Archive for the ‘Romans 3’ Category
Above: Figs
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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Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28
Psalm 31:1-5 (6-18), 19-24 (LBW) or Psalm 4 (LW)
Romans 3:21-25a, 27-28
Matthew 7:(15-20) 21-29
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Lord God of all nations,
you have revealed your will to your people
and promised your help to us all.
Help us to hear and to do what you command,
that the darkness may be overcome by the power of your light;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 24
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O God,
whose never-failing providence sets in order all things
both in heaven and on earth,
put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things;
and give us those things that are profitable for us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 62
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Jewish Covenantal Nomism, present in Deuteronomy 11 and in the background of Romans 3, establishes the tone for this post. Salvation for Jews comes by grace; they are the Chosen People. Keeping the moral mandates of the Law of Moses habitually is essential to retaining that salvation.
Love, therefore, the LORD your God, and always keep His charge. His laws, His rules, and His commandments.
–Deuteronomy 11:1, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985,1999)
Perfection in these matters is impossible, of course. Therefore, repentance is crucial daily. In broader Biblical context, God knows that we mere mortals are “but dust.” Do we?
Grace is free, not cheap. Nobody can earn or purchase it, but grace does require much of its recipients. Thin, too, O reader, how much it cost Jesus.
Both options for the Psalm this Sunday contain the combination of trust in God and pleading with God. I know this feeling. Maybe you do, too, O reader.
St. Paul the Apostle’s critique of Judaism was simply that it was not Christianity. As E. P. Sanders wrote:
In short, this is what Paul finds wrong in Judaism: it is not Christianity.
—Paul and Palestinian Judaism: A Comparison of Patterns of Religion (1977), 552
For St. Paul, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus changed everything.
I, as a Christian, agree. However, I also affirm the continuation of the Jewish covenant. I trust that God is faithful to all Jews and Gentiles who fulfill their ends of the covenant and mourns those who drop out. Many of those who have dropped out may not know that they have done so.
The good fruit of God, boiled down to its essence and one word, is love. Recall the First Letter of John, O reader: Be in Christ. Walk in the way Jesus walked.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.
–1 John 5:2-3a, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002), 203
And how could we forget 1 John 4:7-8?
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; God is love.
—Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
This point brings me back to Psalm 31. In verse 6 or 7 (depending on versification), either God or the Psalmist hates or detests idolators. Translations disagree on who hates or detests the idolators. In context, the voice of Psalm 31 is that of a devout Jews falsely accused of idolatry; he protests against this charge and defends his piety and innocence. Human beings are capable of hating and detesting, of course. I reject the argument that God hates or detests anyone, though.
Salvation comes via grace. Damnation comes via works, however. God sends nobody to Hell. As C. S. Lewis wrote, the doors to Hell are locked from the inside.
The Right Reverend Robert C. Wright, the Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta, says to love like Jesus. Consider, O reader, that Christ’s love is self-sacrificial and unconditional. It beckons people to love in the same way. This divine love, flowing through mere mortals, can turn upside-down societies, systems, and institutions right side up.
However, anger, grudges, and hatred are alluring idols. Much of social media feeds off a steady diet of outrage. To be fair, some outrage is morally justifiable. If, for example, human trafficking does not outrage you, O reader, I do not want to know you. But too much outrage is spiritually and socially toxic. To borrow a line from Network (1976):
I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!
That kind of rage is a key ingredient in a recipe for a dysfunctional society.
We human beings all belong to God and each other. We are responsible to and for each other. May we think and act accordingly, by grace and for the common good. God commands it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 1, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Abraham’s Journey from Ur to Canaan, by József Molnár
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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Genesis 12:1-8
Psalm 105:4-11
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 4:5-26 (27-30, 39-42)
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Heavenly Father, it is your glory always to have mercy.
Bring back all who have erred and strayed from your ways;
lead them again to embrace in faith
the truth of your Word and hold it fast;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
or
God our Father, your Son welcomed
an outcast woman because of her faith.
Give us faith like hers,
that we also may trust only in our Love for us
and may accept one another as we have been accepted by you;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 18
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O God, whose glory is always to have mercy,
be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways,
and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith
to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word;
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), 34
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I grew up with a stereotype of Second Temple Judaism. I learned that the Judaism of Christ’s time was a legalistic faith with works-based righteousness. I learned a lie.
