Archive for the ‘Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Lectionary Year A’ Category
Above: Pentecost Dove
Image Scanned from a Church Bulletin
The Nature and Character of God
MAY 28, 2023
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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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Joel 2:28-29
Psalm 104:25-34 or Veni Creator Spiritus
Acts 2:1-21
John 20:19-23
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God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
as you sent upon the disciples the promised gift of the Holy Spirit,
look upon your Church and open our hearts to the power of the Spirit.
Kindle in us the fire of your love,
and strengthen our lives for service in your kingdom;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
God our creator, earth has many languages,
but your Gospel announces your love
to all nations in one heavenly speech.
Make us messengers of the good news that,
through the power of your Spirit,
everyone everywhere may unite in one song of praise;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 23
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O God, on this day you once taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit.
Grant us in our day the same Spirit
to have a right understanding in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy consolation;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in communion with the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 59
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VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come, Holy Spirit;
send down from heaven’s heigh
your radiant light.
Come, lamp of every heart,
come, parent of the poor,
all gifts ar yours.
Comforter beyond all comforting,
sweet unexpected guest,
sweetly refresh.
Rest in hard labour;
coolness in heavy heat,
hurt souls’ relief.
Refill the secret hearts
of your faithful,
O most blessed light.
Without your holy power
nothing can bear your light,
nothing is free from sin.
Wash all that is filthy,
water all that is parched,
heal what is hurt within.
Bend all that is rigid,
warm all that has frozen hard,
lead back the lost.
Give to your faithful ones,
who come in simple trust,
your sevenfold mystery.
Give virtue its reward,
give, in the end, salvation
and joy that has no end.
–Original Latin text by Rabanus Maurus, 800s C.E.; translation courtesy of The Church of England, Common Worship: Daily Prayer (2005), 642
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Pentecost is the fiftieth and last day of the season of Easter. The baptismal connection to this feast is strong. The alternative name, Whitsunday (White Sunday) refers to the white garments of the newly baptized.
The divine nature exceeds human comprehension. Orthodox theology offers partial answers, the best we mere mortals can receive. Receiving those answers does not guarantee comprehending them, though. So be it. Christianity is not Gnosticism; salvation depends on grace, not knowledge. With all this in mind, we can still utilize useful language, much of which may be theological poetry, not theological prose. God is with us. God empowers us. Christian language for this truth is “the Holy Spirit.”
However, I seek to avoid committing modalism, an ancient Trinitarian heresy. This heresy denies the permanent existence of the members of the Holy Trinity and focuses on allegedly transitory distinctions, defined by functions. Know, O reader, that I am not a modalist. I merely acknowledge that the full nature of God is too much for a human mind to grasp and that we mere mortals experience God in certain ways.
I like the Jewish way of explaining the divine nature and character, as much as doing so is possible. That method is recalling what God has done. This method pervades the Hebrew Bible. Think, O reader, what God has done that you have noticed. Ask yourself what these divine actions tell you about the nature and character of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 26, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM COWPER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELARD OF CORBIE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND ABBOT; AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, SAINT PASCAHSIUS RADBERTUS, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF ROBERT HUNT, FIRST ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN AT JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
THE FEAST OF RUGH BYLLESBY, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAW KUBITSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940; AND SAINT WLADYSLAW GORAL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM STRINGFELLOW, EPISCOPAL ATTORNEY, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Pentecost Dove
Image Scanned from a Church Bulletin
The Fulfillment of the Promise of Easter
MAY 27, 2023
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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 19:1-9 or Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 33:12-22 (LBW) or Psalm 130 (LBW) or Psalm 98 (LW)
Romans 8:14-17, 22-27
John 7:37-39a
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Almighty and ever-living God,
you fulfilled the promise of Easter
by sending your Holy Spirit to unite the races and nations on earth
and thus to proclaim your glory.
Look upon your people gathered in prayer,
open to receive the Spirit’s flame.
May it come to rest in our hearts
and heal the divisions of word and tongue,
that with one voice and one song
we may praise your name in joy and thanksgiving;
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), 23
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O God, on this day you once taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending a right understanding in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy consolation;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in communion with the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982)
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The Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic traditions provide for the Vigil of Pentecost, a service I have never had the opportunity to attend. Page 227 of The Book of Common Prayer (1979) contains a rubric regarding the vigil. The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), Lutheran Worship (1982), and Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) offer collects and readings for the Vigil of Easter. The Lutheran Service Book (2006), which offers no collects in the pew edition, includes readings for this vigil.
