Archive for the ‘Mutuality’ Tag
Above: A Container of Salt, April 21, 2023
Photographer = Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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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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Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29
Psalm 135:1-7, 13-14
James 4:7-12 (13-5:6)
Mark 9:38-50
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God of love, you know our frailties and failings.
Give us your grace to overcome them;
keep us from those things that harm us;
and guide us in the way of salvation;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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O God, the Strength of all who put their trust in you;
mercifully accept our prayer,
and because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without your aid,
grant us the help of your grace that,
keeping your commandments,
we may please you in both will and deed;
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), 83
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The Epistle of James properly condemns the idol of self-reliance. This is one of the more popular idols in my culture, committed to the lie of rugged individualism and suspicious of many collectivist tendencies. Yet the Bible repeatedly teaches mutuality, in which we depend entirely on God, and, in that that context, upon each other. We also have responsibilities to each other in community. Interdependency within mutuality is the human, tangible side of total dependence on God. We read in Numbers 11 that Moses, who understood that he relied upon God, learned that he needed to share his responsibilities with seventy elders.
Recognizing complete dependence upon God and affirming mutuality can liberate one. Assuming more responsibility than one–or a group–can shoulder and perform well is unnecessary and unrealistic. Doing so constitutes choosing an unduly heavy burden–one which God does not impose. The opposite error is rejecting one’s proper role within mutuality–being a slacker. Also, understanding one’s role within community in mutuality may prove difficult, of course. Yet sometimes members of the community reveal that role as it changes over time.
In my experience, the following statements have been true:
- I have perceived that I should assume a responsibility in my parish, sought that responsibility, received it, and performed it ably.
- I have received other responsibilities within my parish via conscription. Then I have performed them well.
- Admitting that I have moral responsibilities to others has not necessarily entailed understanding what those responsibilities are, in concrete terms, and how to fulfill them.
May we, with the help of God, perceive the divine call on our collective and individual lives, and faithfully play our parts and fulfill our responsibilities.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 26, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM COWPER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ABELARD OF CORBIE, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND ABBOT; AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, SAINT PASCHASIUS RADBERTUS, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF ROBERT HUNT, FIRST ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN AT JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
THE FEAST OF RUTH BYLLESBY, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAW KUBISTA, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940; AND SAINT WLADISLAW GORAL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM STRINGFELLOW, EPISCOPAL ATTORNEY, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Marriage Cross
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Joshua 24:1-2, 14-18
Psalm 34:15-22
Ephesians 5:21-31
John 6:60-69
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God of all creation,
you reach out to call people of all nations to your kingdom.
As you gather disciples from near and far,
count us also among those
who boldly confess your Son Jesus Christ as Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
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O almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life,
grant us without doubt to know your Son Jesus Christ
to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life
that, following his steps,
we may steadfastly walk in the say that leads to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 77
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Cultural context is crucial. Consider that assertion, O reader, as we ponder Ephesians 5:21-31.
- Patriarchy was ubiquitous. The text did not question it. We may justly question patriarchy, though.
- A household was like a small fortress with bolted outer gates and inner doors. These security measures were necessary because the society lacked domestic police forces.
- Wives were frequently much younger than their husbands.
- So, the theme of reciprocal service and protection within marriage was relatively progressive. The husband had the duty to sacrifice himself to protect his wife, if necessary.
David Bentley Hart translates 5:21 to read:
Being stationed under one another in reverence for the Anointed, ….
The Revised New Jerusalem Bible offers a variation on the standard English-language translation:
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
J. B. Phillips‘s final translation (1972) of the New Testament provides a different and thought-provoking version of this verse:
And “fit in with” each other, because of your common reverence for Christ.
Clarence Jordan‘s version of this epistle, the Letter to the Christians in Birmingham, renders this verse as follows:
Put yourselves under one another with Christ-like respect.
