Archive for the ‘St. Paul the Apostle’ Tag
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 Storm on the Sea of Galilee, by Rembrandt van Rijn
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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Job 38
Psalm 107:1-2, 23-32
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Mark 4:35-41
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O God our defender,
storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid.
Rescue your people from despair,
deliver your sons and daughters from fear,
and preserve us all from unbelief;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 25
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O Lord, whose gracious presence never fails to guide
and govern those whom you have nurtured
in your steadfast love and worship,
make us ever revere and adore your holy name;
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), 66
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We have two storms in readings today. God addresses Job out of the tempest. And Jesus calms a storm, symbolic of the forces of chaos and evil. Christ is like a mythological storm god in his triumph over that tempest.
The God of Job 38 is not the God of Psalm 107. The former refuses to answer the question posed. The latter responds lovingly to those who cry out in need. I prefer the God of Job 42:7-9 to the God of Job 38:1-42:6. The former says (although not to Job, unfortunately) that Job was right, and the self-appointed defenders of God were wrong. This discrepancy in the Book of Job proves multiple authorship of that book.
In Pauline theological terms, the flesh is like the Freudian id; the flesh is the seat of desire and sin. In Christ, we cease to live in the flesh. So, God, in Christ, is reconciling the world (kosmos; hostile to God) to the divine self. The usual translation of 5:18a in English is something like what we read in The New American Bible–Revised Edition:
All this is from God….
Yet David Bentley Hart’s “ruthlessly literal” (to use his term) translation reads:
And all things come out of God.
Theocentrism suits Christian theology. Too often we mere mortals find ways to place ourselves (or our experience, at least) at the center of theology. Yet the reconciling, compassionate God, whom many of the faithful misunderstand, invites and implores us to respond faithfully. In so doing, we cooperate with God in the divine project of reconciliation. This project reconciles us to God, each other, and ourselves. In so doing, we, in the words of 2 Corinthians 5:21,
become God’s righteousness.
For the umpteenth time, righteousness is right relationship with God, self, others, and all creation. Righteousness is interchangeable with justice in the Bible. To become God’s righteousness is possible only via God. To become God’s righteousness is to fulfill our potential in God.
Consider the context of 2 Corinthians, O reader. Recall that the Corinthian house churches had a troubled relationship with St. Paul the Apostle and that those members belonged to quarreling factions. Remember, too, that some members treated other members with contempt. So, the call to reconciliation with God and to transformation into God’s righteousness constituted a challenge to the church in Corinth.
It is a challenge for the rest of us, too. But God is in control; we are not. So, to channel sage advice from Martin Luther, may we trust in the faithfulness of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 5, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTY-SEVENTH DAY OF LENT
WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
THE FEAST OF EMILY AYCKBOWM, FOUNDER OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE SISTERS OF THE CHURCH
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIANO DE LA MATA APARICIO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY AND EDUCATOR IN BRAZIL
THE FEAST OF PAULINE SPERRY, MATHEMATICIAN, PHILANTHROPIST, AND ACTIVIST; AND HER BROTHER, WILLARD LEAROYD SPERRY, CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, ETHICIST, THEOLOGIAN, AND DEAN OF HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
THE FEAST OF RUTH YOUNGDAHL NELSON, U.S. LUTHERAN RENEWER OF SOCIETY
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM DERHAM, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCIENTIST
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Adapted from this post
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This is post #2900 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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Above: Parable of the Mustard Seed, by Jan Luyken
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 17:22-24
Psalm 92:1-5 (6-10), 11-14
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Mark 4:26-34
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God, our maker and redeemer,
you have made us a new company of priests
to bear witness to the Gospel.
Enable us to be faithful to our calling
to make known your promises to all the world;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 24
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Almighty and everlasting God,
give us an increase of faith, hope, and love;
and that we may obtain what you have promised,
make us love what you have commanded;
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), 65
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The reading from Ezekiel concludes a chapter-long allegory of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah (reigned 597 B.C.E.); the installation, reign, and fall of King Zedekiah (reigned 597-586 B.C.E.); and the demise of the Kingdom of Judah. Earthly kingdoms fall, but the Kingdom of God will never fall. It is like a mighty cedar of Lebanon, with birds nesting in the branches. This is the image one would have expected for the Kingdom of God in Mark 4:30-34. Instead, the birds nest in a mustard plant–a giant weed. The mustard plant takes root where it will–wanted or not.