The Vigil of Pentecost was popular during the Middle Ages. It was one of the favored occasions for baptism. Continental Protestant reformers rejected this vigil in the 1500s; they restored the liturgical primacy of Sunday.
Yet here we are, with Lutherans approving the celebration of the Vigil of Pentecost. Liturgical renewal, blessed by thy name!
The theme of unity carries over from the readings for the preceding Sunday. The faith community gathers in expectation of the fulfillment of divine promises, including the “promise of Easter,” to quote the collect from the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978).
God is the central actor, despite the anthropocentric tendencies of much of human theology. That God is central should cause much thanksgiving and place human egos in proper context.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 26, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM COWPER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELARD OF CORBIE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND ABBOT; AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, SAINT PASCAHSIUS RADBERTUS, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF ROBERT HUNT, FIRST ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN AT JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
THE FEAST OF RUGH BYLLESBY, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAW KUBITSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940; AND SAINT WLADYSLAW GORAL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM STRINGFELLOW, EPISCOPAL ATTORNEY, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Church Row, Louvale, Georgia
Image Source = Google Earth
Spiritual Unity
MAY 21, 2023
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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 1:(1-7) 8-14
Psalm 47 (LBW) or Psalm 133 (LW)
1 Peter 4:12-17; 5:6-11
John 17:1-11
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Almighty and eternal God,
your Son our Savior is with you in eternal glory.
Give us faith to see that, true to his promise,
he is among us still, and will be with us to the end of time;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
God, our creator and redeemer,
your Son Jesus prayed that his followers might be one.
Make all Christians one with him as he is with you,
so that in peace and concord
we may carry to the world the message of your love;
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), 23
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O King of glory, Lord of hosts,
uplifted in triumph above all heavens,
we pray, leave us not without consolation,
but send us the Spirit of truth,
whom you promised from the Father;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 57
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My theme in this post is unity.
John 17:1-11 opens with the Johannine definition of eternal life (knowing God via Jesus) and concludes with another Johannine motif–spiritual indwelling.
Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are.
–John 17:11b, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus dwells in the Father. Christians dwell in Jesus, therefore, they dwell in the Father.
In John 17:11b, the prayer is that God will keep the disciples as a unity, not as units–that the unity of the faith community will mirror the unity of Jesus and the Father.
Spiritual unity and organic unity differ. One can exist in the absence of the other one. Denominations or congregations may cooperate harmoniously while bitter infighting divides a denomination or congregation. Organic unity may not always be desirable or feasible, but ecumenical cooperation may be effective.
Psalm 133 opens:
Oh, how good and pleasant it is when brethren live together in unity.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
One subtext to this may be hopes for the reunion of the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. If so, we have an example of another dashed hope. One may also recall the argumentative house churches in Corinth, thanks to epistles from St. Paul the Apostle.
Spiritual unity is a noble goal. Yet I know from experience that it is frequently elusive on the small scale. Within my family, for example, I feel as if I exist on a parallel spiritual track, even to the other professing, practicing Christians to whom I am related. I own a tee-shirt that reads,
HERETIC.
I wear it with pride and defiance. I also belong to a congregation that suffered a schism in 2012, before I moved to town. And, as I write these words, my childhood denomination, The United Methodist Church, is proving that “Untied Methodist Church” is far more than a typographical error. This contemporary manifestation of Donatism grieves me.
Such is life. The ideal of spiritual unity persists. It beckons. How many of us are paying attention?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 24, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C
GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE
THE FEAST OF SAINT EGBERT OF LINDISFARNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK; AND SAINT ADALBERT OF EGMONT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN, CAPUCHIN FRIAR AND MYSTIC, 1622
THE FEAST OF JAKOB BÖHME, GERMAN LUTHERAN MYSTIC
THE FEAST OF JOHANN WALTER, “FIRST CANTOR OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH”
THE FEAST OF SAINT MELLITUS, BISHOP OF LONDON, AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Icon of the Ascension of Christ
Image in the Public Domain
Enthronement
MAY 18, 2023
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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 1:1-11
Psalm 110
Ephesians 1:16-23
Luke 24:44-53
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Almighty God, your only Son was taken up into heaven
and in power intercedes for us.
May we also come into your presence
and live forever in your glory;
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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Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that even as we believe your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
to have ascended into heaven,
so may also in heart and mind ascend and continually
dwell there with him;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 55-56
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Luke-Acts is a composite work. Given this fact, the discrepancy in the timing of the Ascension confuses me. Luke 24 places the Ascension on the same day as the Resurrection. Yet Acts 1 times it forty days after the Resurrection and ten days before Pentecost. O, well.