I, without justifying ancient social norms I find objectionable, do try to understand them in context. I also recognize that a text says what it says, not what (a) I wish it ways, and (b) what it may superficially seem to say. So, within the context of ancient Roman society, we have a text about reciprocal service and protection within marriage. The text makes clear that there is no room for exploitation in marriage. The model for the husband is Jesus, who laid down his life.
Speaking of Jesus, he lost some followers in John 6:66. Yet may we say with St. Simon Peter:
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we know that you are the Holy One of God.
—The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
The theme of the importance of following God exists in Joshua 24, a book edited together from various sources after the Babylonian Exile. The Book of Joshua benefits from centuries of hindsight. Other portions of the Hebrew Bible tell us which choice–polytheism–adherents of the Hebrew folk religion made for centuries. Yet the authorial voice in the sources of the Hebrew Bible is that of the priestly religion. This is appropriate.
Serve God and God alone, that authorial voice repeats. Avoid idolatry and practical atheism, it tells us again and again. This is a message for the community first and the individual second. Western rugged individualism is alien to the Bible.
If we apply the advice to be subject to one another/fit in with each other/be stationed under one another/put ourselves under one another out of reverence for Christ–or God, if you, O reader, prefer–to our communities, congregations, and mature (as opposed to casual or immature) relationships, we will have stronger communities, congregations, and mature relationships. To value other people because of who they are–not what they can do for us–is to orientate relationships in a mutually healthy direction. Everyone benefits, regardless of the cultural context, with its societal norms. This approach, if it becomes normative, will transform those societal norms for the common good.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 14, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD THOMAS DEMBY AND HENRY BEARD DELANY, EPISCOPAL SUFFRAGAN BISHIPS FOR COLORED WORK
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTHONY, JOHN, AND EUSTATHIUS OF VILNIUS, MARTYRS IN LITHUANIA, 1347
THE FEAST OF GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL, COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUCIEN BOTOVASOA, MALAGASY ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 1947
THE FEAST OF SAINT WANDREGISILUS OF NORMANDY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT LAMBERT OF LYONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENAIDA OF TARSUS AND HER SISTER, SAINT PHILONELLA OF TARSUS; AND SAINT HERMIONE OF EPHESUS; UNMERCENARY PHYSICIANS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Calvary Episcopal Church, Americus, Georgia, December 24, 2017
Photographer = Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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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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Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 34:9-14
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58
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Almighty and ever-loving God,
you have given great and precious promises to those who believe.
Grant us the perfect faith, which overcomes all doubts,
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 26
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Merciful Father,
since you have given your only Son as the sacrifice for our sin,
also give us grace to receive with thanksgiving
the fruits of this redeeming work
and daily follow in his way;
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 75-76
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The four assigned readings, taken together, proclaim a straight-forward message: Listen to God. Receive divine wisdom. Love righteousness, not evil ways. All that is easier to summarize than to do.
Defining some terms may help to elucidate this matter.
- Righteousness is right relationship with God, self, others, and all of creation. Biblically, righteousness and justice are interchangeable.
- Wickedness is the rejection of divine generosity. Therefore, the wicked cannot be generous. They also deny that they depend upon God for everything, so they imagine that they must take care of themselves. This attitude opens the door to amoral, harmful, and exploitative actions toward others. The wicked perform evil deeds–bad, malicious, and perverse actions. Yet they take care of themselves. Or do they, ultimately?
The beginning of wisdom and morality, therefore, is the acknowledgment of (a) complete dependence on God, and (b) mutuality. We all depend upon God and each other. We are all responsible to and for each other, also. What one person does affects others. And nobody has the moral right to exploit anyone.
