Archive for the ‘March 3’ Category
Above: Moses with the Ten Commandments, by Rembrandt van Rijn
Image in the Public Domain
Covenants
MARCH 3, 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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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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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Daniel in the Lions’ Den
Image in the Public Domain
Execution and Character Assassination
MARCH 3, 2024
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Daniel 6:4-24
Psalm 19
2 Timothy 2:16-26
Mark 14:12-25
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As I wrote in the previous post in this lectionary series, Darius the Mede, supposed predecessor of Cyrus II after the Persian conquest of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire, was ahistorical and contradictory of other Biblical accounts. Attempts to explain “Darius the Mede” away by claiming that “king” is a translation error have not convinced me, for the text of Daniel 6 states plainly that he was a predecessor of Cyrus II. (The word translated “king” can also refer to another high-ranking government official; that is an accurate statement. However, read Chapter 6 from beginning to end and place the end and the beginning of that chapter in context of each other.) The author of Daniel 6 wrote theology, not history.
I stand with the facts. While doing so, I ponder the theology of the story of Daniel in the lions’ den, relate the story to other readings, and create a devotional post that covers the four assigned lessons.
I do not wish to attempt to reduce the causes of the crucifixion of Jesus to just one, for I know better than that. When I read Mark 14:12-25 beside Daniel 6, however, I detect a common thread–the jealousy of people of lesser character. Psalm 19 extols the Law of God. A servant of God seeks to be as blameless as possible. That is consistent with the advice in 2 Timothy 2:16-26.
Both Daniel and Jesus became threats, because of who they were and how good they were, to people of lesser character. In the fictional account of Daniel and the lions’ den, Daniel emerged unscathed. Jesus of Nazareth died terribly, however. Then he rose again a few days later, of course.
We mere mortals are imperfect; we all have proverbial skeletons in the closet. The best of us is not proud of certain deeds he or she has committed, as well as certain sins of omission. Perhaps we will not be at risk of murder or another form of killing, but character assassination can be a great peril. This is especially true in the digital age; nothing really goes away on the Internet, and social media is frequently a cesspool.
When we recognize someone who is morally superior to us, we need to confess our sins and seek to become better people, not seek to destroy that person. We have the Golden Rule to obey, after all.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 22, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALBAN, FIRST BRITISH MARTYR
THE FEAST OF DESIDERIUS ERASMUS, DUTCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, BIBLICAL AND CLASSICAL SCHOLAR, AND CONTROVERSIALIST; SAINT JOHN FISHER, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC CLASSICAL SCHOLAR, BISHOP OF ROCHESTER, CARDINAL, AND MARTYR; AND SAINT THOMAS MORE, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC CLASSICAL SCHOLAR, JURIST, THEOLOGIAN, CONTROVERSIALIST, AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF GERHARD GIESCHEN, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAULINUS OF YORK, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF NOLA
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/execution-and-character-assassination/
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Above: The Temptations of Jesus
Image in the Public Domain
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For St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia
Lent 2019
Texts: Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13
Reading the Bible for spiritual formation is an ancient Benedictine practice. My primary purpose in writing this short piece is to ask, how do the accounts (mainly the Lukan and Matthean ones) of the temptations of Jesus challenge us, both as individuals and a parish, to follow Jesus better than we do.
The Temptation to Turn Stones into Bread
Bread was especially precious in ancient Palestine, with relatively little arable land.
We are blessed to be able to purchase our bread inexpensively at stores. Bread is abundant in our context, so we probably take it for granted more often than not. We can, however, think of some tangible needs related to scarcity.
One challenge is not to permit tangible needs to overtake intangible necessities. We all depend entirely on God and dwell within a web of mutual responsibility and dependence. According to the late Henri Nouwen, this temptation is the temptation to be relevant. Relevance is not necessarily bad; in fact, it is frequently positive. However, maintaining the proper balance of tangible and intangible needs is essential. Furthermore, Christ’s refusal to cave into the temptation to use his power to make bread—to cease to depend on God—ought to remind us never to imagine that we do not depend entirely on God.