The imagery of a cedar of Lebanon does occur in Psalm 92, in which a righteous man towers like such a tree. In context, the focus is on the deep roots of the righteous, in contrast with the ephemeral wicked, who are like grass. But the righteous remain and flourish. Their well-being is in dependence upon God, which they acknowledge and accept. So, by divine–if not always human–standards, the righteous flourish. They always tap into the proverbial water of God and do not fall over easily.
The advice of St. Paul the Apostle to be delightful to God may be the main point of the lection from 2 Corinthians. Responding faithfully to God delights God. Righteousness–right relationship with God, self, others, and all creation–delights God. Righteousness, which is interchangeable with justice, puts one at odds with many elements of the prevailing culture. This statement is as accurate today as it was when the Beatitudes were new. Righteousness reveals that the social order is upside down. Therefore, righteousness threatens and confuses many people, so acclimated to the status quo that they perceive righteousness as turning the world upside down.
I have been writing scripture-based and lectionary-based lectionary posts consistently for more than a decade. During those years, I made many points, changed my mind occasionally, and been consistent more often than not. I have also repeated myself many more times than I have repeated. Relatively seldom have I felt the desire to repeat myself on every key point, the omission of which may raise a question in someone’s mind. I have not wanted to include a list of standard disclaimers in each post, for to do so would be ridiculous. I have concluded that, if I were to go about anticipating and refuting every possible misunderstanding of what I have written, I waste my time and miss some possible misunderstandings, too.
Nevertheless, I perceive the need to repeat myself for the umpteenth time regarding a major point.
Serial contrariness in the name of God does not constitute fidelity to God. The social order gets some matters correct. The world–kosmos, in Greek–is also our neighborhood, not the enemy camp. The late Reverend Ernest J. Stoffel, writing about the Revelation of John, frequently used the term
the triumph of suffering love.
That term applies in this context, also. The triumph of suffering love–of Jesus and all faithful followers of God–can transform the world and make it a better, more caring and compassionate place. The Kingdom of God is a weed in the perspective of many people. But it is a glorious weed.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 4, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTY-SIXTH DAY OF LENT
TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT THE AFRICAN, FRANCISCAN FRIAR AND HERMIT
THE FEAST OF ALFRED C. MARBLE, JR., EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF MISSISSIPPI THEN ASSISTING BISHOP OF NORTH CAROLINA
THE FEAST OF ERNEST W. SHURTLEFF, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT GAETANO CATANOSO, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE DAUGHGTERS OF SAINT VERONICA (MISSIONARIES OF THE HOLY FACE)
THE FEAST OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, AND MARTYR, 1968 (ALSO JANUARY 15)
THE FEAST OF SAINT NDUE SERREQI, ALBANIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1954
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Christ and the Apostles
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 5:12-15
Psalm 81:1-10 (LBW) or Psalm 142 (LW)
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
Mark 2:23-28
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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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The Sabbath is a divine gift. The Deuteronomistic version of the Ten Commandments explains that the Sabbath is a mark of freedom; a free person, not a slave, gets a day off from work each week. This explanation differs from that in the version of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. In Exodus 20:11, the Redactor explains the rationale for the Sabbath as emulating God.
The Sabbath is a divine gift. God liberates us. God frees us to be out best possible selves, communities, congregations, et cetera. In turn, obedience is hardly an onerous requirement. Even during persecution, we are free to cry out to God for deliverance. And we, as those who follow God, can follow it. St. Paul the Apostle is identifying our suffering with that of Jesus. If we suffer with our Lord and Savior–if we take up our cross and follow him–God will not abandon us either. Our triumph may come in the afterlife, but it will come.
The Sabbath is a divine gift. Yet many people, out of misguided piety, transform it into a burden. With that comment I turn my attention to the reading from Mark 2. People have to eat on the Sabbath, do they not? Yes, plucking grain on the Sabbath is work, but the Law of Moses does not forbid all work on the Sabbath. For example, circumcision must occur on the eighth day of a boy’s life, according to the Law of Moses. If that day falls on the Sabbath, so be it. Also, the Jewish tradition understands that keeping some commandments may require violating others, due to circumstances. Prioritizing and ranking commandments is, therefore, necessary.
