Archive for the ‘Romans 12’ Category
READING THE BOOK OF PROVERBS
PART XV
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Proverbs 25:1-27:27
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The fifth collection in the Book of Proverbs spans 25:1-29:27. The superscription credits the authorship of these proverbs to King Solomon (reigned 968-928 B.C.E.) of Israel and states that their compilation occurred during the reign (727/715-698/687 B.C.E.) of King Hezekiah of Judah. If we accept this explanation, we must assume that scribes collected these proverbs. Some of the proverbs are sycophantic regarding the sovereign. This makes sense, for the audience included scribes and aspiring scribes in the royal court.
How to deal with others without harming oneself–one’s reputation, certainly–is a major topic. Creating and maintaining good will is a high priority. So, we read about, among other people, relatives, wives, friends, enemies, neighbors, and kings. We also read cautions against social offenses, including revenge, needless lawsuits, empty promises, betrayed trust, querulousness, insensitive levity, and gossip. One may reasonably assume that St. Paul the Apostle (Romans 12:20) and Jesus (Matthew 5:38-42) knew Proverbs 25:21-22:
If your enemy be hungry, give him food,
If he be thirsty, give water to drink;
For thus you will heap hot embers on his head,
And the Lord will recompense you.
One will also break the cycle of anger, violence, and revenge. Proverbs 25:21-22 is consistent with the admonition to control one’s anger (25:28). One may break that cycle, but one may also immediately spark increased anger in the other person or people. I have observed, for example, that, when I have refused to argue with someone who is overflowing with hostility, I become the short-term target of more anger from that person. Nevertheless, somebody needs to behave like a responsible and mature adult. Someone must defuse the situation–or else. And the irate person, without someone with whom to argue, finds something else to do.
Fools fail to learn the timeless lessons in chapter 25, so chapter 26 mocks such people. 26:4-5 invites us to ask a good question:
Should one answer a fool in his own foolish terms?
The two verses contradict each other. Robert Alter explains that 26:4 cautions against becoming entangled in fools’ confused or misguided terms, and that 26:5 encourages the wise to recognize their own foolishness.
I value facts, rationality, and objective reality. This approach is consistent with my personality type. I am more comfortable with facts than with feelings. So, I am at a disadvantage when dealing with someone who has formed an opinion based on emotions. I may be able to disprove the opinion with a fact check if that opinion depends on inaccurate information. But this evidence will not dissuade the other person, who cares nothing about objective reality. So, I favor the advice in 26:4. Sometimes attempted persuasion is an exercise in futility.
Proverbs 27:20 fits well with Ecclesiastes 1:8. Consider the following quotes from R. B. Y. Scott’s translation, O reader:
As Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
Man’s desire is insatiable.
–Proverbs 27:20
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All words fail through weariness, a man becomes speechless; the eye cannot see it all, nor the ear hear the end of it.
–Ecclesiastes 1:8
Some other translations refer to the human eye, not desire, in Proverbs 27:20. “Desire” gets to the point of the saying, though. This verse echoes one of the Proverbs of Ahikar:
My son, the eye of man is like a fountain of water,
And it is not satisfied with riches until filled with dust.
Proverbs 27:20, in textual context, teaches that death keeps claiming people and that human desires never find satisfaction either. We will all die eventually. So, what is the value of insatiable human desires?
Chapter 27 concludes with practical advice about managing flocks and fields. Nature renews itself, but wealth and treasure do not last forever.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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This is post #2950 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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Above: Jeremiah, from the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo Buonaroti
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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Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 26 (LBW) or Psalm 119:105-112 (LW)
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:21-26
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O God, we thank you for your Son,
who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world.
Humble us by his example,
point us to the path of obedience,
and give us strength to follow his commands;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
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Lord of all power and might, Author and Giver of all good things,
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and bring forth in us the fruit of good works;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 78
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The assigned readings for this Sunday speak of obeying God and suffering for doing so. Recall, O reader, the fate of the prophet Jeremiah–involuntary exile in Egypt. Consider, too, the crucifixion of Jesus. And, given that I publish this post on the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, consider the execution of that saint.