Questions
- Do we permit tangible needs to distract us from intangible necessities? If so, how?
- Do we manifest the vain idea that we do not depend entirely on God? If so, how?
The Temptation to Jump from the Pinnacle of the Temple
Many scholars of the New Testament have proposed what the pinnacle of the Temple was.
That matter aside, this temptation is, according to Nouwen, the temptation to be spectacular. It is also the temptation to attempt to manipulate God by trying to force God to intervene in a miraculous way. That effort, like turning stones into bread, would indicate a lack of faith.
We humans frequently like the spectacular, do we not? We tell ourselves and others that, if only God would do something spectacular, we will believe. We are like those who, in the Gospels, only wanted Jesus to do something for them, and not to learn from him.
Questions
- Does our attraction to the spectacular distract us from the still, small voice of God? If so, how?
- Does our attraction to the spectacular reveal our lack of faith? If so, how?
- Does our attraction to the spectacular unmask our selfishness? If so, how?
The Temptation to Worship Satan in Exchange for Earthly Authority
Many Palestinian Jews at the time of Christ thought of Satan as the power behind the Roman Empire and of the Roman pantheon as a collection of demons. Jesus affirmed God the Father as the only source of his identity.
This temptation is about idolatry, power, and morally untenable compromises.
Many well-intentioned people—ministers, politicians, and appointed office holders, for example—have, in the name of doing good, become corrupt and sacrificed their suitability to do good. They have sacrificed their moral integrity on the altar of amoral realism.
Some compromises are necessary, of course. As Reinhold Niebuhr reminded us, we cannot help but commit some evil while trying to do good, for human depravity has corrupted social systems and institutions.
Questions
- Have we established our identity apart from God? If so, how?
- How have we, with good intentions, committed or condoned evil?
- Have we made morally untenable compromises? If so, how?
The Good News
The good news is both collective and individual.
I discover the principle, then: that when I want to do right, only wrong is within my reach. In my inmost self I delight in the law of God, but I perceive in my outward actions a different law, fighting against the law that my mind approves, and making me a prisoner under the law of sin which controls my conduct. Wretched creature that I am, who is there to rescue me from this state of death? Who but God? Thanks be to him through Jesus Christ our Lord! To sum up then: left to myself I serve God’s law with my mind, but with my unspiritual nature I serve the law of sin.
–Romans 7:21-25, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Jesus has modeled the way to resist temptation—to trust God and to understand scripture.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 10, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR C
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 SAINT JOHN OGLIVIE, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT MACARIUS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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Adapted from this post:
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/03/10/thoughts-and-questions-about-the-temptations-of-jesus/
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Above: Jephthah
Image in the Public Domain
Texts of Terror
MARCH 3, 2024
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Judges 11:29-40
Psalm 57:1-3
1 Timothy 2:11-15
Luke 19:41-44
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David Ackerman, in Beyond the Lectionary (2013), gravitates toward “texts of terror,” from which the Revised Common Lectionary shies away from more often than not.
- I object to a father sacrificing his daughter for any reason, especially because he made a rash oath to God. Surely God will not blame a man for not killing his child, an innocent victim whose name the Bible does not even record.
- Likewise, the chauvinism of 1 Timothy 2 is beyond the pale. I detect a recurring theme in many of the epistles: “Go along and get along; be respectable to pagan society. Besides, Jesus will be along soon to sort everything out. So accept slavery as well as sexist household codes of conduct.” The problem, of course, is that such an approach, however popular in early and vulnerable Christianity, betrays the ethics of Judaism and of Jesus, a boat-rocker (even boat-sinker).
- I am certain that the Gospel of Luke, postdating the First Jewish War and the destruction of the Second Temple, interprets events from the life of Jesus through the lens of the year 85 C.E. or so. The temptation to commit invective is an easy trap into which to fall, is it not?