Yet some people did not receive that memorandum, so to speak.
Lambasting long-dead Pharisees is easy. Examining ourselves spiritually may be challenging, though. Do we have our precious categories, which we maintain strictly and piously, to the detriment of others? Does our piety ever harm anyone or delay someone’s restoration to physical, emotional, or spiritual wholeness? Does our piety ever cause or prolong the suffering of others? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” we practice misguided piety.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 28, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTIETH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF JAMES SOLOMON RUSSELL, EPISCOPAL PRIEST, EDUCATOR, AND ADVOCATE FOR RACIAL EQUALITY
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH RUNDLE CHARLES, ANGLICAN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT GUNTRAM OF BURGUNDY, KING
THE FEAST OF KATHARINE LEE BATES, U.S. EDUCATOR, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF RICHARD CHEVENIX TRENCH, ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN
THE FEAST OF SAINT TUTILO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND COMPOSER
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Head of Saint Paul, by Benedetto Gennari the Younger
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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Acts 11:19-30
Psalm 98
1 John 4:1-11
John 15:9-17
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O God, from whom all good things come:
Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit
to think those things which are right,
and by your goodness to do them;
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), 22
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Lord, because you promised to give what we ask
in the name of your only-begotten Son,
teach us rightly to pray and with all your saints
to offer you our adoration and praise;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 54
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The readings for this Sunday bear a striking thematic similarity to those for last Sunday. So be it.
1 John 4:10 speaks of Jesus as the expiation for our sins. In this context, “sins” means moral failings. Generally, in Johannine thought, sin is failing to recognize the divine revelation in Jesus, as in John 20:22-23. The First Epistle of John, however, uses both the moral and theological definitions of sin. Expiation is an
atoning action which obliterates sin from God’s sight and so restores us to holiness and the divine favor.
—The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, E-J (1962), 200
Then that epistle continues:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
–1 John 4:11, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
In the lections, we can read of different ways of loving one another. In Acts 11:19-30 alone, we read of evangelism, of the encouraging role of St. (Joseph) Barnabas extending a welcome to a former persecutor (St. Paul the Apostle), and of raising funds for the church in Jerusalem.
How is God calling you, O reader, to love one another like Jesus in your context–when you are, where you are, and according to who you are? Think and pray about this matter, I urge you.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 23, 2024 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINTS GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR AND ISAAC THE GREAT, PATRIARCHS OF ARMENIA
THE FEAST OF MEISTER ECKHART, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN AND MYSTIC
THE FEAST OF SAINT METODEJ DOMINIK TRCKA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1959
THE FEAST OF UMPHREY LEE, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER AND PRESIDENT OF SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICTORIAN OF HADRUMETUM, MARTYR AT CARTHAGE, 484
THE FEAST OF SAINT WALTER OF PONTOISE, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND ECCLESIASTICAL REFORMER
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Adapted from this post
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Above: St. Augustine in His Study, by Vittore Carpaccio
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 31:31-34
Psalm 51:11-16
Hebrews 5:7-9
John 12:20-33
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Almighty God, our redeemer, in our weakness we have failed
to be your messengers of forgiveness and hope in the world.
Renew us by your Holy Spirit, that we may follow your commands
and proclaim your reign of love;
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), 19
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Almighty and eternal God, because it was your will that your Son
should bear the pains of the cross for us
and thus remove from us the power of the adversary,
help us so to remember and give thanks for our Lord’s Passion
that we may receive remission of our sins
and redemption from everlasting death;
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), 38
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Lent is a penitential season, and these are readings suited for Lent. They are especially suitable for the penultimate Sunday of the season.
One theme in the canonical Gospels is the priority of following Jesus. “Hate” is an unfortunate translation choice in John 12:25. The meaning is to “love less than,” not to hate, as we first understand “hate.” Therefore, John 12:25 should read:
Whoever loves his life more than me loses it, and whoever loves me more than his life (or loves his life less than me) in their world will preserve it for eternal life.
Jesus (suitable for his purpose–the meaning of “perfect” in Hebrews 5:9) had the credentials to demand and to command so high a priority.
