According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
A common thread running through the readings for this Sunday is asking and receiving. For example:
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
–1 John 3:21-23, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
In other words, if we want what God desires, and if we pray for that, we will receive it. That makes sense. This message contradicts Prosperity Theology, an old heresy popular in certain quarters these days. If I, for example, need reliable transportation, praying for that is morally and spiritually acceptable. And I may receive a Chevrolet, not a Cadillac. I will, however, get from Point A to Point B safely and reliably. On a related note, the good life, in terms of the Book of Psalms, includes having enough for each day, not necessarily being wealthy.
Elsewhere in the New Testament, one can read about having the mind of Christ. That concept applies to the material for today. We have Jesus as, among other things, our role model. We, as Christians, must follow his example. We must love as he loved. When we consider that Christ’s love led to his execution, we realize that this mandate is serious business, not a mere slogan. The Right Reverend Robert C. Wright, the Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta, says to
love like Jesus.
Bishop Wright understands that this is serious business, not a mere slogan.
Think, O reader, what may happen to you if you were to love like Jesus in your context and to pray for causes consistent with the will of God? How would that change you? How would it change your community, your nation-state, and the world? What repercussions might you face for loving like Jesus? How many professing Christians would oppose you?
During my research for my M.A. thesis, I found a case in point. J. Robert Harris was the pastor of the Fort Gaines Baptist Church, Fort Gaines, Georgia, in the early and middle 1950s. He left that position under a cloud between August and November 1955. The chatty local newspaper never mentioned his departure, which followed either his firing or his forced resignation. (I read two versions of the story.) Harris had publicly supported the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and involved an African-American youth in his church’s vacation Bible school. Harris became the pastor of the Plains Baptist Church, Plains, Georgia, which he served until his resignation in the late 1960s. Failing health was the official cause of the resignation. However, the pastor’s recent sermon in favor of civil rights had been unpopular with his congregation. Harris had once preached a sermon in which he had asked his flock, in so many words:
If being Christian were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
In the case of J. Robert Harris, the answer was affirmative. He loved like Jesus and ran afoul of other professing Christians entrenched in racist social norms.
Loving like Jesus makes one a radical in a world with upside-down standards. Loving like Jesus entails living the Golden Rule. Loving like Jesus entails living both versions of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5 and Luke 6). Loving like Jesus entails bearing much fruit (John 15:8).
Psalm 22 speaks of God acting. In Hebrew thought, the actions of God reveal the divine character. Likewise, my actions reveal my character. And your actions, O reader, reveal your character. Is it a godly character?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 22, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT DEOGRATIAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CARTHAGE
THE FEAST OF EMMANUEL MOURNIER, FRENCH PERSONALIST PHILOSOPHER
THE FEAST OF JAMES DE KOVEN, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF THOMAS HUGHES, BRITISH SOCIAL REFORMER AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM EDWARD HICKSON, ENGLISH MUSIC EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL REFORMER
According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
Words and rituals have power. (That is a quintessential Lutheran theological statement.) In my denomination, The Episcopal Church, the liturgy for Good Friday is powerful and solemn. It concludes with people leaving in silence.
Sometimes one should be silent. I invite you, O reader, to read the assigned portions of scripture aloud or to listen to them. Let them sink in. Let them exercise their power over you. And digest them in silence.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 15, 2022 COMMON ERA
GOOD FRIDAY
THE FEAST OF SAINT OLGA OF KIEV, REGENT OF KIEVAN RUSSIA; SAINT ADALBERT OF MAGDEBURG, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT ADALBERT OF PRAGUE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 997; AND SAINTS BENEDICT AND GAUDENTIUS OF POMERANIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 997
THE FEAST OF SAINTS DAMIEN AND MARIANNE OF MOLOKAI, WORKERS AMONG LEPERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT FLAVIA DOMITILLA, ROMAN CHRISTIAN NOBLEWOMAN; AND SAINTS MARO, EUTYCHES, AND VICTORINUS OF ROME, PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, CIRCA 99
THE FEAST OF SAINT HUNNA OF ALSACE, THE “HOLY WASHERWOMAN”
Above: St. Philip the Deacon and the Ethiopian Eunuch
Image in the Public Domain
Obliviousness, Deliberate and Otherwise
APRIL 28, 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:
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:22-31
2 Peter 2:12-22
Mark 12:18-27
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Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. Ignorance of scripture is a matter in Acts 8:26-40, in which St. Philip the Deacon (not the Apostle) evangelized a man on the path to finding faith in Christ. That pericope fits well with the assigned portion of Psalm 22, with its global emphasis. Ignorance of scripture is also a matter in Mark 12:18-27, in which Jesus fielded another in a series of trick questions–this time, about the resurrection of the dead, of which the Sadducees rejected. Apostasy–rejection after acceptance–not ignorance–is a matter in 2 Peter 2:12-22.
