Archive for the ‘Revelation of John 5’ Category
Above: The Adoration of the Lamb
Image in the Public Domain
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READING REVELATION, PART IX
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Revelation 4:1-5:14
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One of the advantages of apocalyptic literature, politically subversive and treasonous in the context of the days of the Roman Empire, was that Roman imperial censors could not understand it. How would a censor have interpreted the beginning of Revelation 4, for example? He may have given up quickly, in frustration.
Without getting lost in the symbolism and numerology, one can grasp that this is a scene of divine judgment. All created things, as well as all people of faith in the Old and New Testaments, are near yet separated from the throne of God. Mercy tempers divine judgment. The audience praises God.
Holy, holy, holy is God the sovereign Lord of all, who was, and is, and is to come!
–Revelation 4:8b, The Revised English Bible (1989)
God was worthy to receive glory, honor, and power in 4:11. Jesus–the lamb–was worthy to receive the scroll and break its seals in 5:9-10.
Presbyterian minister Ernest Lee Stoffel offered this analysis:
What is this really saying? I believe it is saying that the suffering love of God is the key that will help us live with our suffering and with ourselves. There is something in the universe that has not been defeated by pain and evil and sin. That something is the crucified love of the Creator….
Revelation is saying that faith does have some place to go. And God knows we need some place to go–some live option of faith….
And I think it must also be said that even those Christians of the first century did not see the heavens opened. But they accepted this option of faith and died with it. They believed that the love of God, not Rome, would have the victory. The other option is to live without meaning or purpose, it seems to me. In the meantime, it means that I may not be delivered from it, but I can be delivered through, by the suffering of him who died, but is “alive for evermore” (1:18).
—The Dragon Bound: The Revelation Speaks to Our Time (1981), 43-45
One may lose oneself in sacred music (such as Worthy is the Lamb) based on parts of these chapters. One should do so. Doing so may prove easier than really believing that the love of God, not (insert the name of an oppressive earthly power here) will have the victory. I consider myself fairly devout, and I harbor doubts sometimes. How could I not?
Nevertheless, in the words of Soorp Soorp, from the liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church:
Holy, Lord of hosts.
Heaven and Earth are full of Thy glory.
Blessing in the highest.
Blessed art Thou that didst come and art to come in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Amen.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 14, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS CALLIXTUS I, ANTERUS, AND PONTIAN, BISHOPS OF ROME; AND SAINT HIPPOLYTUS, ANTIPOPE
THE FEAST OF JEAN-BAPTISTE LAMY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN LYSKO, UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1949
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL ISAAC JOSEPH SCHERESCHEWSKY, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF SHANGHAI, AND BIBLICAL TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF THOMAS HANSEN KINGO, DANISH LUTHERAN BISHOP, HYMN WRITER, AND “POET OF EASTERTIDE”
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READING THE GENERAL EPISTLES, PART VIII
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1 Peter 2:1-3:17
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Whenever Christians to my right speak or write about what the Bible says about various matters, I invariably roll my eyes, at least metaphorically. Literalists overlook a documented fact: the Bible contradicts itself. Reading the germane texts for what they are reveals that context is key. If one mistakes St. Paul the Apostle for a systematic theologian, one may overlook the cultural contexts in which he ministered.
The cultural and geographical context of First Peter was northern Asia Minor, the Roman Empire, 70-90 C.E. The culture was hostile to Christianity, a young, small, and growing religion. Slavery, and patriarchy were cultural norms. The author bought into these norms, although he moderated them. The attitude of submission to civil authority (the Roman Empire, in this case) contrasted with the attitude of “John of Patmos,” who wrote Revelation. According of Revelation, the Roman Empire was in league with Satan, so submission to the empire was submission to Satan. Such submission was sinful, according to Revelation. Not surprisingly, the attitude of submission to the empire (in 1 Peter) has long been more popular with governments than the contrasting attitude in Revelation.
As always, context is crucial.
I argue with much of 1 Peter 2:1-3:17. I oppose all forms of slavery at all times and in all places. I affirm equality within marriage. I contend that one can belong to a powerless minority in a society and still say,
X is wrong. The social and cultural norms are askew.