By the 300s, the Feast of the Ascension our Lord, set forty days after Easter Day, was commonplace. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote that churches
all over the world
celebrated the feast.
I understand the Ascension as theological poetry, not theological prose, because of science. I accept that, one day, Jesus was present with his Apostles until he left. Given cultural and theological assumptions of the time, we have the metaphor of ascension. May we–you, O reader, and I–not become lost in technical details.
The Feast of the Ascension is about enthronement–of Jesus, mainly. It is about the enthronement of humanity itself. To quote St. John Chrysostom:
Our very nature…is enthroned today high above all cherubim.
Happy Ascension Day!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 23, 2022 COMMON ERA
SATURDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF TOYOHIKO KAGAWA, RENEWER OF SOCIETY AND PROPHETIC WITNESS IN JAPAN
THE FEAST OF MARTIN RINCKART, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT TERESA MARIA OF THE CROSS, FOUNDER OF THE CARMELITE SISTERS OF SAINT TERESA OF FLORENCE
THE FEAST OF WALTER RUSSELL BOWIE, EPISCOPAL PRIEST, SEMINARY PROFESSOR, AND HYMN WRITER
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Icon of the Harrowing of Hades
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
MAY 14, 2023
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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 17:22-31
Psalm 66:1-6, 14-18 (LBW) or Psalm 98 (LW)
1 Peter 3:15-22
John 14:15-21
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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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YHWH is no mere tribal deity. No, YHWH is the sole, universal deity. This is a summary of Judeo-Christian monotheism. I affirm it and trust that it is true.
Two properties of YHWH are judgment and mercy. They exist in a balance I dare not even pretend to understand. However, I favor mercy, if I must make an assumption in a given circumstance. I do not want to be a judgmental person, after all. I leave the determination to God.
1 Peter 3:19-20 indicates that divine mercy may reach farther than conventionally pious Christians may often think. This passage tells us that damnation is not necessarily final. This is distressing news for those who prefer unambiguous theological categories and detest theological uncertainty. So be it.
Let us be honest about and with ourselves. We probably seek unbridled mercy for ourselves, people we like, and those similar to us. We probably desire divine judgment for everyone else. How many of those in “everyone else” think the same way about us, people we like, and those similar to us? Grace is scandalous. Divine mercy really rocks the boat and sinks some theological boats.
To be clear, I am not a universalist. As I have written many times already, God sends nobody to Hell. People condemn themselves. C. S. Lewis said it best: The doors to Hell are locked from the inside. Some people never listen, unfortunately for them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 22, 2022 COMMON ERA
FRIDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF GENE BRITTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF DONALD S. ARMENTROUT, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HADEWIJCH OF BRABERT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MYSTIC
THE FEAST OF KATHE KOLLWITZ, GERMAN LUTHERAN ARTIST AND PACIFIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT VITALIS OF GAZA, MONK, HERMIT, AND MARTYR, CIRCA 625
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Icon of the Ministry of the Apostles
Image in the Public Domain
The Divine Mandate for Social Justice
MAY 7, 2023
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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 17:1-15
Psalm 33:1-11 (LBW) or Psalm 146 (LW)
1 Peter 2:4-10
John 14:1-12
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O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that, amid, all the changes of this world,
our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found;
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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O God, you make the minds of your faithful to be of one will;
therefore grant to your people that they may love what you command
and desire what you promise,
that among the manifold changes of this age our hearts
may ever be fixed where true joys are to be found;
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), 53
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…the people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now….
–Acts 17:6b, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
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One need not be evil to favor maintaining the status quo, even when it is exploitative and for overturning. Good, morally defensible change can cause disorientation and discomfort, even among conventionally pious people. The terms “revolutionary,” “liberal,” “conservative,” and “reactionary” are inherently relative to the center, the definition of which varies according to time and place. These four labels are, in the abstract, morally neutral. In circumstances, however, they are not. Being conservative, for example, may be right or wrong, depending on what one hopes to conserve. And, if one is not a revolutionary in certain circumstances, one is morally defective.
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., called for a
moral revolution of values
on April 4, 1967, when he finally unambiguously and unapologetically opposed the Vietnam War. That address, which he delivered at the Riverside Church, Manhattan, proved to be extremely controversial, mainly because of King’s position on the Vietnam War. That controversy obscured much of the rest of the contents of the speech. (King was correct to oppose the Vietnam War, by the way.) The other content of that speech remains prophetic and germane. The call for a society that values people more than property, for example, has not come to fruition, sadly.
Sometimes “turning the world upside down” is really turning it right side up, as in Psalm 146 and the Beatitudes. Giving justice to the oppressed, feeding the hungry, caring for the strangers, sustaining the orphan and the widow, and frustrating the way of the wicked are examples of turning the world right side up, not upside down. You, O reader, and I live in an upside-down world.