Food is a theme in Proverbs 9 and John 6. Proverbs 9 tells of two banquets. Lady Wisdom invites people to her banquet in verses 1-12. Then Lady Folly’s banquet fills verses 13-18. Lady Wisdom invites people to eat her food and drink her wine. The first chapter of the Gospel of John links Jesus (the Logos, or Word, of God) to Lady Wisdom. (However, Sarah Ruden’s lively translation translates Logos in John 1 as “true account.”) Jesus, in John 6, speaks at length about the bread of life and the flesh and the blood of the Son of Man. This language is unmistakably Eucharistic. I, having Anglo-Catholic tendencies, affirm Transubstantiation.
Another link between Proverbs 9 and John 6 stands out in my mind. Those who attend Lady Folly’s banquet at in Sheol (Proverbs 9:19). Yet:
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
–John 6:54, The New American Bible–Revised Edition
I immediately recall the refrain to Suzanne Toolan’s hymn, “I Am the Bread of Life,” based on John 6:
And I will raise you up,
And I will raise you up,
and I will raise you up on the last day.
–Quoted in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006)
The crucifixion of Jesus carries more than one meaning simultaneously. One of these meanings is the reminder that Jesus died unjustly. The Gospel of Luke drives this point home; a veritable parade of people attests to the innocence of Jesus in the Lucan Passion narrative. How often do we perpetuate injustice, perhaps in the name of God and Christ? As often as we do so, we act as the wicked do; we join the ranks of the evil and the guests at Lady Folly’s banquet.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 13, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FIFTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH BARBER LIGHTFOOT, BISHOP OF DURHAM
THE FEAST OF HENRI PERRIN, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC WORKER PRIEST
THE FEAST OF JOHN GLOUCESTER, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER
THE FEAST OF LUCY CRAFT LANEY, AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN EDUCATOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARTIN I, BISHOP OF ROME, AND MARTYR, 655; AND SAINT MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR, EASTERN ORTHODOX MONK, ABBOT, AND MARTYR, 662
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROLANDO RIVI, ROMAN CATHOLIC SEMINARIAN AND MARTYR, 1945
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Elijah in the Wilderness, by Washington Allston
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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1 Kings 19:4-8
Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:30-5:2
John 6:41-51
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Almighty and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray,
and to give us more than we either desire or deserve.
Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask,
except through the merit of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 26
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Almighty and everlasting God,
always more ready to hear than we to pray
and always ready to give more than we either desire or deserve,
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us the good things we are not worthy to ask
but through the merits and mediation
of 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), 74
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Just as the Kingdom of God is simultaneously present and future in the Synoptic Gospels, eternal life is present for those who follow Jesus. “Eternal” carries a range of meanings in the Bible, depending upon the author one reads. In the Johannine tradition, it means “of God,” and eternal life is knowing God via Jesus. This definition differs from the Pauline tradition of eternal life–a blessed afterlife. Yet consider, O reader, that the present tense of eternal life in the Gospel of John is consistent with the Realized Eschatology of the Johannine Gospel.
Amen, Amen, I say to you,
one who believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
–John 6:47-48, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Ephesians 5:1 tells us–collectively, in context–to “become imitators of God.” The textual context, flowing from chapter 4, is mutuality under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness is a key feature of this model of communal life (4:32). This is bold living. In the historical context of the Epistle to the Ephesians, this is bold living amid a hostile culture. So, amid hostility and persecution, the faith community could pray, in the words of Psalm 34:3:
In the LORD do I glory.
Let the lowly hear and rejoice.
–Robert Alter
Boldness had defined Elijah’s actions as recently as 1 Kings 18. Yet, not surprisingly, Elijah’s massacre of the prophets of Baal Peor had displeased Queen Jezebel of Israel. So, Elijah had abandoned all boldness, started hiding out in the wilderness, and commenced a pity party. The prophet forgot about the one hundred prophets of YHWH safely hidden and supplied with food and drink in two caves (1 Kings 18:4). If Queen Jezebel had succeeded in having Elijah killed, one hundred prophets of YHWH would have carried on his work.