I hold that living the Golden Rule, individually and collectively, is a divine mandate, not a suggestion. Living reverently in Christ (1 Peter 3:15) requires nothing less.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 21: THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAUL VI, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK WILLIAM FABER, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN BRIGHT, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF JOHN BYROM, ANGLICAN THEN QUAKER POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF LANCELOT ANDREWES, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF CHICHESTER THEN OF ELY THEN OF WINCHESTER
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Above: Ezekiel
Image in the Public Domain
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READING EZEKIEL, PART VI
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Ezekiel 8:1-11:23
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Ezekiel 8:1-11:13, the product of more than one person, contains some unusual editorial choices and odd shifts of attention. I mention that matter to get it out of the way, so that nobody can legitimately claim that I do not know it. Now that I have gotten that matter out of the way, I focus on themes, details, and the application thereof.
The figurer who looked like a man (or fire, depending on translation) in 8:2 is the divine Presence, Ezekiel’s guide. This figure recurs in 40:3f.
The date of the vision in 8:1-11:13 is September 592 B.C.E.
Idolatry recurs as a sin of the people of Judah.
We read that, contrary to what many people think, God has not abandoned Judah–yet–and does see what people are doing (9:9).
Above: Ezekiel’s Vision, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
Chapter 10 reads like a redux of Chapter 1, with some differences.
God departs Judah in Chapter 11.
We read of the divine promise of restoration and cleansing of exiles already in the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. We read that those still in Judah are doomed (11:41-21). We read that God has moved to the exiles in Babylon (11:23).
Ezekiel 11:21 cautions that divine renewal of the exiles is not automatic; it requires human vigilance. Grace is free, not cheap.
Ezekiel 11:17-21 is thematically similar to Jeremiah 31:33-34; Jeremiah 32:39; Ezekiel 18:31; Ezekiel 36:26. We read that, in an ideal future, by divine action, disobedience to God will cease to be an option.
In Hebrew prophetic literature, as well as in the Revelation to John, divine faithfulness is never in doubt, from the author’s perspective. Also, divine judgment and mercy remain in balance. Creative destruction by God makes way for the establishment for the new, divine order. In Christian terms, God must destroy the old, corrupt order before the fully-realized Kingdom of God can become visible on the Earth, from a human perspective. As C. H. Dodd reminds me from the printed page and his grave, the Kingdom of God is; it does not come. Yet, from a human point of view, certain events make its presence more palpable than it used to be.
Another idea, frequently repeated in the Bible–especially Hebrew prophetic books–is that human sins have consequences. We human beings condemn ourselves. We leave God. We are the faithless ones. We are arrogant; we do not stand in awe of God. We read what he have sown.
Yet grace remains. As the great Southern Baptist theologian Will Campbell said:
We’re all bastards, but God loves us anyway.
And our only hope is in God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 24, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
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Above: The Logo of the Moravian Church
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 8:13-22; 9:12-17 or Acts 28:1-10
Psalm 134
Revelation 5:1-14
John 8:48-59
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Revelation 5:1-14 provides the keynote for this blog post. This scriptural text is one I cannot read without hearing the finale of Handel’s Messiah thundering inside my cranium.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Ernest Lee Stoffel, writing in The Dragon Bound: The Revelation Speaks to Our Time (1981), summarized verses 6-14 with five words:
THE VICTORY OF SUFFERING LOVE.
Stoffel elaborated:
What is this really saying? I believe it is saying the suffering love of God is the key that will help us live with our suffering and ourselves. There is something in the universe that has not been defeated by pain and evil and sin. That something is the crucified love of the Creator. I have to believe that love is the key to the world’s destiny, and that it will triumph over my pain and sin. I believe I can give my pain and sin to that love, which is also wisdom….
–43-44
I go off the Humes lectionary briefly to bring in a germane text:
“I have told you all this
so that you may find peace in me.
In the world you will have hardship,
but be courageous:
I have conquered the world.”