As E. P. Sanders thoroughly documented in his seminal work, Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977), Second Temple Judaism taught Covenantal Nomism. Salvation came by the grace of being born Jewish. The maintenance of that salvation was a matter of habitually keeping the moral mandates in the Law of Moses. The failure to do so resulted in dropping out of the covenant. St. Paul’s objection to Second Temple Judaism was that it was not Christianity. For the Apostle, the death and resurrection of Jesus changed everything.
The Law of Moses, which postdated Abraham, defined the lines one should not cross. “Do this, not that,” was necessary guidance. The application of timeless principles to culturally-specific circumstances was essential.
It remains so. Unfortunately, many devout people fall into legalism by failing to recognize the difference between timeless principles and culturally-specific examples.
Faith, for St. Paul the Apostle, was inherently active. He dictated, in Greek translated into English:
For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
–Romans 3:28, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
The author of the Letter of James defined faith differently. He understood faith as intellectual assent to a proposition. Therefore, he reminded his audience that faith without works is dead (2:17) then wrote that Abraham’s works justified the patriarch (2:21f):
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
–James 2:24, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
Despite the superficial discrepancy between Romans and James, no disagreement exists. When people use the same word but define it differently, they may seem to disagree when they agree.
Or justification may not be a factor at all.
Consider a different translation, O reader. David Bentley Hart, The New Testament: A Translation (2017) is a literal version that, in the words of its Eastern Orthodox translator, “provokes Protestants.” Hart renders Romans 3:28 as:
For we reckon a man as vindicated by faithfulness, apart from observances of the Law.
“Justified” becomes “vindicated,” and “works” become “observances.” Then we turn to James 2:24:
You see that a human being is made righteous by works, and not by faith alone.
“Justified” becomes “made righteous.”
Justification is a legal term. “Vindicated” and “made righteous” are not. That is a crucial distinction. I acknowledge the existence of the matter. Nevertheless, the point about using the same word and understanding it differently holds in both interpretations.
The reading from John 4 has become the subject of much misinterpretation, too. For nearly two millennia, a plethora of Christian exegetes have sullied the reputation of the Samaritan woman at the well. Yet Jesus never judged her. And his conversation with her was the longest one recorded in the canonical Gospels.
Jesus violated two major social standards in John 4. He spoke at length with a Samaritan and a woman he had not previously met. Jesus was not trying to be respectable. He had faith in the Samaritan woman at the well, who reciprocated.
For reasons I cannot fathom, God seems to have faith in people. My opinion of human nature is so low as to be subterranean. Observing the irresponsible behavior of many people (especially government officials who block policies intended to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic) confirms my low opinion of human nature. Yet God seems to have faith in people.
May we reciprocate. And may our deeds and words be holy.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 4, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CORNELIUS THE CENTURION
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Samson
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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Judges 13:1-5, 24 or Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
Psalm 92
Romans 3:1-10, 23-31
Luke 10:1-24
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All people are sinful, we read. Societies and institutions are sinful. The icing on the cake is the depressing reading from Jeremiah. That is almost as somber as a movie by Vittorio De Sica. Shoeshine (1946), Bicycle Thieves (1948), and Umberto D. (1952) are realistic and depressing works of art.
There is good news, however: God can work through us. God worked through the conventionally pious Psalmist, the frequently oblivious Apostles, and that idiot, Samson. God worked through Jeremiah and St. Paul the Apostle. God can work through corrupt institutions. God can work through you and me, O reader. God is sovereign.
That settles one question, but not another one. No excuses for bad character and institutional corruption are valid. Being an instrument of God does not exempt one from moral obligations. Yes, God can work through scuz buckets, but being being a scuz bucket is still wrong.