Fear and ego may blind us to a key fact: Although each of us has work from God, that work will continue via other people (agents of God) if we move away, chicken out, et cetera. God’s work does not depend solely on you, O reader, or on me. Nevertheless, you and I have an obligation to God to fulfill faithfully the work God has assigned us.
I lived in Athens, Georgia, for sixteen years and two months. While there, I became so active in St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church that I became part of the woodwork, so to speak. Immediately before I left, I had been teaching a lectionary discussion class, serving as the parish librarian, and scheduling the lectors and the money counters for a few years. The COVID-19 pandemic had abruptly terminated the sixth year of my parish movie series in March 2020. The film series had not resumed when I left Athens in October 2021. Before I left, more than one person asked me how the work I did in the parish would continue. I reassured them that the work would continue. After I left, four people replaced me within short order. Then a fifth person started a new movie series.
God is central. Also, in faith community, each person is important, yet nobody is irreplaceable. God grants spiritual gifts as necessary. So, lest we forget this, we may need to get over ourselves. Eternal life is her; may we–as faith communities and as individuals–frolic in it and in so doing, become imitators of God, like beloved children. May we not grieve the Holy Spirit.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 12, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR; AND HIS NEPHEW, WILLIAM SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF CARL F. PRICE, U.S. METHODIST HYMNOLOGIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT DAVID URIBE-VELASCO, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT JULIUS I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF SAINT TERESA OF JESUS OF THE ANDES, CHILEAN ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENO OF VERONA, BISHOP
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Nazareth (A Byzantine Mosaic)
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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Ezekiel 2:1-5
Psalm 143:1-2, 5-8
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Mark 6:1-6
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God of glory, Father of love, peace comes from you alone.
Send us as peacemakers and witnesses to your kingdom,
and fill our hearts with joy in your promises of salvation;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 25
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Grant, Lord, that the course of this world
may be so governed by your direction
that your Church may rejoice
in serving you in godly peace and quietness;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 68
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The strength and the power belong to God; that is the unifying theme in these four readings.
- The prophet Ezekiel, newly commissioned, had the duty to speak unpleasant truths to the rebellious people, regardless of whether anyone listened to him. The message came from God.
- The author of Psalm 43, beset by foes, begged for divine deliverance. The psalmist also prayed that God would devastate and destroy those enemies (verse 12).
- St. Paul the Apostle (“a man I know”) understood that divine grace sufficed, that the was weak, and that God was strong.
- Jesus, God incarnate, worked wondrous deeds and preached wisdom. In the Markan account of his rejection at Nazareth, the rejection was immediate.
My culture values strength, rugged individualism, and hubris. My culture denigrates “losers” and distinguishes between the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor.” My culture’s values contradict the unifying thread in this Sunday’s four readings. We are all weak and broken; some of us understand this truth about ourselves acutely. And we all depend upon each other. We are responsible to and for each other. Together, we depend entirely upon God. This is the essence of mutuality.
The power and strength come from God, but we mere mortals can still frustrate God’s work.
…and [Jesus] could do no work of power [in Nazareth], except that he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.”
–Mark 6:5-6, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Jesse Ventura, while serving as the Governor of Minnesota, claimed that Christianity is a religion for weaklings. He meant that as a negative statement. Yet Ventura was correct; St. Paul knew that he was a weakling. Nevertheless, St. Paul turned that status into a spiritual positive.
We are spiritual weaklings, but we still possess the power to harm each other and to ruin God’s plans. Nevertheless, as Leslie D. Weatherhead wrote in The Will of God, we cannot thwart the ultimate will of God. God is sovereign, after all.
