion-for-the-fourth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c-humes/
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Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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The psalter of the Septuagint contains 151 psalms.
I have written based on all of them, in numerical order. I have retained the Hebrew numbering system, not that of the Septuagint.
Although I have no theological reticence to venture into textual territory that, according the United Methodism of my youth, is apocryphal, I do have limits. They reside in the realm of Orthodoxy, with its range of scriptural canons. Beyond that one finds the Pseudipigrapha. Psalm 151 concludes the Book of Psalms in The Orthodox Study Bible (2008); so be it.
The Hebrew psalter concludes with Psalm 150. In other psalters, however, the count is higher. In certain editions of the Septuagint, for example, Psalm 151 is an appendix to the Book of Psalms. In other editions of the Septuagint, however, Psalm 151 is an integrated part of the psalter. There is also the matter of the Syraic psalter, which goes as high as Psalm 155. I have no immediate plans to ponder Psalms 152-155, however. Neither do I plan to read and write about Psalms 156-160 any time soon, if ever.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 23, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MARTIN DE PORRES AND JUAN MACIAS, HUMANITARIANS AND DOMINICAN LAY BROTHERS; SAINT ROSE OF LIMA, HUMANITARIAN AND DOMINICAN SISTER; AND SAINT TURIBIUS OF MOGROVEJO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF LIMA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN COPELAND, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Book One: Psalms 1-41
Book Two: Psalms 42-72
Book Three: Psalms 73-89
Book Four: Psalms 90-106
Book Five: Psalms 107-150
Also in the Greek: Psalm 151
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Posted August 23, 2017 by neatnik2009 in Psalm 1, Psalm 10, Psalm 100, Psalm 101, Psalm 102, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 105, Psalm 106, Psalm 107, Psalm 108, Psalm 109, Psalm 11, Psalm 110, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 115, Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Psalm 118, Psalm 119, Psalm 12, Psalm 120, Psalm 121, Psalm 122, Psalm 123, Psalm 124, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, Psalm 127, Psalm 128, Psalm 129, Psalm 13, Psalm 130, Psalm 131, Psalm 132, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 137, Psalm 138, Psalm 139, Psalm 14, Psalm 140, Psalm 141, Psalm 142, Psalm 143, Psalm 144, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, Psalm 15, Psalm 150, Psalm 151, Psalm 16, Psalm 17, Psalm 18, Psalm 19, Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 24, Psalm 25, Psalm 26, Psalm 27, Psalm 28, Psalm 29, Psalm 3, Psalm 30, Psalm 31, Psalm 32, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 35, Psalm 36, Psalm 37, Psalm 38, Psalm 39, Psalm 4, Psalm 40, Psalm 41, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Psalm 44, Psalm 45, Psalm 46, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 5, Psalm 50, Psalm 51, Psalm 52, Psalm 53, Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, Psalm 6, Psalm 60, Psalm 61, Psalm 62, Psalm 63, Psalm 64, Psalm 65, Psalm 66, Psalm 67, Psalm 68, Psalm 69, Psalm 7, Psalm 70, Psalm 71, Psalm 72, Psalm 73, Psalm 74, Psalm 75, Psalm 76, Psalm 77, Psalm 78, Psalm 79, Psalm 8, Psalm 80, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 83, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, Psalm 86, Psalm 87, Psalm 88, Psalm 89, Psalm 9, Psalm 90, Psalm 91, Psalm 92, Psalm 93, Psalm 94, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, Psalm 99
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POST XXIX OF LX
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The Book of Common Prayer (1979) includes a plan for reading the Book of Psalms in morning and evening installments for 30 days. I am therefore blogging through the Psalms in 60 posts.
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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 226
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Judgment and mercy unite Psalms 75, 76, and 77. Divine judgment falls upon the wanton and arrogant in Psalm 75. They have the option of not being arrogant and wanton, but they have chosen to ignore warnings. God is the warrior who fights for Israel in Psalm 76; his mercy on Israel is judgment on their foes. That judgment has fallen upon Israel in Psalm 77, in which the author, an exile, asks God for another exodus as he recounts past divine mercies, such as the first exodus. That psalmist acknowledges human responsibility for the fates of the two kingdoms–Israel and Judah.