This is theologically orthodox. False theological orthodoxy mistakes social justice for heresy and bolsters social injustice. However, the Law of Moses, the Hebrew prophets, and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are consistent in holding that social injustice is a divine mandate.
So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 21, 2022 COMMON ERA
THURSDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ADAME ROSALES, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT CONRAD OF PARZHAM, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE B. CAIRD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST THEN UNITED REFORMED MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGIA HARKNESS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, ETHICIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMON BARSABAE, BISHOP; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 341
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Good Shepherd
Image in the Public Domain
Hesed
APRIL 30, 2023
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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 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
Psalm 23
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10
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God of all power,
you called from death our Lord Jesus Christ,
the great shepherd of the sheep.
Send us as shepherds to rescue the lost,
to heal the injured,
and to feed one another with knowledge and understanding;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
Almighty God,
you show the light of your truth to those in darkness,
to lead them into the way of righteousness.
Give strength to all who are joined in the family of the Church,
so that they will resolutely reject what erodes their faith
and firmly follow what faith requires;
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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Almighty God, merciful Father,
since you have wakened from death the Shepherd of your sheep,
grant us your Holy Spirit that we may know the voice of our Shepherd
and follow him that sin and death may never pluck us out of your hand;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 52
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The lectionary wisely omits 1 Peter 2:18:
Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh.
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
I realize that the First Epistle of Peter dates to a time and comes from a cultural setting in which the Church was young, small, and not influential. Nevertheless, I reject any defense that these circumstances excused not denouncing the indefensible.
This is Good Shepherd Sunday. “Good Shepherd” is a metaphor originally applied to YHWH (Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34) then to Jesus. Instead of going over shepherds again, I choose to focus on competing translations of one line in Psalm 23. Divine goodness and mercy may either pursue or attend/accompany one. Enemies cannot catch up. After leading many lectionary discussions and comparing translations of Psalms, I have become accustomed to competing, feasible translations of text and lines. I do not know if I should prefer divine goodness and mercy pursuing me or walking beside me. Perhaps that does not matter. Either way, the metaphor provides comfort.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
WEDNESDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF JOHANNES BUGENHAGEN, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, MINISTER, MINISTER, LITURGIST, AND “PASTOR OF THE REFORMATION”
THE FEAST OF SAINTS AMATOR OF AUXERRE AND GERMANUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT MAMERTINUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT MARCIAN OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN X, KING OF DENMARK AND ICELAND; AND HAAKON VII, KING OF NORWAY
THE FEAST OF MARION MACDONALD KELLERAN, EPISCOPAL SEMINARY PROFESSOR AND LAY LEADER
THE FEAST OF ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Supper at Emmaus, by Caravaggio
Image in the Public Domain
Mutuality in God
APRIL 23, 2023
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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 2:14a, 36-47
Psalm 16
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35
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O God, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this fallen world,
rescuing us from the hopelessness of death.
Grant your faithful people a share in the joys that are eternal;
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), 21
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O almighty and eternal God,
now that you have assured us of
the completion of our redemption
through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
give us the will to show forth in our lives
what we profess with our lips;
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), 51
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The readings from the New Testament come from a time when the Church was young, small, and not influential. This context frames Christian communalism in Acts 2. Christian communalism remains a feasible option in many contemporary settings.
The global Western emphasis on individualism gives short shrift to the collective, mutual aspect of lived faith. This is my most severe critique of my culture and its politics. In Biblical terms, mutuality is a prominent theme. People are responsible to and for each other. This ethos exists in 1 Peter 1; “you” is plural.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 19, 2022 COMMON ERA
TUESDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALPHEGE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND MARTYR, 1012
THE FEAST OF SAINT EMMA OF LESUM, BENEFACTOR
THE FEAST OF OLAVUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, HISTORIAN, LITURGIST, MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH LITERATURE;” AND HIS BROTHER, LAURENTIUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN ARCHBISHOP OF UPPSALA, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH HYMNODY”
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Tango Postcard, 1920
Image in the Public Domain
A Daring Dance with God
APRIL 16, 2023
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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 2:14a, 22-32
Psalm 105:1-7
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31
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Almighty God, we have celebrated with joy
the festival of our Lord’s resurrection.
Graciously help us to show the power of the resurrection
in all that we say and do;
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), 21
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Grant, almighty God,
that we who have celebrated the mystery of the Lord’s resurrection
may by the help of your grace bring forth
the fruits thereof in our life and conduct;
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), 50
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Given that I have written lectionary-based devotions for more than a decade, I choose not to use this post to focus on a passage that may not seem like the obvious bullseye.