May we–both collectively and individually–serve as agents of grace and the divine will, not roadblocks to them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 7, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTY-NINTH DAY OF LENT
GOOD FRIDAY
THE FEAST OF SAINT TIKHON OF MOSCOW, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH
THE FEAST OF ANDRÉ TROCMÉ, MAGDA TROCMÉ, AND DANIEL TROCMÉ, RIGHTEOUS GENTILES
THE FEAST OF SAINT GEORGE THE YOUNGER, GREEK ORTHODOX BISHOP OF MITYLENE
THE FEAST OF JAY THOMAS STOCKING, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MONTFORD SCOTT, EDMUND GENNINGS, HENRY WALPOLE, AND THEIR FELLOW MARTYRS, 1591 AND 1595
THE FEAST OF RANDALL DAVIDSON, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
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Adapted from this post
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Above: The Angel in the Tomb
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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Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 15-24
1 Corinthians 15:19-28
John 20:1-9 (10-18) or Mark 16:1-8
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O God, you gave your only Son
to suffer death on the cross for our redemption,
and by his glorious resurrection
you delivered us from the power of death.
Make us die every day to sin,
so that we may live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection;
through 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), 20-21
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Almighty God the Father, through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ,
you have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us.
Grant that we,
who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection,
may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 47
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Isaiah 24-27, part of Third Isaiah, is a proto-apocalypse. Daniel contains a fully fully-developed apocalypse in chapters 7-12, which date to the Hasmonean period. Revelation (the Apocalypse of John) and some pseudepigraphal works are fully-developed apocalypses, too. Isaiah 24-27 contains many of the features of those later writings.
The apocalyptic genre is optimistic, for it proclaims that God will win in the end. The proto-apocalypse in Isaiah 24-27 is optimistic in so far as it speaks of the metaphorical resurrection of Judah while using the language of destroying death and reviving corpses.
The assigned readings, taken together, speak of an illness. A conquered people may move into a better future. And the resurrection of Jesus makes renewed individual and collective life in God possible.
As I write these words, I live in troubled, cynical times. Anti-democratic forces, competing in elections around the world, have much popular support. Sometimes they win elections. Many candidates who speak favorably of family values engage in political bullying and celebrate cruelty and insensitivity. Many such candidates frequently win elections, too. The great web of mutuality that protects members of society–the most vulnerable ones, especially–continues to fray under the assault by a selfish variety of individualism. The morally neutral act of remaining informed regarding current events becomes an occasion of inviting excessive stress into one’s life. Hope seems to be in short supply. Positive statements about the Kingdom of God may ring hollow. One may feel like the women at the empty tomb of Jesus–afraid. I do.
And, when we turn our attention to death itself, we may experience the depths of despair and the harsh reality of someone’s loss. The light may go out of our lives, as it did for Theodore Roosevelt on February 12, 1884, when his mother and first wife died.
I understand my grief well enough to know not to resort to platitudes. I comprehend that death stings. I know from the past and from current events that the world has long been and continues to be rife with delusion and injustice. I, as a student of history, grasp that history does not repeat itself, but that history rhymes. It rhymes because many people fail to learn the lessons of the past.
Yet the Christian hope teaches me that the Reverend Doctor Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858-1901) was correct:
This is my Father’s world,
O let me 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.
–Quoted in The Hymnal (1933), #70
Happy Easter!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 18, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEONIDES OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 202; ORIGEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN; SAINT DEMETRIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; AND SAINT ALEXANDER OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP, THEOLOGIAN, AND LITURGIST
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAUL OF CYPRUS, EASTERN ORTHODOX MARTYR, 760
THE FEAST OF ROBERT WALMSLEY, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Icon of Hosea
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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Hosea 2:14-16 (17-18) 19-20
Psalm 103:1-13
2 Corinthians 3:1b-6
Mark 2:18-22
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Almighty and everlasting God, ruler of heaven and earth:
Hear our prayer and give us your peace now and forever;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978)
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O Lord, mercifully hear our prayers,
and having set us free from the bonds of our sins,
defend us from all evil;
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), 30
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…our sufficiency is from God….
–2 Corinthians 3:5b, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition
Our (individual and collective) sufficiency is from God. God qualifies us (individually and collectively) for our callings from God. God, who has given us many reasons to rejoice, provides our sufficiency. God, who forgives more readily than many human beings do, gives us sufficiency.