To determine moral responsibility can be difficult. One reason for this reality is the fact of our filters, which he learn, and which might be inaccurate. How can we recognize the distinction between what is really right and wrong and what we think the difference is? How can we cut through assumptions that history and science contradict and cease to call diseases sins instead? Just as we ought not to mistake non-sins for sins, we ought to refrain from committing the opposite error also.
May we succeed via grace, the only way that is possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 14, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM CROFT, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF JONATHAN MYRICK DANIELS, EPISCOPAL SEMINARIAN AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF MATTHIAS CLAUDIUS, GERMAN LUTHERAN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAXIMILIAN KOLBE, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR
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Above: Icon of the Entombment of Christ
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:
Nahum 3:1-19 or Zechariah 12:1-13:1
Psalm 77:(1-2) 3-10 (11-20)
Matthew 27:57-66 or Mark 15:42-47 or Luke 23:50-56 or John 19:31-42
Philippians 3:1-4a; 4:10-23
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All of the options for the Gospel reading leave Jesus dead in a borrowed tomb. This is the situation on the penultimate Sunday of Year D. This makes liturgical sense, for the last Sunday of the church year is the Feast of Christ the King.
The other readings assigned for Proper 28 provide the promise of better things to come. Psalm 77 speaks of the mighty acts of God in the context of a dire situation. The apocalyptic Zechariah 12:1-13:1 promises the victory of God. Nahum 3:1-19 deals with the overthrow of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, marked by violence and hubris. Finally, the triumph of Jesus in his resurrection is evident in the readings from the Pauline epistles.
One should trust in God, who is powerful, trustworthy, and compassionate.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 21, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE, MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/devotion-for-proper-28-year-d/
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Above: Temptations of Christ, a Byzantine Mosaic
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Holy God, heavenly Father, in the waters of the flood you saved the chosen,
and in the wilderness of temptation you protected your Son from sin.
Renew us in the gift of baptism.
May your holy angels be with us,
that the wicked foe may have no power over us,
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 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Proverbs 30:1-9
Psalm 77
Matthew 4:1-11
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You are the God who works wonders
and have declared your power among the people.
–Psalm 77:14, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Yet Jesus refused to work wonders during the Temptations. Yes, he performed many wonders later, but perhaps he was concerned that people follow him for the correct reason. And, as a note in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (2003) says on page 1752:
Jesus…rejects the presumption that God is an emergency “dial-up” service, a servant of human bidding.
The words of Agur son of Jakeh (in Proverbs 30) contain a prayer for deliverance from lies and for wealth in moderation. Poverty might lead him to curse God, and excessive wealth might cause him to renounce God also. A sense of awareness of dependence on God informs that prayer. Those requests also reject a false understanding of God as a vending machine or a cosmic bell boy.
If we follow God, why do we do so? We will have mixed motives, I suppose, but that is a human condition. Our motives might not be pure, but do we at least love God for who God is and grasp the reality that God does not serve us?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 6, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICETIUS OF TRIER, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP; AND SAINT AREDIUS OF LIMOGES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ABRAHAM OF KRATIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, BISHOP, AND HERMIT
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF MYRA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF PHILIP BERRIGAN, SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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Adapted from this post:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/devotion-for-wednesday-after-the-first-sunday-in-lent-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: One of William Blake’s Illustrations Based on the Book of Job
Image Source = William Safire, The First Dissident: The Book of Job in Today’s Politics (New York, NY: Random House, 1992)
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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The Collect:
Holy God, heavenly Father, in the waters of the flood you saved the chosen,
and in the wilderness of temptation you protected your Son from sin.
Renew us in the gift of baptism.