Psalm 57 is a plea for divine pity. Yet the story of the misuse of the other three texts to oppress people and justify violence against them is not only old, but devoid of human pity. Ackerman encourages preachers to oppose such texts and offer hope; I agree. After all, we Christians follow Jesus, crucified with the consent of religious leaders, who quoted scripture as justification.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 7, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK LUCIAN HOSMER, U.S. UNITARIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY GIANELLI, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF SAINT ALPHONSUS LUGUORI AND THE SISTERS OF MARY DELL’ORTO
THE FEAST OF CHARLES AUGUSTUS BRIGGS, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER THEN EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERT OF NEWMINSTER, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND PRIEST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/texts-of-terror/
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Above: Abraham and Lot Divided the Land
Image in the Public Domain
The Sin of Selfishness
MARCH 3, 2024
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 13:1-18 or 2 Samuel 7:18-29
Psalm 38
John 7:40-52
Galatians 3:1-22 (23-29) or James 3:1-18
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Abram and Lot had to separate their families and herds. Abram (God’s covenant with whom is a topic in Galatians 3, Genesis 15, and Genesis 17) was generous in giving Lot the first choice of land. It might have seemed like a good choice at the moment, but it was a selfish and short-sighted decision that placed him in the proximity of bad company and set up unfortunate events in Genesis 19.
David’s character flaws had begun to become obvious by the time of 2 Samuel 7. Nevertheless, there was much good about him. God’s covenant with him was a matter of pure grace, for not even the best of us has ever been worthy of such favor. David became a great historical figure and, in the minds of many throughout subsequent centuries, a legendary figure. Our Lord and Savior’s descent from him was a messianic credential.
Among David’s better qualities was a sense of honesty regarding his character, at least some of the time (2 Samuel 11 and 12). He was a mere mortal, complete with moral blind spots and the tendency to sin. Psalm 38, attributed to David, typifies this honesty at a time of distress. This is a situation with which many people have identified.
Liberation in Christ is a theme of the Letter to the Galatians. This is freedom to enjoy and glorify God. This is freedom to build up others. This is freedom to become the people we ought to be. According to mythology God spoke the world into existence. With our words, whether spoken or written, we have the power to bless people or to inflict harm upon them. We have the power to build them up or to libel and/or slander them. We have the power to help them become the people they ought to be or to commit character assassination. We have the power to inform accurately or to mislead. We have the power to heal or to soothe feelings or to hurt them. We have the power to act out of consideration or out of a lack thereof. We have the power to be defenders or bullies. We have the power to create peace or conflict. We have the power to work for justice or injustice.
The peace shown by peacemakers brings a harvest of justice.
–James 3:18, The New Jerusalem Bible (1989)
May we approach God humbly, avoid making selfish decisions, build up others, and generally function as vehicles of grace. May our thoughts, words, and deeds glorify God and create a world better than the one we found. May we recognize that pursuing selfish gain hurts us as well as others. We might gain in the short term, but we hurt ourselves in the long term. Our best and highest interest is that which builds up community, nation, and world.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 9, 2016 COMMON ERA
PROPER 21: THE TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT DENIS, BISHOP OF PARIS, AND HIS COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUIS BERTRAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY PRIEST
THE FEAST OF ROBERT GROSSETESTE, SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF WILHELM WEXELS, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR; HIS NIECE, MARIE WEXELSEN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN NOVELIST AND HYMN WRITER; LUDWIG LINDEMAN, NORWEGIAN ORGANIST AND MUSICOLOGIST; AND MAGNUS LANDSTAD, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, FOLKLORIST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/the-sin-of-selfishness/
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Above: The Israelites’ Cruel Bondage in Egypt, by Gerard Hoet
Image in the Public Domain
Trusting in God
MARCH 3 and 4, 2022
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The Collect:
O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land.
Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world
toward the life you alone can give, through 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 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 5:10-23 (Thursday)
Exodus 6:1-13 (Friday)
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 (Both Days)
Acts 7:30-34 (Thursday)
Acts 7:35-42 (Friday)
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Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
and abides under the shadow of the Almighty,
Shall say to the Lord, “My refuge and my stronghold,
my God, in whom I put my trust.”