This truth contradicts an old and ubiquitous lie in my culture. I refer to the lie of the self-made person, as in the self-made millionaire. Considering even only human factors, one should need only a second or so–if that long–to realize the falsehood of the proposition. One may realize quickly that teachers, bankers, and road builders, among others, enabled the so-called self-made millionaires on the way to such wealth. Furthermore, we all depend entirely on God. We depend upon each other, but we also depend completely on God. If we think otherwise, we delude ourselves.
When one reads past Psalm 103:13, one finds this verse immediately:
For [God] knows our devisings,
recalls that we are dust.
–Verse 14, Robert Alter
Psalm 103 goes on to speak of the transience of human lives and the timeliness of God, whose kindness to the faithful never ends. And, as Hosea 2 tells us this week and Isaiah 43 told us last week, God chooses sometimes to forgive the faithless.
We mere mortals are dust. If we are to have sufficiency, it must come from God, not ourselves. May we demonstrate proper humility before God, from whose love we are inseparable.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 14, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF LENT
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. CONGREGATIONALISTS HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF NEHEMIAH GOREH, INDIAN ANGLICAN PRIEST AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT 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
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LEDDRA, BRITISH QUAKER MARTYR IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY, 1661
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Capernaum, Israel
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 18:15-29
Psalm 1
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 1:21-28
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O God, you know that we cannot withstand
the dangers which surround us.
Strengthen us in body and spirit so that, with your help,
we may be able to overcome the weakness
that our sin has brought upon us;
through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 16
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Almighty God,
you know that we are set among so many and great dangers
that by reason of the weakness of our fallen nature
we cannot always stand upright;
grant us your strength and protection to support us in all dangers
and carry us through all temptations;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 25
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I, writing as an observant Christian steeped in the ancient traditions of my faith, find a mixed record regarding those traditions. Much of the oeuvre of tradition is essential. Some traditions have outlived their usefulness, though. And other traditions are ridiculous.
The tradition of interpreting certain passages of the Hebrew Bible as prophecies of Jesus falls into the “ridiculous” column. This Sunday, we have two such texts. Deuteronomy 18:15-20 no more contains a messianic prophecy than Jesus is the blessed man of Psalm 1.
- The authorship of the Book of Deuteronomy is a complicated matter. If any portion of that book goes back to Moses, I will find that situation surprising. The Deuteronomistic tradition from which Deuteronomy 18:15-20 springs reflects on the past with the benefit of centuries of hindsight; it does not look forward, except morally.
- And the blessed man of Psalm 1 is a Jewish male student of the Torah from the time when a woman could not be a student of the Torah. The blessed man of Psalm 1 finds his stability in YHWH. In contrast, those who walk in the council of the wicked are unstable and in motion. When they do sit down, they do so in the wrong seats.
The cultural setting of Corinth in the Second Reading is foreign to me. I do not live in a milieu in which food offered to false gods–imaginary deities–is commonplace. Yet I understand that I, as a human being and a member of society, have an obligation to live according to mutuality. I have a responsibility to think about how my actions will affect others before I act. And my freedom as a Christian is not a licence to do whatever I want to do. On the other hand, avoiding the error of doing little or nothing for rear of creating the wrong impression is crucial.
My father was the pastor of the Vidette United Methodist Church, Vidette, Georgia, from June 1980 to June 1982. I was a boy. Dad forbade me to play in the parsonage yard on Sunday afternoons lest someone get the wrong idea. That was a ridiculous rule.
In the Gospel of Mark, 1:21-28 establishes Jesus as an exorcist/healer and as an authoritative teacher.
- When I put on my Rudolf Bultmann hat, I wonder what the “unclean spirit” was. I admit that it may have been a demon. I also consider that it may have been a mental illness or a severe emotional disturbance, in today’s diagnostic terms. The Roman Catholic Church wisely considers other diagnoses before defining any case as a demonic possession.