Persecution of the Church was usually intermittent in Roman times. Empire-wide persecutions were rare. Regional persecutions came and went. Yet the pall of persecution–actual or possible–hung over the writing of the New Testament. The Church was young, small, and growing. Pulling together in mutuality was good advice.
It remains good advice. No bad context for mutuality exists. Reading past Romans 12:8, every day is a good day to avoid evil, to practice brotherly love, to regard others as more important than oneself, to work conscientiously with an eager spirit, to be joyful in hope, to persevere in hardship, to pray regularly, to share with those in need, and to seek opportunities, to be hospitable.
The results of taking up one’s cross and following Jesus are predictable, in general terms. Details vary according to circumstances. To take up one’s cross and follow Jesus is to reorder one’s priorities so that they become Jesus’s priorities. Doing so invites an adverse reaction from agents of the morally upside-down world order, constrained by conventional wisdom.
Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
–Matthew 5:11-12, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Who can make the point better than that?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 24, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Malachi
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by thy Holy Spirit,
that being made ever mindful of the end of all things,
and the day of just judgment,
we may be stirred up to holiness of living here,
and dwell with thee forever hereafter;
through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 233
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Malachi 3:13-18
Psalm 138
Romans 12:1-21
Matthew 25:31-46
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Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.
–Romans 12:21, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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Malachi 3:13-18 asks a timeless question and provides an answer. The other assigned readings continue that answer. The question is, Is serving God useless, given that many arrogant people prosper and many righteous people do not? The short answer is that reward and punishment exist in the afterlife. God’s schedule may not be ours. And, in the meantime, we ought to persist in holiness.
Many passages of scripture require explanation. There may be historical or cultural contexts to consider. I am happy to offer such explanations in these blog posts. Application of scripture is easier when one understands, after all.
Romans 12:1-21 requires minimal explanation, though. The text is mainly self-explanatory. Heaping metaphorical hot coals on the heads of persecutors is an effect, not an goal, in verse 20. That is all the explanation I offer for Romans 12:1-21.
I offer an example of coal-heaping as an effect, not a goal. I know how to handle myself when someone is in my face, shouting at me. I remain calm. This requires much effort and self-control, of course. Remaining calm in such a circumstance is the mature (in the highest meaning of that word) strategy. Besides, what good is it for two people to shout mindlessly at each other?
The person shouting at me wants me to shout back. When I contain my anger and remain calm, I do what I should do. I also make the other person angrier. This is never my intention, but it is always an effect. And, by denying metaphorical oxygen to the equally metaphorical fires, I contain the situation.
That is how good conquers evil. Good does not resort to evil’s standards. Evil may rant and rave, but good exposes it by being good.
May as many of us as possible lead good lives, by grace, regardless of circumstances other people create or maintain. In so doing, may we glorify God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 2, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
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Above: St. Bartholomew
Image in the Public Domain
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For the First Sunday after the Epiphany, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive
the prayers of thy people who call upon thee;
and grant that they may both perceive and know
what things they ought to do,
and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 123
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Isaiah 61:1-3
Psalm 47
Romans 12:1-5
John 1:35-51
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We’re all bastards, but God loves us anyway.
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If we are to come out of this crisis less selfish than when we went in, we have to let ourselves be touched by others’ pain.
–Pope Francis, The New York Times, November 29, 2020
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Know, O reader, that I have been a serious student of the Bible for most of my life. (And I feel much younger than my chronological age.) Muck knowledge of the contents of the Bible has been academic and theoretical, not that there is anything wrong with that. I have long been an academic and an intellectual, after all. Living has added the visceral aspect of knowledge to that which has been purely academic and theoretical. Abstract sympathy for those who grieve has given way to empathy with them, especially during holidays, when families traditionally gather. Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has made the theme of a fresh start in Isaiah 61:1-3 and Romans 12:1-5 more potent in my mind than the many previous times I read those passages.
Scripture is what it is. How we mere mortals relate to it depends greatly on our experiences.