The readings from 2 Peter and Mark point to deliberate obliviousness. We human beings are deliberately oblivious to much. This is not always negative, for we have finite time, and we need to choose where to focus. I am deliberately oblivious to almost all television, the majority of movies, and bad (that is to say, nearly all) music. I am also a Western classicist, and I enjoy many old movies. The three and a half hours required to watch Lawrence of Arabia (1962) are always time spent well.
When we are oblivious to God, however, we occupy the realm of the negative. When we seek a proper path, we need reliable guides. May we walk in faith and, when God calls upon as to do so, may we function as reliable guides, so that all the nations of the earth will serve God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CORNELIUS HILL, ONEIDA CHIEF AND EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HUGH THOMSON KERR, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST; AND HIS SON, HUGH THOMSON KERR, JR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JAMES MOFFATT, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND BIBLE TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE GEORGIAN, ABBOT; AND SAINTS EUTHYMIUS OF ATHOS AND GEORGE OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN, ABBOTS AND TRANSLATORS
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 5:1-7, 17-30
Psalm 22:23-31
2 Timothy 2:1-15
Mark 14:1-11
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Before I address my main point, I write about two historical problems with Daniel 5 and 6. Belshazzar was never a king, for example. His father was Nabonidus (reigned 556-539 B.C.E.), the last king of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. In 539 B.C.E. Cyrus II of the Persians and the Medes conquered the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire . Darius the Mede (6:1), a supposed predecessor of Cyrus II, was fictitious. At best Belshazzar was the regent or viceroy his father when his father was away. The chronology within the Book of Daniel makes no sense, regardless of whether one restricts oneself to the Hebrew version or the version with Greek additions. The Book of Daniel is not history; its chronology contradicts other portions of the Hebrew Bible. That fact does not mean, of course, that we cannot read it in a spiritually profitable manner.
Humility before God is a theme running through the assigned readings. Belshazzar was far from humble before God. The author of Psalm 22 preached the virtues of being in the awe of God, a term we usually read or hear translated as “fear of God.” St. Paul the Apostle, who knew much about ego, obeyed God and suffered for his obedience. The unnamed woman who anointed Jesus at the home of Simon the leper in Bethany demonstrated extravagant love and humility; she did not care about how she looked.
To be humble is to be down to earth, literally. In the context of God each of us should recognize his or her relative insignificance. Yet we bear the image of God, as Cyrus II was. Divine grace can flow through us to others. That should be sufficient status for us.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 21, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, JESUIT
THE FEAST OF BERNARD ADAM GRUBE, GERMAN-AMERICAN MINISTER, MISSIONARY, COMPOSER, AND MUSICIAN
THE FEAST OF CARL BERNHARD GARVE, GERMAN MORAVIAN MINISTER, LITURGIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN JONES AND JOHN RIGBY, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
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:
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22
Hebrews 10:16-25
John 18:1-19:42
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Who is the servant in Isaiah 52:13-53:12? That has been a debated issue. If one assumes that, as in earlier Servant Songs, the servant is the personification of the exiled nation of Israel (broadly speaking), the former Kingdom of Judah or at least the faithful remnant thereof, one must accept that the redemptive suffering during the Babylonian Exile was supposed to benefit Gentiles also. The text certainly applies well to Jesus, who quoted the beginning of Psalm 22 from the cross. That text, the prayer of one afflicted with a mortal illness, ends on a note of trust in God–certainly on a happy note, unlike Good Friday and the events thereof.
