Above: Ezekiel
Image in the Public Domain
Two Scrolls
MAY 12, 2022
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The Collect:
O Lord God, you teach us that without love, our actions gain nothing.
Pour into our hearts your most excellent gift of love, that,
made alive by your Spirit, we may know goodness and peace,
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 34
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 2:8-3:11
Psalm 148
Revelation 10:1-11
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Psalm 148, with its theme of the praise of God, seems initially to contradict the tone of the other two readings. Each of those lessons speaks of a scroll of judgment, or, as TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985) renders part of Ezekiel 2:10,
lamentations, dirges, and woes.
God commissions Ezekiel to speak hard truths. The prophet accepts his commission, but not without some bitterness. The narrator in Revelation 10 describes an encounter with an angel and accepts his commission to
utter prophecies over many nations, races, languages, and kings.
–Verse 11b, The Revised English Bible (1989)
In each case the metaphorical consumption of the scroll occurs, with the narrator describing the judgments of God as tasting as sweet as honey. One might think more readily of Psalm 19:9b, which reads:
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
Yet the framers of the daily lectionary attached to the Revised Common Lectionary for Sundays and major holy days saw fit to give us Psalm 148 instead. In a way this brings me back to Psalm 19–verse 19a, to be precise:
The fear of the LORD is clean and rejoices the heart.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
“Fear of God” is a misleading translation, for “fear” should be “awe.” Our narrators stand in awe of God, so even bitter words of judgment taste sweet, so to speak. Each narrator has a role to play, and he accepts it. Thus he can praise God even while performing a bitter task.
As for me, I have learned via living that I have had ample cause for gratitude beyond words to God during extremely difficult circumstances. I have felt closest to God during trying times, not comfortable ones. Perhaps Ezekiel had a similar (in some ways) experience of God; the book bearing his name has given me that impression.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 2, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF JOHANN KONRAD WILHELM LOEHE, BAVARIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND COORDINATOR OF DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MISSIONS
THE FEAST OF SABINE BARING-GOULD, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/01/02/two-scrolls/
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LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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