Some seemingly dry academic material is appropriate, however.
The speaker in Isaiah 61:1-3 was Third Isaiah. Exiles had returned to their ancestral homeland. They had learned that the reality on the ground fell far short of their high hopes. Much despair set in. Third Isaiah used language derived from Leviticus 25:10. There would be a fresh start, a new beginning.
“To proclaim a year of the LORD’s favor….”
–Isaiah 61:2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The Year of Jubilee was supposed to occur every 50 years. People who had become indentured servants were supposed to go free. Land lost since the previous Year of Jubilee was supposed to return to its proper owners. The only actual Year of Jubilee documented in the Bible occurred in Nehemiah 5, after the return from exile.
Romans 12 brings us to the theology of bodies in the thought of St. Paul the Apostle. We who carry assumptions born of Greek philosophy quickly assume that a body is a vessel for a soul. To apply this assumption to Pauline theology is to err.
St. Paul, like many other Jews, believed that a person is a body, not that a person has a body. This was a holistic understanding of the self. This holistic view applied to the body (individually) and to the body (as a group of people in faith community, as in Romans 12:5).
I have read commentaries as I have sought to understand what amazed St. Nathanael/Bartholomew in John 1:48f. I have read a series of educated guesses from brains better than mine. The author of the Gospel of John (“John,” whoever he was) kept the text vague in this passage. He made his point, though; Jesus astounded St. Nathanael/Bartholomew. Then St. Nathanael/Bartholomew followed him.
Psalm 47 reminds us that God is the king of all the Earth. Accepting that can be difficult at times. Nevertheless, not accepting it is not a feasible alternative for me. I must have hope, after all.
I must have a basis of hope that a fresh start is possible. Otherwise, I will collapse into despair. Otherwise, I will cease to have any spiritual grounding. In an age when “none” is the fastest growing religious affiliation, the lack of spiritual grounding is a sort of plague.
Then there is a literal plague, COVID-19. It has laid bare the best and the worst in human nature. Mainly, as far as I can tell, this coronavirus has confirmed that we humans are naturally selfish bastards who easily fall into delusions that kill us and each other.
Human nature is constant. So is divine nature. As Martin Luther advised, we need to rely on the faithfulness of God. We need a fresh start, a new beginning. God can provide one, fortunately.
To return to the beginning of this post, the Pope is correct. We human beings need to emerge from this pandemic less selfish than when we went into it. We need to allow the pain of others to touch us. The first step of compassion is to get beyond oneself.
I know better than to expect a change in human nature. The study of history and theology combines with experience to make me skeptical of excessive optimism. But, with regard to God, optimism is justifiable. God has been faithful. God is faithful. God will remain faithful.
May the aftermath of this pandemic be mostly positive, by grace. May the human species have a new beginning, a fresh start. May we accept this gracious offer from God. May we take better care of each other and the planet. May we awaken from our sinful slumber.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 5, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, FATHER OF CHRISTIAN SCHOLARSHIP
THE FEAST OF SAINT CYRAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF NELSON MANDELA, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, AND RENEWER OF SOCIETY
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICETIUS OF TRIER, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP; AND SAINT AREDIUS OF LIMOGES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF PETER MORTIMER, ANGLO-GERMAN MORAVIAN EDUCATOR, MUSICIAN, AND SCHOLAR; AND GOTTFRIED THEODOR ERXLEBEN, GERMAN MORAVIAN MINISTER AND MUSICOLOGIST
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Above: The View from the Camera Built Into a Computer on my Desk, June 14, 2020
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We live in times of rapid social and political change. Change–even that which is morally proper–causes disorientation and disturbance. Sometimes we ought to be disturbed. Injustice ought to disturb us. The root word of “conservative” is “conserve.” Whether one’s conservatism is morally defensible depends on what one seeks to conserve. Sometimes one should conserve x. In certain times, reform is proper. On other occasions, however, only a revolution is morally defensible. Yet, even in those cases, nobility must extend beyond the cause and encompass the methods, also.