Focusing on the crucifixion of Jesus is proper on Good Friday. As we do so may we ponder Hebrews 10:24, part of one of the pericopes:
We ought to see how each of us may arouse others to love and active goodness.
—The Revised English Bible (1989)
That is a Christlike ethic! “Love and active goodness” summarize Christ well. “Love and active goodness” describe his self-sacrifice succinctly. “Love and active goodness” summarize a faithful response to such selflessness and redemptive suffering.
Yet we frequently arouse each other to anger, usually for selfish purposes. Anger is not necessarily bad, for we should be angry sometimes, as evidence of well-developed consciences. Nevertheless, anger and expressions thereof are frequently destructive, not constructive. This is certainly evident in media, social media, politics, and the comments sections of many websites.
Jesus has shown us a better way. The long-dead author of the Letter to the Hebrews understood that better way well.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 29, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF PERCY DEARMER, ANGLICAN CANON AND TRANSLATOR AND AUTHOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF SAINT BONA OF PISA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MYSTIC AND PILGRIM
THE FEAST OF JIRI TRANOVSKY, LUTHER OF THE SLAVS AND FOUNDER OF SLOVAK HYMNODY
THE FEAST OF JOACHIM NEANDER, GERMAN REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
As I have written many times, a recurring theme in the Bible is that God cares deeply about how we treat each other, especially the poor and the other vulnerable individuals. In Amos, for example, we read of predators who long for the next religious observance so they can cheat many people. God promised to destroy such malefactors and never to forget their deeds.
Another bad actor was Simon Magus from Acts 8. He tried to purchase God’s free blessings, earning the rebuke of St. Simon Peter. From this account has come the word “simony,” or the buying and selling of ecclesiastical offices. That practice has been the avoidable cause of much scandal in the Church for millennia.
The third strain of this devotion comes from Mark 4. Some seeds are actually smaller than mustard seeds. This fact proves that Jesus was a better theologian than horticulturist. The points remain applicable, however, for a large plant–a weed, really–grows from a tiny seed. The mustard plant goes where it will; the Kingdom of God is unstoppable.
So, to put all the pieces together, the great Kingdom of God, in which the last are first, the first are last, and the servant of all is the greatest, comes via small vehicles. The Kingdom of God is the opposite of exploitative and corrupt human systems. Also, grace is free but not cheap, for it requires commitment from its recipients. Buying grace, if possible, might be easier from a human point of view, but it would not be better from a moral perspective.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 19, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF LARS OLSEN SKRESFRUD, LUTHERAN MISSIONARY
Image Source = Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D., New Catholic Picture Bible: Popular Stories from the Old and New Testaments (New York, NY: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1960), page 16
Harboring doubts regarding extraordinary promises (as in Genesis 15) and not understanding who Jesus is despite spending much time in close quarters with him (as in Mark 8) are growth opportunities. Information is the antidote to ignorance, but a lack of trust in God is a spiritual problem. When one acts on it (as in Genesis 16, despite the glowing review of Abraham in Romans 4), one complicates matters horribly.
We are responsible to God and each other. We also depend on God and each other. We will not trust God all the time, for we are mere mortals. We can, however, rely on divine grace and improve; we can trust God more often. God expects us to improve, not be flawless. When we fail to trust God then act out of fear and a misdirected sense of human agency, we harm others as well as ourselves, for what we do to others, we do to ourselves. Mutuality works for the positive as well as the negative in our lives.
Recently someone asked me if I believe in God. My answer surprised him, for I replied by asking him what he meant by “believe in.” Biblical belief is trust in God, not the affirmation of divine existence. So I continued my answer by stating that I affirm the existence of God all the time and trust God most of the time. It was a precise and honest answer.