John 20:30-31 is probably the original conclusion to the Fourth Gospel. That conclusion ends:
…that through this belief [that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God] you may have life in his name.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
This theme, present also in the readings from Acts and 1 Peter, is where I dwell today, instead of defending St. Thomas the Apostle again. Two words attract my attention:
- Belief, in the full, Biblical sense, is trust. Whenever someone asks me if I believe in God, I ask what that person means. In vernacular English, “believe” indicates acceptance of a preposition. In the English-language vernacular, to believe in God is to affirm the existence of God. I always affirm the existence of God. I usually trust in God. Likewise, to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God is to trust that he is both of those.
- “Life” refers to eternal life. In Johannine theology, eternal life is knowing God via Jesus. Logically, beginning with Johannine theological assumptions, to trust that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God leads to eternal life. If x, then y.
These are articles of faith; we have no evidence for them or against them. When trust in God is required, the quest for certainty constitutes idolatry. Certainty feels comforting. We can be certain of much, either by proving or disproving propositions. Yet much falls into the gray zone of faith; we have it or lack it. That uncertainty may unnerve us. Fundamentalism undercuts trust in God by offering the crutch of false certainty.
Somewhere, years ago, I heard an intriguing spiritual metaphor–performing a daring dance with God. That daring dance is the dance of trust, of faith. It is daring from a human perspective. May God have this dance?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 18, 2022 COMMON ERA
MONDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF ROGER WILLIAMS, FOUNDER OF RHODE ISLAND; AND ANNE HUTCHINSON, REBELLIOUS PURITAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT CORNELIA CONNELLY, FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF THE HOLY CHILD JESUS
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARY ANNA BLONDIN, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF SAINT ANNE
THE FEAST OF MARY C. COLLINS, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MURIN OF FAHAN, LASERIAN OF LEIGHLIN, GOBAN OF PICARDIE, FOILLAN OF FOSSES, AND ULTAN OF PERONNE, ABBOTS; SAINTS FURSEY OF PERONNE AND BLITHARIOUS OF SEGANNE, MONKS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ARCHUTOWSKI, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1943
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Supper at Emmaus, by Caravaggio
Image in the Public Domain
Limited Expectations and Vision
MARCH 31, 2024
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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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Daniel 12:1c-3 or Jonah 2:2-9
Psalm 150 (LBW) or Psalm 146 (LW)
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Luke 24:13-49
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Almighty God, give us the joy of celebrating our Lord’s resurrection.
Give us also the joys of life in your service,
and bring us at last to the full joy of life eternal;
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), 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 jo the day of the Lord’s resurrection,
may be raised from the depth 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), 49
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Major lectionaries for Sundays and other holy days usually provide readings without specifying a morning or an evening service. Some exceptions exist. There are, for example, the main and the evening for services for Easter Day, as well as the Easter Vigil.
The main purpose for the evening service on Easter Day is to tell the story in Luke 24:13-49–the road to Emmaus story. One textual curiosity is the timing of the Ascension of Jesus–immediately after the events of Luke 24:13-49 or forty days later (Acts 1:6-12). That the same author (St. Luke) wrote both accounts adds to the confusion.
Anyway, Luke 14:13-49 tells us that God prevented the disciples on the road to Emmaus from recognizing Jesus for a while. That explanation seems unnecessary; one may surmise reasonably that those disciples did not expect to encounter Jesus. Therefore, they did not recognize him. Are you, O reader, likely to recognize someone walking around when you think that person is dead? We humans tend not to see what we do not expect to see. We look yet we do not see.
God acts. The evidence surrounds us, and we miss much of it. The proof is not wearing camouflage. No, we are paying inadequate attention. This statement applies daily. In science, people speak of
life as we know it.
I suspect that the universe teems with life, most of it not life as we know it. If we were to encounter it, we would probably not recognize it. Blessings often assume forms we do not recognize. We encounter a plethora of blessings daily and fail to recognize many of them.
How do you, O reader, and I need to expand our definitions and expectations so we can recognize more of what God has done and is doing?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 17, 2022 COMMON ERA
EASTER DAY
THE FEAST OF DANIEL SYLVESTER TUTTLE, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
THE FEAST OF EMILY COOPER, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS
THE FEAST OF LUCY LARCOM, U.S. ACADEMIC, JOURNALIST, POET, EDITOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAX JOSEF METZGER, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1944
THE FEAST OF WILBUR KENNETH HOWARD, MODERATOR OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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