Call me politically correct, if you wish, O reader. Or call me a radical or a fool. If you call me a radical and a revolutionary for justice, I will accept the compliment. I support what Martin Luther King, Jr., called
a moral revolution of values.
I favor the building of a society in which people matter more than money and property. I favor social and political standards that brook no discrimination and bigotry while granting violators of those standards the opportunity to repent. I favor altering society and institutions, inculcating in them the awareness that keeping some people “in their place,” that is, subordinate, underpaid, poorly educated, et cetera, harms society as a whole. I support building up the whole, and individuals in that context. I oppose celebrating slavery, discrimination, racism, and hatred, whether past or present. I stand (socially distanced and wearing a mask, of course) with all those, especially of the younger generations, who are rising up peacefully for justice. The young will, overall, have an easier time adapting to morally necessary change than many members of the older generations will, no matter how devout and well-intentioned many older people may be. To quote a cliché,
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
St. Paul the Apostle offered timeless advice for confronting evil:
Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.
–Romans 12:21 (The New Jerusalem Bible, 1985)
May all who seek a more just society pursue that goal with shrewdness, courage, and goodness. To create a better society without incorporating goodness into methodology is impossible, after all. May all who reshape society remain positive and focused on the morally justifiable.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 15, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN ELLERTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF CARL HEINRICH VON BOGATSKY, HUNGARIAN-GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY FRANCES BLOMFIELD GURNEY, ENGLISH POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT LANDELINUS OF VAUX, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; SAINT AUBERT OF CAMBRAI, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT URSMAR OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND MISSIONARY BISHOP; AND SAINTS DOMITIAN, HADELIN, AND DODO OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS
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Above: Avenge Me of Mine Adversary
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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1 Samuel 26:2-23 or Lamentations 1:1-12
Psalm 112
Romans 12:9-21
Luke 18:1-8
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Never pay back evil for evil….Do not let evil conquer you, but use good to conquer evil.
–Romans 12:17a, 21, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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All of the lesson from Romans 12 explains itself and constitutes timeless advice about how to live in community. I encourage frequent reading of it, followed by corresponding actions. Details will differ according to circumstances, such as who, where, and when one is, of course. The principles remain constant, however.
“Anger” comes from the Old Norse word for “grief.” Anger flows from grief, literally. Others may commit evil or some lesser variety of sin, causing us to suffer. We may be properly sad and angry about that. Human beings bear the image of God, not the image of doormats, after all. Resisting evil is a moral imperative. So is resisting evil in proper ways. One cannot conquer evil if one joins the ranks of evildoers.
I have struggled with this spiritual issue in contexts much less severe than the fall of the Kingdom of Judah and the time of the Babylonian Exile. I have known the frustration that results from powerlessness as my life, as I have known it, has ended. I have learned to read the angry portions of the Book of Psalms and identity with them. I have also learned of the toxicity of such feelings. I have learned the wisdom of obeying God and letting go of grudges, even when forgiveness has been more than I could muster.
After all, all people will reap what they sow. Why not leave vengeance to God? Why not strive to become the best version of oneself one can be in God? Why not seek the support of one’s faith community to do so? Why not support others in one’s faith community in their spiritual growth?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 30, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES MONTGOMERY, ANGLICAN AND MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF DIET EMAN; HER FIANCÉ, HEIN SIETSMA, MARTYR, 1945; AND HIS BROTHER, HENDRIK “HENK” SIETSMA; RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS
THE FEAST OF JAMES RUSSELL MACDUFF AND GEORGE MATHESON, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS AND AUTHORS
THE FEAST OF SARAH JOSEPHA BUELL HALE, POET, AUTHOR, EDITOR, AND PROPHETIC WITNESS
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/devotion-for-proper-26-year-c-humes/
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Above: Saul and David, by Rembrandt van Rijn
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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1 Samuel 17:57-18:16 or Jeremiah 32:36-41
Psalm 111
Romans 12:1-8
Luke 17:1-19
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The Books of Samuel, in the final form (probably edited by Ezra; this is an ancient theory with contemporary academic champions), consist of various sources. If one knows this, one can notice many of the seams. Inconsistencies become obvious. For example, one may notice that King Saul knew that David was a son of Jesse in 1 Samuel 16:20 and that David played the lyre for the monarch in 16:23. One may also notice that Saul did not recognize David in 17:33 or whose son he was in 17:56. One may notice, furthermore, that David had to identify himself to Saul in 17:58.