–John 16:33, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Divine, suffering love has triumphed and conquered. This love figuratively hung up its bow of war in the beautiful mythology of Genesis 9:12-17. This divine love called and accompanied St. Paul the Apostle. This love has long inspired people to bless the Lord.
What should a person or a faith community do with the “victory of suffering love” in the context of heartbreaking, preventable human suffering? I write this post during the COVID-19 pandemic. The news is mostly grim. The temptation to curse God, fate, or whatever, then to curl up in a ball of despair is great. Yes, vaccines are available, to an extent. Yes, more vaccines are in the process of gaining official approval. And yes, people continue to die needlessly, before they can receive a vaccination. We, as a species, will spend a long time digging our way out of the wreckage of this pandemic. Furthermore, many people will never recover from the economic carnage. Many people will always have health-related effects of COVID-19. And the dead will remain deceased. None of this had to happen.
Do we trust that the crucified love of the Creator has remained unconquered? Do we trust that Jesus has conquered the world? Depending on the time of day, I may or may not so trust. Yet I know that I must take my fears and doubts to the foot of the cross of Christ and deposit them there. Having faith is not living free of doubts. No, having faith entails wrestling with them and even with God. Having faith entails never giving up the idol of false certainly and resisting the allure of easy answers to difficult questions.
God is faithful. God is faithful when we neglect to be faithful. God is faithful when we strive unsuccessfully to be faithful. God is faithful when we are faithful. May we stand, sit, or assume any posture we can in the presence of God wherever we are. And may we bless the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, whose love remains unconquered. May we cooperate with that love. May it conquer our despair and grief. May it heal the world.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 22, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN JULIAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNOLOGIST
THE FEAST OF ALEXANDER MEN, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1990
THE FEAST OF SAINT LADISLAO BATTHÁNY-STRATTMANN, AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PHYSICIAN AND PHILANTHROPIST
THE FEAST OF LOUISE CECILIA FLEMING, AFRICAN-AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY AND PHYSICIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT VINCENT PALLOTTI, FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE CATHOLIC APOSTALATE, THE UNION OF CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE, AND THE SISTERS OF THE CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/01/22/devotion-for-proper-17-year-d-humes/
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Above: Icon of the Crucifixion, by Andrei Rublev
Image in the Public Domain
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For Good Friday, 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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Almighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family,
for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed,
and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross;
who now liveth and reigneth wtih thee and the Holy Spirit,
ever One God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 161-162
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Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22:1, 4-19
Hebrews 10:19-22 or Revelation 5:6-10
Luke 23:33-46
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I am capable of writing accurate, scholarly, and germane comments about all of the assigned readings. This time, O reader, I choose not to do so. No, I encourage you to read the lections aloud, the way most people who have encountered the Bible have done. I ask you to listen and to let the words sink into your being. After that, may you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit regarding what to do next.
Shalom.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 2, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES LLOYD BRECK, “THE APOSTLE OF THE WILDERNESS”
THE FEAST OF CARLO CARRETTO, SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN PAYNE AND CUTHBERT MAYNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, 1582 AND 1577
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH BERNARDIN, CARDINAL ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIDONIUS APOLLINARIS, SAINT EUSTACE OF LYON, AND HIS DESCENDANTS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
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Above: Icon of the Apocalypse of John
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
O God, our true life, to serve you is freedom, and to know you is unending joy.
We worship you, we glorify you, we give thanks to you for your great glory.
Abide with us, reign in us, and make this world into a fit habitation for your divine majesty,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 53
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 46:18-28 (Monday)
Isaiah 33:17-22 (Tuesday)
Isaiah 60:8-16 (Wednesday)
Psalm 24 (All Days)
Revelation 21:5-27 (Monday)
Revelation 22:8-21 (Tuesday)
Luke 1:1-4 (Wednesday)
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Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
“Who is this King of glory?”
“The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.”
Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
“Who is this King of glory?”
“The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.”
–Psalm 24:7-10, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Here are some thoughts for the time between Proper 29 (Christ the King Sunday) and the First Sunday of Advent.