May we, by grace, be the most moral instruments of God possible. May our public and private morality be as close to the divine ideal as possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 16, 2020 COMMON ERA
THURSDAY IN HOLY WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT BERNADETTE OF LOURDES, VISIONARY
THE FEAST OF CALVIN WEISS LAUFER, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMNODIST
THE FEAST OF ISABELLA GILMORE, ANGLICAN DEACONESS
THE FEAST OF SAINT MIKEL SUMA, ALBANIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, FRIAR, AND MARTYR, 1950
THE FEAST OF PETER WILLIAMS CASSEY, AFRICAN-AMERICAN EPISCOPAL DEACON; AND HIS WIFE, ANNIE BESANT CASSEY, AFRICAN-AMERICAN EPISCOPAL EDUCATOR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/devotion-for-proper-12-year-c-humes/
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Above: Christ Exorcising Demons
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Fourth 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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Almighty God, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers,
that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright,
grant to us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers,
and carry us through all temptations;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 131
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Isaiah 51:1-12
Psalm 63
Romans 3:21-26; 5:18-21
Mark 1:29-45
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When we despair, as we frequently have sound reasons to do, do we wallow in that emotion? Or do we look to God? We, as human beings, need to release our emotions. Crying out to God is a healthy way of doing so. We may, as the author of Psalm 63 did, pray that God will smite our enemies. We may also recall Romans 12:10-21, however. Yet we feel what we feel. If we give it to God, we let go of a great spiritual burden.
Grace is free, costly, and scandalous. If falls upon us, people like us, those unlike us, and our enemies. Grace ignores our socially-constructed categories and our psychological defense mechanisms. Grace makes us whole, if we permit it to do so. If we reject grace, we do not remain as we are. No, we became worse off.
The pity of Christ provides us with a model to follow. Do we pity others as often as we ought? Do we want them to be their best selves, physically, spiritually, et cetera? Assuming that we do, do we know how to act accordingly? Aye, there is the rub!
I live in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. I frequently see panhandlers at or near busy intersections. One cannot walk through downtown Athens for long without encountering panhandlers. Signs in downtown Athens advise giving funds to certain organizations that help homeless people instead. This makes sense to me, for many panhandlers are capable of getting jobs and make much money, too. This breed of panhandlers cast a pall of judgment upon those actually in desperate straits.
Where is the border separating clear-eyed realism from uninformed judgment and bad tactics from good tactics? Finding that boundary can be difficult. Realism can resemble insensitivity. Good-hearted foolishness can look like the proper course of action. May we, by grace, be as innocent as doves and as shrewd as serpents as we seek to follow Christ and have pity for each other.
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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Above: Icon of Hosea
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray,
and art wont to give more than wither we desire or deserve:
pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy;
forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask,
but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 125-126
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Hosea 11:1-11
Romans 3:21-31
Matthew 5:21-26
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Judgment and mercy exist in balance in this day’s assigned readings. God is parental in Hosea 11. Discipline is part of good parenting. In the context of God, human boasting is pointless, as we read in Romans 3. Matthew 5:21-26 warns us that proper attitudes toward our fellow human beings matter. As one can read in Matthew 6:14-15, the standard we apply to others will be the standard God applies to us; our forgiveness depends on us being forgiving.
Are we loving people or fearful and hateful people? Our attitudes lead to our actions. In other words, our fruits will reveal what kind of trees we are.
May we, by grace, transform our cultures so that hatred will become socially unacceptable. May peer pressure encourage us to be loving people. May social norms and mores insist that those in authority be loving individuals, not fearful, hateful people.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 24, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS À KEMPIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, PRIEST, AND SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN NEWTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH, U.S. BAPTIST MINISTER AND THEOLOGIAN OF THE SOCIAL GOSPEL
THE FEAST OF SAINTS VINCENTIA GEROSA AND BARTHOLOMEA CAPITANIO, COFOUNDERS OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF LOVERE
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Above: Israel in Egypt, by Edward Poynter
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Second Sunday in Lent, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Lord Jesus Christ, our only King, who came in the form of a servant:
control our wills and restrain our selfish ambitions,
that we may seek thy glory above all things and fulfill our lives in thee. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 121
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Exodus 1:1-14
Romans 3:19-31
Mark 9:30-37
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Do you suppose that God is the God of the Jews alone? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Certainly, of Gentiles also.
–Romans 3:29, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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Nevertheless, many of the Gentiles do not know this. And, if many of them have heard this, they disregard it.
God is the God of both the oppressed and the oppressors, of the slaves and the salve drivers, of the executed and the executioners. God is never in question, given divine faithfulness, mercy, and judgment; the promises of God are sure. Human relationships to God (or the lack thereof) are in question, though. Related to those relationships are our relationships to each other. Human relationships frequently belie any claims to human pride, and nobody looks adequate in the light of God.