I know too much to affirm spiritual inerrancy or infallibility.
I also know that King Saul was similar to many potentates in many lands and at many times. I read in the composite text that Saul was a terrible public servant. (So were almost all of his successors in Israel and Judah.) Truth and justice should prosper under a good ruler. A good ruler should try, at least. A good ruler knows that he or she is a servant holding a temporary job. A good ruler seeks to make responsible decisions and does not mistake events as being about himself or herself. A good ruler thinks about the long-term common good. Consequences of short-sighted leaders are frequently disastrous, as in Jeremiah 32:36-41.
What passes for a psychiatric or psychological diagnosis of King Saul comes from 1 Samuel 16:23–an evil spirit. Cultural anthropology tells us that they, in modern times, can mean anything from severe stress to a mental illness. Either way, the description of Saul is that of a man unfit to rule. After all, those who govern are still servants. God is really the king.
Despite all the bad press about King Saul, I feel somewhat sympathetic for him. I read about him and remember that he never sought the job (1 Samuel 12). I recall that Saul seems not so bad, compared to Solomon. I think of Saul, doing his best yet failing. I know the feeling of working hard yet failing. I ask myself how Saul may have succeeded in life. He seems to have needed counseling, at least.
Tragedy, in the Greek sense, has a particular definition. A good person tries to make good decisions (most of the time, anyway) and fails spectacularly, dooming himself or herself. The accounts of King Saul do not fit that definition exactly, but Greek tragedy does help me understand the first Israelite monarch. I read stories while making a combination of good and bad decisions and often trying to decide wisely. I read of a man with defective judgment. I read of a man whose demise was not inevitable when he became the first King of Israel.
I, like David, mourn for Saul (2 Samuel 1).
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 29, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MYSTIC AND RELIGIOUS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS BOSA OF YORK, JOHN OF BEVERLEY, WILFRID THE YOUNGER, AND ACCA OF HEXHAM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF JAMES EDWARD WALSH, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY BISHOP AND POLITICAL PRISONER IN CHINA
THE FEAST OF SIMON B. PARKER, UNITED METHODIST BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF TIMOTHY REES, WELSH ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND BISHOP OF LLANDAFF
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2020/04/29/devotion-for-proper-25-year-c-humes/
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Above: John the Baptist in the Desert
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, 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 Father of all truth and grace, who has called us out of darkness
into marvelous light by the glorious gospel of Thy Son;
grant unto us power, we beseech Thee, to walk worthy of this vocation,
with all lowliness and meekness, endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;
that we may have our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 127
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Isaiah 61:1-6
Psalm 27
Romans 12:10-21
Luke 3:1-22
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Never pay back evil for evil.
–Romans 12:17a, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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The reading from Romans 12 offers some challenging instructions:
- Bless, not curse, one’s persecutors (v. 14).
- Refrain from repaying evil with evil (v. 17).
- Leave vengeance to God (v. 19).
- Conquer evil with goodness. Do not let evil conquer one (vs. 20-21).
Justice is one matter and revenge is another, St. Paul the Apostle understood. He did not counsel people to live as doormats. In the context of faith community–a minority population, actually–St. Paul encouraged his audience to take care of each other as they consciously depended entirely on God. He urged them to be morally superior to their enemies.
The road to evil begins with the delusion that one can and must do x because God either does not exist or care. (See Psalms 14 and 53, as well as what I have written about them.) This delusion opens the portal to an approach to life according to which the ends justify the means.