–Psalm 91:1-2, Common Worship (2000)
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Trust was of the essence for Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrew slaves. Straw and mud were the ingredients of ancient Egyptian bricks. Requiring slaves to collect their own straw while not reducing the quota of bricks was unrealistic and unfair. Blaming the Pharaoh was correct, for he gave the order. Casting blame on Moses and Aaron was wrong, however. Even Moses had a momentary lack of trust in God.
That lack of trust in God early in the narrative of the Book of Exodus was predictable. I refrain from criticizing any of the Hebrews who manifested it, for I have done the same thing in less dire circumstances. Yet, after a while, people should have learned that God is trustworthy. The fact of their eventual freedom should have constituted enough of a miracle.
God, who equips the called for their vocations, knows that we cannot do everything on our own power. Fortunately, we do not need to do everything on our own power. Sometimes God intervenes directly. On other occasions God sends us help via people. Will we recognize that assistance when we encounter it? Will we trust God?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 10, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF EDWIN HATCH, ANGLICAN PRIEST, SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEO THE GREAT, BISHOP OF ROME
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/trusting-in-god-6/
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Above: The Original Text
Image Source = Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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Loving God, who loves us, mourns with us, and rejoices with us,
the death of dreams and aspirations is among the most traumatic losses to endure.
It cuts to the emotional core of a person, causing great anguish, grief, and anger.
Regardless if the dream was indeed the one a person should have followed
(assuming that it was not morally wrong, of course),
the pain and disappointment are legitimate, I suppose.
I have known these emotions in this context more than once.
I wish them upon nobody, not even those who inflicted them upon me.
May we, by grace, function as your ministers of comfort
to those experiencing such a death or the aftermath of one
and who are near us or whom you send our way.
And may we, by grace, help others achieve their potential
and refrain from inflicting such pain upon others.
In the name of Jesus, who identified with us, suffered, died, and rose again. Amen.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 19, 2014 COMMON ERA
HOLY SATURDAY, YEAR A
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Tagged with Anger, Grief
Above: The Dogma of the Redemption, by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-133671
A Great Mutuality of Blessing
MARCH 3 AND 4, 2023
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The Collect:
O God, our leader and guide, in the waters of baptism
you bring us to new birth to live as your children.
Strengthen our faith in your promises, that by your
Spirit we may lift your life to all the world through
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 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Micah 7:18-20 (9th Day)
Isaiah 51:4-8 (10th Day)
Psalm 121 (Both Days)
Romans 3:21-31 (9th Day)
Luke 7:1-10 (10th Day)
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I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the LORD,
the maker of heaven and earth.
–Psalm 121:1-2, Book of Common Worship (1993)
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Recently I finished watching Professor Phillip Cary’s Teaching Company DVD series, Luther: Gospel, Law, and Reformation (2004). He is a well-informed scholar who has no qualms about stating his opinions plainly, therefore not feigning a disinterested objectivity. His stance is one of academic hospitality while standing his ground. Thus one learns, for example, how John Calvin’s theology differed from that of Martin Luther and where Cary comes down on those issues. That is fair.
A point Cary made in one lecture applies to the readings for these two days. Everyone, he said, receives his or her blessing from someone else. God blesses the Jews, the Chosen People. They benefit, yes, but so do Gentiles, through whom other blessings flow to Jews. There is a great mutuality of blessing. This principle remains true in other, smaller settings–communities, families, congregations, et cetera. I can think of examples of it in my life. And perhaps you, O reader, can do likewise.
Blessings–such as forgiveness of sin via God–especially Jesus–are wonderful. They are for the benefit of the forgiven, of course, but they also serve a greater purpose. With great blessings come great responsibilities to function as conduits of grace for others. The reality of God does nothing to detract from the human need for physical means of grace, such as other people and the sacraments. Blessing others can range from a simple task to a more involved one and prove perilous to oneself. Sometimes the latter is what love requires of one. Yet whatever grace demands of us, may we respond affirmatively.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 25, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SQUANTO, COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING
THE FEAST OF JAMES OTIS SARGENT HUNTINGTON, FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/a-great-mutuality-of-blessing/
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Above: Lent Wordle
I found the image in various places online, including here: http://standrewauh.org/a-study-for-lent/
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The congregational response to “We pray to you, O God” is “Hear our prayer.”