God wins in the end. Conquerors fall to other conquerors, who fall to other conquerors. The faithful who persevere will receive their reward. Some of them will live long enough to witness the triumph of God in the flesh. The story of Jesus of Nazareth, attested to by eyewitnesses, contains suffering, death, and resurrection. The victory of God in that case is one of love and power, not the smiting of enemies, for whom Christ interceded (Luke 23:34).
The Book of Revelation tells of divine creative destruction from Chapters 4 to 20. Then, in Revelation 21 and 22, God inaugurates the new order. There is smiting of enemies here, for the deliverance of the oppressed is frequently bad news for unrepentant oppressors. The new, divine world order, however, contains no oppression.
That divine order has not become reality yet, of course. Nevertheless, as the Reverend Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858-1901) wrote:
This is my Father’s world,
O let my ne’er forget
That though the wrong
Seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world:
The battle is not done;
Jesus who died
Shall be satisfied,
And earth and heaven be one.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 7, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK LUCIAN HOSMER, U.S. UNITARIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY GIANELLI, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF SAINT ALPHONSUS LIGUORI AND THE SISTERS OF MARY DELL’ORTO
THE FEAST OF CHARLES AUGUSTUS BRIGGS, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN PASTOR THEN EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERT OF NEWMINSTER, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND PRIEST
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-29-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The Temple at Jerusalem
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 10:1-19
Psalm 98
Luke 17:20-37
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Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
–Psalm 98:1, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Psalm 98 is the most optimistic reading for this day. In Ezekiel 10 (carried over into Chapter 11) the Presence of Yahweh departs from Jerusalem, leaving it open to invasion and destruction by foreigners. The divine Presence remains absent until Ezekiel 43. In Luke 17:21 the Kingdom of God is present yet persecution and generally dark, eschatological times are en route. On the other hand, in Luke 18, Jesus encourages his followers to continue praying and never to lose heart. There is a way through the difficult times while living or dead, and always faithful to God.
The tone of these readings, taken together, fits the time of the church year well. In the Revised Common Lectionary and several other lectionaries the selected portions of scripture become increasingly apocalyptic during the last few weeks before Advent and into that season. Some Confessional Lutheran bodies even go so far as to label the last four Sundays of the Season after Pentecost the End Time Season.
May we remember that out of the creative destruction in Revelation 4-20 comes a new creation in Chapters 21 and 22. Hope in God is real and well-founded, for God will win in the end.
That is a reason for optimism.
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-saturday-before-proper-28-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The Logo of the Moravian Church
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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The Collect:
O God of peace, you brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus Christ, the shepherd of the sheep.
By the blood of your eternal covenant, make us complete
in everything good that we may do your will,
and work among us all that is well-pleasing in your sight,
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 33
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 11:1-25 (Thursday)
Ezekiel 20:39-44 (Friday)
Ezekiel 28:25-26 (Saturday)
Psalm 23 (All Days)
Revelation 5:1-10 (Thursday)
Revelation 6:1-7:4 (Friday)
Luke 12:29-32 (Saturday)
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The LORD is my shepherd;
I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me to water in places of repose;
He renews my life;
He guides me in right paths
as befits His name.
Though I walk through a valley of deepest darkness,
I fear no harm, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff–they comfort me.
You spread a table for me in full view of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my drink is abundant.
Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for many long years.
–Psalm 23, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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Psalm 23 is a familiar passage. Perhaps familiarity breeds not contempt so much as it encourages turning on the automatic pilot when reading or hearing it.
O yes, I know this passage well,
we who are immersed in scripture might say to ourselves before we stop paying attention. But how well do we really know the text?
Psalm 23 might have originated during the Babylonian Exile or afterward. Imagine, O reader, Judean exiles pondering their foreign environs and hoping for a return to their ancestral homeland, of which they have only heard. Or imagine exiles who have returned coming to terms with the fact that realities of life in that homeland fall short of fond hopes and prophetic promises.
Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me
all the days of my life
–Psalm 23:6a, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
takes on a certain meaning then. The enemies do not pursue; not “goodness and steadfast love” do–or will. That is a timeless hope.