May your holy angels be with us,
that the wicked foe may have no power over us,
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 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Job 4:1-21 (Monday)
Job 5:8-27 (Tuesday)
Psalm 77 (Both Days)
Ephesians 2:1-10 (Monday)
1 Peter 3:8-18a (Tuesday)
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I think of God, I am restless,
I ponder, and my spirit faints.
You will not let my eyelids close;
I am troubled and I cannot speak….
Will the Lord cast me off for ever?
will he no more show his favor?
Has his loving-kindness come to an end for ever?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
has he, in his anger, withheld his compassion?
–Psalm 77:3-4, 7-9, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Those verses from Psalm 77 remind me of Job. The assigned readings from the Book of Job come from a speech by Eliphaz the Temanite, who mocks the titular character of the book while reciting a combination of pious platitudes and works-based theology of righteousness. Thus, according to Eliphaz, Job deserves his fate, for a just deity would not permit an innocent person to suffer. 1 Peter 3:8-18a and Ephesians contradict Eliphaz.
The character of Eliphaz acted partially out of the defense of tradition. Certainly tradition provides comfort in the form of predictability, but sometimes it is wrong, as are many deeds people commit in defense of it. Eliphaz should have obeyed the advice of 1 Peter 3:8 instead. He should have been
full of brotherly affection, kindly and humbly.
–The Revised English Bible (1989)
It is better to be compassionate than to be correct in one’s opinion. To behave correctly is superior to acting badly in defense of one’s theological orthodoxy. This is a devotion for the season of Lent, a time of repentance and of confession of sin. May we confess and repent of our defense mechanisms which inflict harm on others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 6, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICETIUS OF TRIER, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP; AND SAINT AREDIUS OF LIMOGES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ABRAHAM OF KRATIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, BISHOP, AND HERMIT
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF MYRA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF PHILIP BERRIGAN, SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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Adapted from this post:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/devotion-for-monday-and-tuesday-after-the-first-sunday-in-lent-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: An Arab Plowing (1898-1946)–See Luke 9:62
Image Source = Library of Congress
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2004006105/PP/)
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 and Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
or
1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 and Psalm 16
then
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62
The Collect:
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; 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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Some Related Posts:
Proper 8, Year A:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/proper-8-year-a/
Proper 8, Year B:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/proper-8-year-b/
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/prayer-of-confession-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-pentecost/
2 Kings 2:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/week-of-proper-6-wednesday-year-2/
1 Kings 19:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/proper-14-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/week-of-proper-5-saturday-year-2/
Galatians 5:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/week-of-proper-23-tuesday-year-2/
Luke 9:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/devotion-for-the-twenty-third-and-twenty-fourth-days-of-easter-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/week-of-proper-21-tuesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/week-of-proper-21-wednesday-year-1/
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Jesus modeled servanthood, which, according to Galatians 5, is the proper use of Christian liberty. Our Lord, as the author of the Gospel of Luke put it poetically, turned his face toward Jerusalem. Jesus rejected excuses for not following the difficult path he proclaimed, the path which led to his crucifixion. Following God can put one at risk, he said. The examples of Elijah, once on the run from Queen Jezebel, and Elisha, whose path led to the fomentation of a palace coup, testified to the truth of that statement.
Do we think of our fellow human beings as people to serve or to exploit? A barrage of news stories regarding skulduggery in very large banks reveals that some people prefer the latter option. The manipulation of interest rates, the foreclosing on homes without checking whether the homeowners have made payments recently and consistently, et cetera do not indicate an ethos of mutual servanthood.
In the Kingdom of God, Jesus said, the first will be last, the last will be first, and the servant of all will be the greatest. Our worth flows from who we are and whose we are, not how much we have. In the Kingdom of God he who dies with the most toys does not win and greed is not good. The Kingdom of God turns power, wealth, and prestige on their heads. It is properly subversive of the human-created socio-economic realities. Why, then, do not more churches proclaim the kingdom? Why do so many function as apologists for an exploitative system?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 17, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BENNETT J. SIMS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF ATLANTA
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF COMPIEGNE
THE FEAST OF SAINT NERSES LAMPRONATS, ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF TARSUS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM WHITE, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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