We pray for the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, that it may show the face of Christ to the world and draw people to you,
We pray to you, O God.
We pray for
- Katharine, our Presiding Bishop;
- Robert and Keith, our Bishops; and
- Beth, our Rector;
- and all clergy and lay members,
- that they may serve you faithfully,
We pray to you, O God.
We pray for
- Barack, our President;
- Nathan, our Governor;
- Nancy, our Mayor; and
- all others who hold positions of authority and influence,
that justice may prevail,
We pray to you O God.
That we may, by grace, do your will each day,
We pray to you, O God.
That all who suffer may find succor,
We pray to you, O God.
We pray for (_____) and all who have died, that they may enjoy and glorify you forever,
We pray to you, O God.
We pray for our own needs and those of others.
Congregationally specific petitions follow.
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 2, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
Above: Jacob’s Ladder, by William Blake
Genesis and Mark, Part XV: Epiphanies and Reactions or Responses Thereto
MARCH 3, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 27:30-45; 28:10-22
Psalm 84 (Morning)
Psalms 42 and 32 (Evening)
Mark 9:1-13
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Some Related Posts:
The Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus (August 6):
http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/feast-of-the-transfiguration-of-jesus-august-6/
Kings (2009):
http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/kings-2009/
Prayer:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/prayer-for-the-third-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-third-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/prayer-of-confession-for-the-third-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-third-sunday-in-lent/
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Sometimes poetry can convey truth better than a straight-forward account . That, I am convinced, is why the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration work so well; they are prose poetry.
Back in Mark 8:27-38, Peter had confessed Jesus as Messiah. then our Lord had predicted his death and resurrection, which Peter did not take well. So Jesus rebuked him. One must take up one’s cross and follow me, Jesus said. Then, in 9;1, came a prediction many have misunderstood:
In truth I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power. (The New Jerusalem Bible)
The Markan account of the Transfiguration follows immediately. Textual context matters very much.
In the Transfiguration we have the true identity of James revealed to Peter, James, and John. The trouble with the proposed three booths (or shelters) was at least two-fold. First, any attempt to institutionalize the moment would have prevented them from moving forward to Jerusalem and the ultimate Holy Week. Second, the three booths would have been the same size, I presume. What would have differentiated Jesus from Moses and Elijah?
All of that builds up to my main point. The three Apostles were terrified. They did not know what to say, but Peter spoke anyway. In contrast, in Genesis 28, Jacob the schemer was
shaken (verse 17, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures),
was confident, and did know what to say. When God becomes present in a spectacular manner, we might be terrified or shaken. Yet, if we are spiritually where we ought to be, confidence is the proper result, for God is with us. But if we are on the wrong side of God….
Recently I found Kings, a 2009 NBC television series, on DVD. It is a retelling of sorts of the Saul-David story from 1 Samuel. The setting is a parallel reality, in contemporary times. Silas Benjamin is the absolute monarch of the Kingdom of Gilboa, the newly-rebuilt capital city of which is Shiloh. Gilboa is at war with Gath, its northern neighbor. The series ran only twelve episodes (including the two-part pilot), for it audience did not find it, unfortunately. In the last episode King Silas, once the chosen of God, hears from God for the first time in a while. God appears in a thunderstorm and tells Silas that David Shepherd is the new chosen king. Silas does not take this well, and David must go into exile in Gath.
That scene culminated a series which began one Reverend Samuels confronting Silas and delivering a message of God’s rejection. Silas said in reaction,
To hell with God.
With an attitude like that, what else was God to say at the end?
May our attitude be much better.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 18, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MALTBIE DAVENPORT BABCOCK, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ERIK IX OF SWEDEN, KING AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF JOHN I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF TAMIHANA TE RAUPPARAHA, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/genesis-and-mark-part-xv-epiphanies-and-reactions-or-responses-thereto/
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LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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