The covenant written on hearts is possible. The Pauline tradition affirms this; the Holy Spirit makes such a covenant possible. This thread continues into the writings of St. Augustine of Hippo, who wrote at length and exercised logic. A terribly simplistic reduction of paragraphs from St. Augustine of Hippo reads:
Love God and do as you please.
When one reads the full, germane text carefully, one sees the logic, lifted from St. Paul the Apostle’s discourses about natural/unspiritual people and spiritual people in 1 Corinthians 2. In Pauline terms, spiritual people–who share the will of God–can do what they please, for they want what God wants.
That is an advanced spiritual state–one I do not pretend to have reached. Yet I continue to muddle through each day, trying to live well in God, in whom I trust. That is something, anyway. Jesus can use it and multiply it, fortunately.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 16, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADALBALD OF OSTEVANT, SAINT RICTRUDIS OF MARCHIENNES, AND THEIR RELATIONS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ABRAHAM KIDUNAIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT; AND SAINT MARY OF EDESSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC ANCHORESS
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN CACCIAFRONTE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, BISHOP, AND MARTYR, 1183
THE FEAST OF SAINT MEGINGAUD OF WURZBURG, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF THOMAS WYATT TURNER, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC SCIENTIST, EDUCATOR, AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST; FOUNDER OF FEDERATED COLORED CATHOLICS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM HENRY MONK, ANGLICAN ORGANIST, HYMN TUNE COMPOSER, AND MUSIC EDUCATOR
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Moses with the Ten Commandments, by Rembrandt van Rijn
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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Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19:7-14
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-22
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Eternal Lord, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world
through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son.
Help us to hear your Word and obey it,
so that we become instruments of your redeeming love;
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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Almighty God, because you know
that we of ourselves have no strength,
keep us both outwardly and inwardly that we may be defended
from all adversities that may happen to the body
and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul;
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), 36
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Anti-intellectualism, rife in segments of the Christian tradition, is unfortunate and destructive. I, as an intellectual, recall being int the presence of professing Christians who have spoken dismissively of education and of having a faith allegedly superior to those of educated people. I also recall hearing to my face that I will go to Hell for asking too many questions and thinking too much. I bristle whenever I sense that anyone is even getting close to this attitude.
Willful ignorance is not a saving work. Neither is it a theological virtue.
The wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 is speculative, philosophical wisdom of the Greek variety. As much as I value the Greek philosophical foundations of Western civilization, I do not mistake them for anything salvific. In context in 1 Corinthians, the message of St. Paul the Apostle is that salvation via Christ violates expectations, whether from Jewish tradition or Greek philosophy. In other words, God refuses to fit into our theological and philosophical boxes.
Instead of speculative wisdom, we have a covenant with God. We have a covenant into which God invites us–Jesus and Gentiles alike. Actually, the Jews have the older covenant. The Gentiles have a separate covenant. Both covenants lead to the same result. Both covenants impose moral demands upon those in covenant relationship with God. Those moral demands pertain to how we treat each other, both individually and collectively. Those moral demands boil down to the Golden Rule.
So, Jews and Gentile Christians alike can say, with equal conviction:
The LORD’s teaching is perfect,
restoring to life.
The LORD’s pact is steadfast,
it makes the fool wise.
The LORD’s precepts are upright;
delighting the heart.
–Psalm 19:8-9a, Robert Alter
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 16, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADALBALD OF OSTEVANT, SAINT RICTRUDIS OF MARCHIENNES, AND THEIR RELATIONS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ABRAHAM KIDUNAIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT; AND SAINT MARY OF EDESSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC ANCHORESS
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN CACCIAFRONTE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, BISHOP, AND MARTYR, 1183
THE FEAST OF SAINT MEGINGAUD OF WURZBURG, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF THOMAS WYATT TURNER, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC SCIENTIST, EDUCATOR, AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST; FOUNDER OF FEDERATED COLORED CATHOLICS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM HENRY MONK, ANGLICAN ORGANIST, HYMN TUNE COMPOSER, AND MUSIC EDUCATOR
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Elisha Refuses the Gifts of Naaman, by Pieter de Grebber
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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2 Kings 5:1-14
Psalm 32
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Mark 1:40-45
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Lord God, mercifully receive the prayers of your people.
Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do,
and give us grace and power to do them;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 16
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O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers
of your people who call upon you,
and grant that they may understand the things they ought to do
and also may have grace and strength to accomplish them;
through Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 27
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“Leprosy” is a misleading translation commonplace in renderings of the assigned readings from 2 Kings 5 and Mark 1. Modern diagnoses would vary, if we had more detailed language in the ancient texts. The reference is to a range of dermatological conditions, all of which made one ritually unclean and brought social implications with that status.
I may not have to tell you, O reader, that how others think of then treat one may be devastating. Ostracism can take a toll on a person, for example.
Healing and cleansing from so-called leprosy meant restoration to family and community. in Mark 1:40-45, the holiness of Jesus overpowered the cause of the man’s ritual impurity.
Ritual impurity is not sin; one may contract it by following the Law of oses. For example, burying the dead properly is an obligation in the Law of Moses. Yet that act creates corpse impurity in the living. And one may contract social impurity while going about the mundane activities of daily life. Ritual impurity, a concept ubiquitous in the ancient Mediterranean world, is alien to my North American context. Yet I cannot properly understand much of the Bible without grasping ritual impurity and purity.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 flows from 9:19-23, outside of which 9:24-27 makes no sense. We read of the commitment of St. Paul the Apostle to Christ. Grace is free yet never cheap. If you have any doubt of that, O reader, ponder what grace required of St. Paul.
I invite you, O reader, to contrast the restoration to family and community that results from the restoration to ritual purity with the alienation from family and community that may result from following Jesus. Consider St. Paul, who experienced beatings, scorn, and incarcerations for the sake of Christ. Consider St. Paul, who became a martyr for the sake of Jesus. Psalm 32 may seem unduly optimistic, but if one understands well-being to flow from God, that text is realistic. Persecutions cannot interfere with well-being in God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 12, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINTS TRASILLA AND EMILIANA; THEIR SISTER-IN-LAW, SAINT SYLVIA OF ROME; AND HER SON, SAINT GREGORY I “THE GREAT,” BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF HENRY WALFORD DAVIES, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF JOHN H. CALDWELL, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAXIMILIAN OF TREVESTE, ROMAN CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR AND MARTYR 295
THE FEAST OF RUTILIO GRANDE, EL SALVADORAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1977
THE FEAST OF SAINT THEOPHANES THE CHRONICLER, DEFENDER OF ICONS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: La Priére, Eglise Saint-Bonnet, by Léon Augustin Lhermitte
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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Job 7:1-7
Psalm 147:1-13
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Mark 1:29-39
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Almighty God, you sent your only Son
as the Word of life for our eyes to see and our ears to listen.
Help us to believe with joy what the Scriptures proclaim,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 16
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O God, our loving Father, through the grace of your Holy Spirit,
you plant your gifts of your love
into the hearts of your faithful people.
Grant to your servants soundness of mind and body,
so that they may love you with their whole strength
and with their whole heart do these things
that are pleasing in your sight;
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), 26
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Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service,
is time no better than hired drudgery?
Like the slave, sighing for the shade,
or the workman with no thought but his wages,
months of delusion I have assigned to me,
nothing for my own sin but nights of grief.
–Job 7:1-3, The Jerusalem Bible
The speaker in that passage is Job. Therefore, his attitude makes sense, in context.
Yet we find that St. Paul the Apostle, in different circumstances, had a different attitude:
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.
–1 Corinthians 9:19, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition
St. Paul the Apostle emulated Jesus, who came to serve, not to be served. Jesus and St. Paul understood the importance of prayer and solitude, as well as that of faithful observance.
Those of us who are introverts prefer solitude. Many of us may find getting away to be alone with God easier than a host of extroverts do. Those of us who crave silence need to get away from the noise, hustle, and bustle of the world. Where I live, I cannot get away from noise when I shop in town; music plays in stores. Sometimes the music is morally objectionable, not merely annoying. I recall that in a convenience store one night, the selection was a hip-hop “song” celebrating domestic violence and using degrading language regarding women.