When we, individually and collectively, trust in God, we are free to be better people than those who seek to destroy us unjustly. We are free to be our best selves and communities. We are free to take care of each other, individually and collectively. We are free to refrain from exploiting and making excuses for exploitation. We are free to gaze upon the loveliness of YHWH and to awake each dawn in the temple of YHWH. We are free to be a covenant people.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 15, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZACHARY OF ROME, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JAN ADALBERT BALICKI AND LADISLAUS FINDYSZ, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS IN POLAND
THE FEAST OF OZORA STEARNS DAVIS, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF VETHAPPAN SOLOMON, APOSTLE TO THE NICOBAR ISLANDS
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Above: Disputation with the Doctors, by Duccio di Buoninsegna
Image in the Public Domain
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For the First Sunday after the Epiphany, 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 Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive
the prayers of thy people who call upon thee;
and grant that they may both perceive and know
what things they ought to do,
and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 123
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Isaiah 49:5-23
Psalm 72:1-15, 17
Romans 12:1-9
Luke 2:40-52
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The call of God, in both Judaism and Christianity, entails both individuals and groups being lights to the nations. We Christians have the responsibility to testify to the light that is Jesus, to point toward him. We cannot do this alone; we need grace and communal context. The Church is supposed to be a covenant people. Each congregation is supposed to be a covenant people. Faithful Jewish communities are supposed to be covenant peoples.
Covenant peoples bear the fruits of justice/righteousness (the same word in the Bible). These fruits include the presence of economic equity, the lack of oppression, the absence of unnecessary violence, and the presence of an honest judiciary. Abuse of power has no place in any covenant people. Neither does assuming that one is better than other people. Human mutuality and the recognition of complete dependence on God exemplify any covenant people.
The use of externally Jewish or Christian rhetoric to argue against characteristics of a covenant people constitutes a mockery of faith and the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, such rhetoric for that purpose remains ubiquitous.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 14, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FANNIE LOU HAMER, PROPHET OF FREEDOM
THE FEAST OF ALBERT LISTER PEACE, ORGANIST IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND
THE FEAST OF HARRIET KING OSGOOD MUNGER, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF NEHEMIAH GOREH, INDIAN ANGLICAN PRIEST AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINTS VINCENZINA CUSMANO, SUPERIOR OF THE SISTERS SERVANTS OF THE POOR; AND HER BROTHER, SAINT GIACOMO CUSMANO, FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS SERVANTS OF THE POOR AND THE MISSIONARY SERVANTS OF THE POOR
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Above: Icon of Samuel
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things,
may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 124-125
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1 Samuel 3:1-10
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:13-23
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Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.
–Romans 12:21, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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Discerning when God is speaking to us can be difficult. Many people confuse internal monologues with dialogues, which is why God always seems to agree with certain individuals, at least according to them. Maybe we are distracted or fixated, so, when God speaks to us, we do not recognize that God is doing so. Furthermore, when we do correctly identify God as speaking to us, we may not comprehend fully.
We can apply a test, however. Love of friends and enemies is one mark of godly religion. We must be careful to resist evil in such a way that we do not surrender to it or join its ranks. Being willing to forgive is part of a successful strategy of resisting evil. If we cannot forgive yet, we can take that spiritual problem to Jesus. At least we know we ought to forgive and want to do so. That is a good start.
Perfectionism is an unrealistic and harmful attitude in religion. We are, as we read in the Book of Psalms,
but dust.
God knows this about us. Will we try to do as we know we should, at least? Will we try to forgive?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 21, 2019 COMMON ERA
PROPER 11: THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF ALBERT JOHN LUTHULI, WITNESS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
THE FEAST OF AMALIE WILHEMINE SIEVEKING, FOUNDRESS OF THE WOMAN’S ASSOCIATION FOR THE CARE OF THE POOR AND INVALIDS
THE FEAST OF J. B. PHILLIPS, ANGLICAN PRIEST, THEOLOGIAN, AND BIBLE TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT WASTRADA; HER SON, SAINT GREGORY OF UTRECHT, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF UTRECHT; AND HIS NEPHEW, SAINT ALBERIC OF UTRECHT, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF UTRECHT
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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