The themes of judgment, mercy, exile, and return run through these days’ readings. Exile comes, persists for decades, and ends. Restoration (by God, via human agents thereof) follows. God expects us to live in ways that glorify Him, but we fall sort of that standard often. Furthermore, obeying God in this life does not guarantee a peaceful, safe, and prosperous life. Neither does disobeying God in this life guarantee the opposite result. Yet there is the question of the afterlife. Furthermore, for the divine order to come into its own, God must destroy its sinful, human predecessor.
Frequently good news for the oppressed constitutes catastrophic news for their oppressors who, ironically, hurt themselves by engaging in the work of oppression. Thus oppression creates both victims and oppressors, but only only victims. We humans are often the victims of our own bad decisions, thus we are frequently simultaneously victims and oppressors. This need not be the case, for we can, by grace, walk the path of righteousness more often than not. Enemies might still pursue us, as they did Jesus, but so will divine goodness and steadfast love.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 31, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF JOHN WYCLIFFE, BIBLE TRANSLATOR
NEW YEAR’S EVE
THE FEAST OF PHILIPP HEINRICH MOLTHER, GERMAN MORAVIAN MINISTER, BISHOP, COMPOSER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF ROSSITER WORTHINGTON RAYMOND, U.S. NOVELIST, POET, HYMN WRITER, AND MINING ENGINEER
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/devotion-for-thursday-friday-and-saturday-before-the-fourth-sunday-of-easter-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: A Shepherd with Sheep
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Acts 9:1-20 (Revised English Bible):
Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest and applied for letters to the synagogues at Damascus authorizing him to arrest any followers of the new way whom he found, men or women, and bring them to Jerusalem. While he was still on the road and nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed all around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Tell me, Lord,
he said,
who you are.
The voice answered,
I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.
Meanwhile the men who were traveling with him stood speechless; they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see; they led by the hand and brought him into Damascus. He was blind for three days, and took no food or drink.
There was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias. He had a vision in which he heard the Lord say,
Ananias!
He answered,
Here I am, Lord.
The Lord said to him,
Go to Straight Street, to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. You will find him at prayer; he has had a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to restore his sight.
Ananias answered,
Lord, I have often heard about this man and all the harm he has done your people in Jerusalem. Now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who invoke your name.
But the Lord replied,
You must go, for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before the nations and their kings, and before the people of Israel. I myself will show him all that he must go through for my name’s sake.
So Ananias went and, on entering the house, laid his hands on him and said,
Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me to you so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Immediately it was if scales had fallen from his eyes, and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten his strength returned.
He stayed some time with the disciples in Damascus. Without delay he proclaimed Jesus publicly in the synagogues, declaring him to be the Son of God.
Psalm 30 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
because you have lifted me up
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you,
and you restored me to health.
3 You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead;
you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4 Sing to the LORD, you servants of his;
give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye,
his favor for a lifetime.
6 Weeping may spend the night,
but joy comes in the morning.
7 While I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be disturbed.
You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”
8 Then you hid my face,
and I was filled with terror.
9 I cried to you, O LORD;
I pleaded with the LORD, saying,
10 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit?
will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
12 You have turned my wailing into dancing;
you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing;
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever.
Revelation 5:11-14 (Revised English Bible):
As I looked I heard, all round the throne of the living creatures and the elders, the voices of many angels, thousands on thousands, myriads on myriads. They proclaimed with loud voices:
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth, wisdom and might, honour and glory and praise!
Then I heard all created things, in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea, crying:
Praise and honour, glory and might, to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb for ever!
The four living creatures said,
Amen,
and the elders prostrated themselves in worship.
John 21:1-19 (New Revised Standard Version):
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them,
I am going fishing.
They said to him,
We will go with you.
They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them,
Children, you have no fish, have you?
They answered him,
No.
He said to them,
Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.
So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter,
It is the Lord!
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them,
Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them,
Come and have breakfast.
Now none of the disciples dared to ask him,
Who are you?
because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?
He said to him,
Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.
Jesus said to him,
Feed my lambs.