- Anyway, the “unclean spirit” immediately recognized Jesus, who ordered it to be quiet then expelled it. The Messianic Secret remained intact.
- Scribes, steeped in tradition, cited teachers who had preceded them. Yet Jesus did no such thing; he taught with authority. And he did not commit the error of doing little or nothing lest he give someone the wrong idea.
I am a Christian for a combination of reasons. One reason is that my family raised me in the faith. yet my faith is mine, not theirs. Ultimately, I am a Christian because of Jesus. His lived and spoken teachings are my desire as I seek to honor God with my intellect. A functional frontal lobotomy is antithetical to my faith, which values scripture, tradition, and reason. In line with Bishop Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998), I assert that Jesus is the only proper basis of Christian confidence.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 10, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF MARIE-JOSEPH LAGRANGE, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF SAINT AGRIPINNUS OF AUTUN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT GERMANUS OF PARIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; AND SAINT DROCTOVEUS OF AUTUN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF ALEXANDER CLARK, U.S. METHODIST PROTESTANT MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF FOLLIOT SANDFORD PIERPOINT, ANGLICAN EDUCATOR, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN OGLIVIE, SCOTTISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1615
THE FEAST OF SAINT MACARIUS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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Adapted from this post
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READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART LXX
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Psalm 119
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Psalm 119, with 176 verses, is the longest entry in the Psalter and the longest chapter in the Bible. This repetitive “Psalm of the Law” contains themes familiar in the Book of Psalms from Psalm 1 to Psalm 118. Therefore, I choose not to address all of these themes in this post. Instead, I opt to focus on the proverbial big picture of Psalm 119.
The key word is torah. Torah, in the narrow definition, means “Law.” Yet, in the broad definition, torah is “teaching” or “instruction,” incorporating the Law. We do well to adopt the broad definition of torah in Psalm 119.
God seems distant in Psalm 119. Therefore, the psalmist clings to torah, understood as a manifestation of God. The author writes of torah as being the
decisive factor in every sphere of life.
–Artur Weiser, The Psalms: A Commentary (1962), 740
So, a closer examination of torah is in order.
The Law of Moses (torah, in the narrow definition) may seem mostly irrelevant to most Christians, especially those who assume that St. Paul the Apostle was a proto-Lutheran and interpret the Epistles to the Romans and the Galatians in a manner which may be inaccurate. Eastern Orthodox scholar David Bentley Hart contradicts the proto-Lutheran St. Paul hypothesis. So does E. P. Sanders, notably in Paul and Palestinian Judaism: A Comparison of Patterns of Religion (1977). Hart avoids “justification” and “works” in his translation of Romans; he prefers “vindication” and “observances.” And Sanders holds that St. Paul’s critique of Judaism was not that it was a religion with works-based righteousness, for St. Paul knew better than that. Sanders also uses a plethora of Second Temple-era Jewish documents (some canonical) to prove that Second Temple Judaism did not teach works-based righteousness. He argues that, in St. Paul’s mind, the death and resurrection of Jesus changed everything. So, post-resurrection of Jesus, St. Paul’s critique of Judaism was that it was not Christianity.
The Law of Moses contains both timeless principles and culturally-specific commandments. The latter may seem irrelevant in one setting in 2023, but “peaking behind the Law” (my term) reveals contemporary applications. (This is a traditional Jewish practice.) Consider, for example, the commandment regarding leaving food in the fields for gleaning (Leviticus 19). One may fulfill this commandment in more than one way without being an agriculturalist. One may, for example, shop for a local food bank, volunteer to distribute food bank food to people who need it, or volunteer at a soup kitchen. My parish, Calvary Episcopal Church, Americus, Georgia, sits on a major street near downtown. We have a “Blessings Box” beside the sidewalk and facing that street. The raised wooden structure, with a door, is a receptable for food, as well as sanitary and health-related items, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and hand sanitizer. The Blessings Box is a parish project, and members of the community who are not parishioners contribute, too. The principle to feed the hungry poor is timeless.