The world–kosmos in Greek–is noisy. The world–kosmos in Greek–encourages consumption and prioritizes productivity. Yet the spiritual wisdom of Judaism and Christianity mandates rest and contemplation. Judaism and Christianity teach that productivity is not the highest good and that silence is essential.
Only when we have the silence and the rest we need, can we serve God and benefit each other as much as we should. Only when we have the silence and the rest we need, can we chant hymns to God as we ought to do. Only when we listen to God as we should, can we praise God properly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 11, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF JOHN SWERTNER, DUTCH-GERMAN MORAVIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND HYMNAL EDITOR; AND HIS COLLABORATOR, JOHN MUELLER, GERMAN-ENGLISH MORAVIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT AENGUS THE CULDEE, HERMIT AND MONK; AND SAINT MAELRUAN, ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT EULOGIUS OF SPAIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TOLEDO, CORDOBA; AND SAINT LEOCRITA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 859
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS WAYLAND, U.S. BAPTIST MINISTER, EDUCATOR, AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF MARY ANN THOMSON, EPISCOPAL HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAL PRENNUSHI, ALBANIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1948
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Icon of the Second Coming of Jesus
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 63:16b-17; 64:1-8
Psalm 80:1-7 (LBW) or Psalm 98 (LW)
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:33-37 or Mark 11:1-10
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Stir up your power, O Lord, and come.
Protect us by your strength and
save us from the threatening dangers of our sins,
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 13
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Stir up, we implore you, your power, O Lord,
and come that by your protection
we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins
and be saved by your mighty deliverance;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 10
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These assigned readings, taken together, portray God as being faithful and fearful–not a warm fuzzy. Divine judgment and mercy remain in balance.
- Isaiah 63:16b-17 and 64:1-8 come from Third Isaiah, from the time in which Jewish Exiles had begun to return to their ancestral homeland. The text indicates great disillusionment as well as the confession that Judea did not live up to long-held expectations of a verdant, fertile paradise. Yet consider, O reader, that God had ended the Babylonian Exile.
- Psalms 80 and 98 have different tones. Psalm 80 fits tonally with the lesson from Isaiah. Yet Psalm 98 has a triumphant, celebratory tone.
- The pleasant tone of the introduction of St. Paul the Apostle’s First (really Second) Epistle to the Corinthians belies the corrective tone that commences in 1:10. The focus on the faithfulness of God in the introduction meshes with the other readings.
- Assigning the account of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the First Sunday of Advent is a tradition in lectionaries of the Lutheran and Moravian churches. The faithfulness of God exists in the flesh in the reading.
- Mark 13:33-37 reminds us that God is faithful, so we need to be faithful, too.
I do not fixate on the Second Coming of Jesus, for I know too much about the tradition of failed expectations and specific dates to play that game. Also, I affirm that God will attend to all matters of the Second Coming. Meanwhile, feeding hungry people and working for righteousness/social justice is a better use of time than attending any prophecy conference or reading any book about prophecy. Besides, much of the content to the interpretation of prophecy is dubious, as the passage of time proves. And righteousness is right relationship with God, self, others, and all creation. Biblically, righteousness and justice are interchangeable. Certainly, working for righteousness is more important than guessing the identity of the Antichrist.
The early part of Advent is about the Second Coming of Jesus. The latter part is about the First Coming of Jesus. Much of the challenge of Advent is not to become distracted by the busyness of December, with all its shopping, advertising, materialism, and parties. These distract–or can distract–one from simple, quiet faithfulness to God, who is faithful. God may not always act according to our expectations. That is our problem, not God’s.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 27, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF NICHOLAR FERRAR, ANGLICAN DEACON AND FOUNDER OF LITTLE GIDDING; GEORGE HERBERT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND METAPHYSICAL POET; AND ALL SAINTLY PRIESTS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE LINE AND ROGER FILCOCK, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 1601
THE FEAST OF FRED ROGERS, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HOST OF MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD
THE FEAST OF SAINT GABRIEL POSSENTI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PENITENT
THE FEAST OF MARIAN ANDERSON, AFRICAN-AMERICAN SINGER AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT RAPHAEL OF BROOKLYN, SYRIAN-AMERICAN RUSSIAN ORTHODOX BISHOP OF BROOKLYN
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Adapted from this post
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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