A second time he said to him,
Simon son of John, do you love me?
He said to him,
Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.
Jesus said to him,
Tend my sheep.
He said to him the third time,
Simon son of John, do you love me?
Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time,
Do you love me?
And he said to him,
Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.
Jesus said to him,
Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.
(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him,
Follow me.
The Collect:
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Fifteenth Day of Easter: Third Sunday of Easter, Year A:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/fifteenth-day-of-easter-third-sunday-of-easter-year-a/
Fifteenth Day of Easter: Third Sunday of Easter, Year B:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/fifteenth-day-of-easter-third-sunday-of-easter-year-b/
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-third-sunday-of-easter/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-third-sunday-of-easter/
Acts 9:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/twentieth-day-of-easter/
“Lord, What Wilt Thou Have Me to Do?” (Acts 9-6):
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/lord-what-wilt-thou-have-me-to-do-acts-9-6/
Revelation 5:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/devotion-for-december-17-lcms-daily-lectionary/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/week-of-proper-28-thursday-year-2/
John 21:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/sixth-day-of-easter-friday-in-easter-week/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/forty-eighth-day-of-easter/
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle (January 25):
http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/feast-of-the-conversion-of-st-paul-the-apostle-january-25/
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Simon Peter had denied Jesus three times in John 18:15-18 and 25-27. This fact caused him much grief; he was ashamed of himself. The Resurrected Jesus gave him an opportunity to affirm him three times. That was a gesture of grace. And the standard of active love of Jesus was (and remains) to
Feed my lambs
and to
Tend my sheep.
It was Jesus, the worthy lamb of Revelation 5, who called Saul of Tarsus, a chief persecutor of the nascent Christian movement, to join that movement. Saul, by persecuting Christians, had been doing the same to Jesus. And Saul’s conversion proved to be one of the seminal events in Christian history, for his mission to the Gentiles revolutionized the shape of the faith. Where would we be without the Pauline Epistles? Where would I, a Gentile, be spiritually? So, as one of my Lord’s sheep, I owe much to St. Paul the Apostle.
The sheep will eat only if someone feeds them. Shepherds have fed me. And I try to do my part. Preparing then typing these lectionary-based devotional posts is one way I hope to feed other sheep. To know that something I have done in solitude can help others feeds rewarding, not that I seek praise for this activity. Yet it does encourage me to continue. May you, O reader, feed sheep in the ways God directs you. And may you have the necessary encouragement to persist, for the benefit of others and the glory of God. The sheep need to eat. May their diet be healthy and plentiful.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 8, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CLARA LUGER, WITNESS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
THE FEAST OF ROLAND ALLEN, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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Adapted from this post:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/fifteenth-day-of-easter-third-sunday-of-easter-year-c/
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Above: The Great Day of His Wrath, by John Martin
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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:
Isaiah 33:1-24
Psalm 122 (Morning)
Psalms 40 and 67 (Evening)
Revelation 5:1-14
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A Related Post:
Revelation 5:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/week-of-proper-28-thursday-year-2/
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Revelation 5 continues the scene in the previous chapter. The twenty-four elders are in Heaven, in the immediate presence of God. Then John of Patmos sees a scroll with seven seals. Only Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, is worthy to break the seven seals and to judge the earth, notably the Roman Empire.
Scholars of the Bible have interpreted the violent imagery of Revelation in various ways. Some see a contradiction between the Jesus of the Gospels and the avenging Christ of Revelation. This, I think, is an overstated case. In the Bible we read of God establishing the new, holy order on Earth. The founding of paradise begins with purging violence; the Day of the Lord is bad news for the wicked. The end of exploitation does not mean comfort for the one exploiting.
If God is gracious to suffering people, the end of their suffering comes frequently via unpleasant fates for those who inflict said suffering. Let us not embrace an illusion; good news for the death camp survivors was bad news for Nazis. And we do not weep for Nazis; nor should we.
Judgment and mercy coexist within God; this message emerges from a multitude of Biblical texts. So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 1, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, YEAR B
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/devotion-for-december-17-lcms-daily-lectionary/
BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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