May we trust God more than we do. May I trust God more than I do.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 6, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICETIUS OF TRIER, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP; AND SAINT AREDIUS OF LIMOGES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ABRAHAM OF KRATIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, BISHOP, AND HERMIT
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF MYRA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
ends in thanksgiving for what God has done. This fact applies well to the Easter Triduum, but I choose not to pursue that line of thought further in this post, for to do so would be to get ahead of this day’s portion of the narrative.
Faithful people of God read Isaiah 52:13-53:12 for centuries before the crucifixion of Jesus. As obvious as that statement might seem, it might also surprise some people accustomed to only one lens through which to interpret it. So what about Jewish readings of the passage? The servant of God could be the whole Israelite nation or just the pious minority thereof or a particular holy person, maybe Jeremiah. All of these are possible. The words also fit Jesus well.
I publish these words in the vicinity of Thanksiving Day (U.S.A.) 2013 and shortly before the beginning of the season of Advent. I know that Christmas leads to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. There is much occurring theologically in these assigned readings. Among them are a condemnation of unjust violence and a reminder that God is more powerful than our hatred and fear.
It is well and good to salute Jesus, but that alone is insufficient. We have no mere hero and martyr. No, we have a Lord and Savior, whom we are supposed to follow. He said to keep his commandments and to love each other as he loved his Apostles. Fortunately, we have access to grace, or else accomplishing these goals would be impossible.
So may we heed the advice of Hebrews 10:24:
…and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works….
—Revised Standard Version—Second Edition (1971)
If certain people had thought that way, they would not have sought to kill Jesus.
Following this ethic requires us to seek not affirmation of our opinions, doctrines, and social status, but that which is best for others. Obeying our Lord and Savior—taking up a cross and following him—entails thinking more about others than about oneself. This is difficult yet for the best overall.
Good Friday is a holy day for me. The Episcopal Church’s liturgy for the day moves me deeply, doing what good ritual ought to do—take one out of daily routines and transport one into a different spiritual atmosphere. Reading the assigned lessons has taken me only a short distance along that path, but that brief trip suffices for now. The material is emotionally difficult. It it is not, that fact might speak poorly of the reader.
May divine love fill your soul, O reader, and inspire you to love and good works.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGE DAWSON, ENGLISH BAPTIST AND UNITARIAN PASTOR
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY DAY, SOCIAL ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE CHURCH OF NORTH INDIA, 1970
Today, in the Book of Exodus, we read instructions immediately prior to the title event of that text. Among them is to remember that day, to speak of it to one’s children. History tells us of many Passover feasts long after that day. Among those Passover feasts was the one during Holy Week in 29 CE, when Jesus died.
Ritual has a proper place in religion. Via ritual we mark time and set aside certain days. And it is appropriate to observe Good Friday in a manner unlike any other day. In The Episcopal Church we read a Passion account, distributing parts among members of the congregation. The liturgy ends on a deafening and somber silence. The ritual communicates a certain degree of the sadness of the crucifixion. The silence speaks louder than any words can.
We remember the first Passover in joy and the crucifixion in stunned silence. Both responses are appropriate.
It seems odd to read of the crucifixion of Jesus on a lectionary before Holy Week. On the other hand, to begin reading Exodus, the book which speaks of the first Passover, before Holy Week is appropriate, for to do so introduces a theme crucial to understanding what Jews were celebrating in Jerusalem.
Anyhow, the Pharoah, in reaction to the first meeting with Moses and Aaron, dug in his heels. He made an impossible demand of Hebrew slaves then punished them for not doing the impossible. And Jesus was dead in Mark 15. The empire had spoken in each case.
It is tempting to jump ahead in each story. I encourage you, O reader, to take each story step-by-step. Let each element of the story speak to you. Do not rush ahead of the narrative. Allow the hopelessness to sink in. Let Jesus be dead for a little while. The rest of each story will follow as it should. Until then….
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 29, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE FIRST U.S. PRESBYTERIAN BOOK OF CONFESSIONS, 1967
THE FEAST OF JIRI TRANOVSKY, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUKE KIRBY, THOMAS COTTAM, WILLIAM FILBY, AND LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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