The Law of Moses teaches mutuality and interdependence within the context of total human dependence upon God. We are responsible to and for each other. God commands us to take care of–not to exploit–one another. Thus, we can have righteousness–right relationship with God, others, self, and all creation.
With this in mind, Psalm 119 may come to life in a fresh way for an otherwise bored reader. Torah (in the broad definition) is a reason to celebrate. It is a goal to which aspire. So, one may say with the psalmist:
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who follow the teaching the way of the LORD.
–Psalm 119:1, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 13, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS AQUILA, PRISCILLA, AND APOLLOS, CO-WORKERS OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART LXVII
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Psalms 111 and 112
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Psalms 111 and 112 are similar yet different. Both texts are Hebrew acrostic poems that begin with “Hallelujah.” Yet, commentaries tell us, each psalm has a different focus–111 on praise of God, and 112 on praise of the righteous individual. Psalm 111 seems to be the model for Psalm 112, also. God is faithful, gracious, and compassionate, we read in Psalm 112. Meanwhile Psalm 112 sounds like material from speeches by Job’s alleged friends: fidelity to God brings wealth, health, and a host of mighty descendants, among other blessings. Both texts seem to reflect the tidy moral symmetry of moral retribution, which the poetic portion of the Book of Job rejects.
But what if what the texts say something other than what they seem to say? What if cultural blinders prevent us from recognizing the actual content of these psalms? What if some of the content in the previous paragraph is erroneous?
If the wicked in Psalm 112 are, as Walter Brueggemann argues, those who do not practice generosity because they cannot trust divine generosity, Psalm 112 may be about the generosity of God more than the righteous individual. Psalm 112 may tell us that we, trusting in divine generosity, can be generous agents of grace. Such generosity is the path to real joy, Brueggemann writes:
Satisfaction and life fulfillment do not come from greed and self-filling and self-sufficiency. They come from trusting the generosity of God who always feeds us (Ps. 111:5), and we can in turn be generous. The happy person is the one who knows about the abundance of the Creator who withholds nothing needful from his precious creation. Believing that permits a very different social practice.
—The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary (1984), 47
Brueggemann’s case persuades me. My review of patters of treating others badly and cruelly reveals a lack of generosity in those actions and policies. When we do not trust in divine generosity, we may feel that we are in an every-man-for-himself situation. We may feel justified in throwing others to the proverbial dogs to protect “me and mine.” We are wicked, according to Brueggemann’s interpretation of Psalm 112. Then we condemn ourselves to misery, also, and our desire will come to nothing. Yet, if we behave generously toward others, we embark down the proper path.
Trusting in the generosity of God entails acknowledging our complete dependence upon God. That can unnerve us easily and rapidly, especially if we value the delusion of rugged individualism. No, mutuality–not rugged individualism–is a pillar of the Law of Moses.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 10, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SCHOLASTICA, ABBESS OF PLOMBARIOLA; AND HER TWIN BROTHER, BENEDICT OF NURSIA, ABBOT OF MONTE CASSINO AND FATHER OF WESTERN MONASTICISM
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT OF ARIANE, RESTORER OF WESTERN MONASTICISM; AND SAINT ARDO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF HENRY WILLIAMS BAKER, ANGLICAN PRIEST, HYMNAL EDITOR, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF JULIUS H. HORSTMANN, U.S. PRUSSIAN EVANGELICAL MINISTER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT NORBERT OF XANTEN, FOUNDER OF THE PREMONSTRATENSIANS; SAINT HUGH OF FOSSES, SECOND FOUNDER OF THE PREMONSTRATENTENSIANS; AND SAINT EVERMOD, BISHOP OF RATZEBURG
THE FEAST OF PHILIP ARMES, ANGLICAN CHURCH MUSICIAN
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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