Do we ponder any people and write them off spiritually? If we do, we err. That is not our judgment call to make.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 21, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, JESUIT
THE FEAST OF BERNARD ADAM GRUBE, GERMAN-AMERICAN MINISTER, MISSIONARY, COMPOSER, AND MUSICIAN
THE FEAST OF CARL BERNHARD GARVE, GERMAN MORAVIAN MINISTER, LITURGIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN JONES AND JOHN RIGBY, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
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Above: All Souls’ Day, by Jakub Schikaneder
Image in the Public Domain
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The Feast of All Saints originated at the great monastery of Cluny in 998. The commemoration spread and became an occasion to pray for those in Purgatory. During the Reformation Era Protestants and Anglicans dropped the feast on theological grounds. In the late twentieth century, however, the feast–usually renamed the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed–began appearing on Anglican calendars. The difference between All Saints’ Day and All Faithful Departed, in this context, had become one of emphasis–distinguished saints on November 1 and forgotten saints on November 2.
The idea of Purgatory (a Medieval Roman Catholic doctrine with ancient roots) is that of, as I heard a Catholic catechist, “God’s mud room.” The doctrine holds that all those in Purgatory will go to Heaven, just not yet, for they require purification. I am sufficiently Protestant to reject the doctrine of Purgatory, for I believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus constitutes “God’s mud room.” Purgatory is also alien to Eastern Orthodoxy, which also encourages prayers for the dead.
I pray for the dead, too. After all, who knows what takes place between God and the departed?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS
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Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us.
As we renew our faith in your Son, whom you raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 or Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-9, 13-14 or Psalm 103:8, 10, 13-18
Romans 6:3-9 or 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Matthew 25:31-46 or John 11:17-27
—The Vatican II Sunday Missal (1974), 1041-1048
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O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers:
Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son;
that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 or Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 130 or Psalm 116:6-9
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
John 5:24-27
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), 665
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Adapted from this post:
https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2018/09/14/devotion-for-the-feast-of-all-souls-commemoration-of-all-faithful-departed-november-2/
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Above: Wittenberg in 1540
Image in the Public Domain
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The Feast of the Reformation, celebrated first in the Brunswick church order (1528), composed by Johannes Bugenhagen (1485-1558), died out in the 1500s. Initially the dates of the commemoration varied according to various church orders, and not all Lutherans observed the festival. Original dates included November 10 (the eve of Martin Luther‘s birthday), February 18 (the anniversary of Luther’s death), and the Sunday after June 25, the date of the delivery of the Augsburg Confession. In 1667, after the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), Elector of Saxony John George II ordered the revival of the commemoration, with the date of October 31. Over time the commemoration spread, and commemorations frequently occurred on the Sunday closest to that date.
The feast used to function primarily as an occasion to express gratitude that one was not Roman Catholic. However, since 1980, the 450th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute (of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement) and the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau have favored observing the feast as a time of reconciliation and of acknowledging the necessity of the Reformation while not celebrating the schism.
This perspective is consistent with the position of Professor Phillip Cary in his Great Courses series of The History of Christian Theology (2008), in which he argues that Protestantism and Roman Catholicism need each other.
I, as an Episcopalian, stand within the Middle Way–Anglicanism. I am convinced, in fact, that I am on this planet for, among other reasons, to be an Episcopalian; the affiliation fits me naturally. I even hang an Episcopal Church flag in my home. I, as an Episcopalian, am neither quite Protestant nor Roman Catholic; I borrow with reckless abandon from both sides–especially from Lutheranism in recent years. I affirm Single Predestination (Anglican and Lutheran theology), Transubstantiation, a 73-book canon of scripture, and the Assumption of Mary (Roman Catholic theology), and reject both the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the Virgin Birth of Jesus. My ever-shifting variety of Anglicanism is sui generis.
The scandal of schism, extant prior to 1517, but exasperated by the Protestant and English Reformations, grieves me. Most of the differences among denominations similar to each other are minor, so overcoming denominational inertia with mutual forbearance would increase the rate of ecclesiastical unity. Meanwhile, I, from my perch in The Episcopal Church, ponder whether organic union with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is feasible and wise. It is a question worth exploring. At least we are natural ecumenical partners. We already have joint congregations, after all. If there will be organic union, it will require mutual giving and taking on many issues, but we agree on most matters already.
Time will tell.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF PETER OF CHELCIC, BOHEMIAN HUSSITE REFORMER; AND GREGORY THE PATRIARCH, FOUNDER OF THE MORAVIAN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF GODFREY THRING, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JANE CREWDSON, ENGLISH QUAKER POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF NARAYAN SESHADRI OF JALNI, INDIAN PRESBYTERIAN EVANGELIST AND “APOSTLE TO THE MANGS”
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Almighty God, gracious Lord, we thank you that your Holy Spirit renews the church in every age.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people.
Keep them steadfast in your word, protect and comfort them in times of trial,
defend them against all enemies of the gospel,
and bestow on the church your saving peace,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 46
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 58
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Revelation 14:6-7
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36 or Matthew 11:12-19
—Lutheran Service Book (2006), xxiii
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Adapted from this post:
https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2018/09/13/devotion-for-the-feast-of-the-reformation-october-31/
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Above: Icon of the Prophet Micah
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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Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 or Micah 7:1-20
Psalm 44
Matthew 10:9-23 or Luke 12:1-12
Romans 3:1-22a
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Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Awake, do not cast us off forever!
Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
For we sink down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up, come to our help.
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
–Psalm 44:23-26, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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The readings for this occasion present a realistic appraisal of the world, not only in antiquity or today, but during all the times in between. Certain powerful empires conquer weaker neighbors. Wicked people flourish. Good people perish. Persecution of people of God occurs. Nevertheless, one should avoid committing the theological error of assuming or otherwise concluding that the existence of God, of whom caring is an essential property, precludes the reality of suffering for many righteous people. At this point one might point to the Book of Job and the crucifixion of Jesus as Exhibits A and B in that case.
Although suffering (for righteousness, sin, and simply having a pulse) occurs, that fact does not negate or contradict the mercy of God. That mercy is available regardless of ethnic and cultural factors and boundaries. That love is evident in the form of baby Jesus, born into a place and time at which his life was in danger. That love is and always has been evident in many ways. That love is worth pondering every day, but especially on Christmas Day.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 23, 2016 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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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2016/08/23/devotion-for-christmas-morning-year-d/
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Above: Scroll
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
God among us, we gather in the name of your Son
to learn love for one another. Keep our feet from evil paths.
Turn our minds to your wisdom and our hearts to the grace
revealed in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 48
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 23:1-9
Psalm 113
Romans 3:1-8
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Who is like the LORD our God, who sits enthroned on high,
but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?
He takes up the weak out of the dust and lifts up the poor from the ashes.
He sets them with the princes, with the princes of his people.
–Psalm 113:5-7, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures one reads of the importance of obeying divine law faithfully. God commands obedience to the law and warns of the dire consequences of disobedience. Two kingdoms fall and, after the fact, the Jewish tradition repeats the theme of the importance of obedience to the law. I wonder, then, how to read St. Paul the Apostle in his Letter to the Romans. Perhaps his target was the legalistic interpretation and keeping of the Law of Moses. In Romans 2, for example, we read of the necessity of the circumcision of the heart. As a note in The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011) informs me, that is consistent with Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4, 9:25-26, and 38:33; and Ezekiel 44:7.
As for the portion of the Law of Moses we find in Exodus 23:1-9, it is timeless, with some culturally specific examples of principles.
- One must not bear false witness, commit perjury, or spread false rumors.
- One must speak the truth and act impartially, showing deference to nobody because of wealth or the lack thereof.
- One must return wandering livestock belonging to an enemy. (This commandment’s principle extends beyond livestock.)
- One must help and enemy raise his beast of burden which has collapsed. (This commandment’s principle also extends beyond livestock.)
- One must not subvert the rights of the poor.
- One must not make or support a false allegation.
- One must not send the innocent to execution.
- One must not accept bribes.
- One must not oppress strangers.
These are commandments, not suggestions.
I think of the famous story of Rabbi Hillel (110 B.C.E.-10. C.E.), who summarized the Torah by citing the commandment to love God fully (the Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and the Golden Rule (Leviticus 19:18). Then he concluded,
The rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
That statement applies well to Exodus 23:1-9, some of the provisions of which are politically sensitive. Justice, however, is what it is. May we learn it and act accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 19, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW BOBOLA, JESUIT MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT DUNSTAN OF CANTERBURY, ABBOT OF GLASTONBURY AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
THE FEAST OF SAINT IVO OF CHARTRES, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT IVO OF KERMARTIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND ADVOCATE OF THE POOR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/devotion-for-thursday-before-proper-20-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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