I know that the portion of Psalm 106 I have quoted follows verse 12, but those verses seem more applicable to the readings from Judges 4 and 5 than Psalm 106:1-12. If I had quoted from the first 12 verses of Psalm 106 I would have selected verse 10, set in the context of the Exodus from Egypt:
He rescued them from their foes,
he reclaimed them from enemy hands.
–Harry Mowvley translation
The story in Judges 4 and 5 is consistent with a motif in that book:
The Israelites have fallen into pervasive sin.
YHWH permits a foreign group to oppress the Israelites.
The Israelites cry out to YHWH.
YHWH sends a leader or leaders to resist the oppressors.
The oppression ceases.
The Israelites follow God for a time.
The cycle repeats.
As a note in The Jewish Study Bible–Second Edition (2014) informs me, nowhere does the text of Judges 4 and 5 identify any of the human protagonists–Deborah the prophetess, Barak the army commander, and Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite–as the deliverer of the Israelites. Each of those individuals played a crucial role in the liberation, but God delivered the Israelites from oppression. That theme occurs elsewhere in the Book of Judges and other portions of the Bible, as in the Exodus and the end of the Babylonian Exile.
A motif in the Bible is that God works through people much of the time. These might be upstanding individuals or they might be scoundrels, at least on their bad days. Some of these instruments of God are not even believers. These realities point toward the power and sovereignty of God.
As much as I find Martin Luther to have been a morally troublesome character, his theology of relying on the faithfulness of God is beyond reproach. We who follow God are children of God, members of the household of God, so we ought to act boldly and confidently in righteousness. Such righteous confidence should banish faithless and selfish fears (distinct from well-reasoned fears, such as that of touching hot surfaces), enabling us to love our neighbors (both near and far) selflessly. We have the spiritual armor of God, of which St. Paul the Apostle or someone writing in his name imagined as being like the armor of a Roman soldier. Every piece of the armor is God’s. If it is good enough for God, it is good enough for mere mortals. After the reading from Ephesians 6 comes this advice:
Constantly ask God’s help in prayer, and pray always in the power of the Spirit.
–Ephesians 6:18, The Revised English Bible (1989)
After all, we depend on God’s power, not our own.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW THE EVANGELIST, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
Holy God, creator of light and giver of goodness, your voice moves over the waters.
Immerse us in your grace, and transform us by your Spirit,
that we may follow after 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 22
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 17:1-13 (Monday)
Exodus 30:22-28 (Tuesday)
Psalm 69:1-5, 30-36 (Both Days)
Romans 4:1-12 (Monday)
Acts 22:2-16 (Tuesday)
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I will praise the Name of God in song;
I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD more than an offering of oxen,
more than bullocks with horns and hoofs.
The afflicted shall see and be glad;
you who seek God, your heart shall live.
For the LORD listens to the needy,
and his prisoners he does not despise.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and all that moves in them;
For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah;
they shall live there and have it in possession.
The children of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his Name will dwell therein.
–Psalm 69:32-38, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Genesis 17 tells one version (the Priestly story) of God’s covenant with Abraham. It duplicates much material from the Yahwistic account in Genesis 15 and adds details about circumcision and Sarah’s pregnancy. The P account is a story about the graciousness and power of God and one man’s trust in the deity. Unfortunately, as the saga of Abraham unfolded, the great patriarch came to value his relationship with God so much that he acted in ways which damaged his closest human relationships. I would not have wanted to have been one of Abraham’s sons.
God approached a mortal in Genesis 17. The instructions regarding the sacred anointing oil in Exodus 30:22-28 concerned how people should approach God–with the utmost reverence, OR ELSE. There was a chasm between humans and God (the holy one) in much of the Old Testament. Much later, when St. Paul the Apostle preached about Jesus, many people wanted to cut him off from the land of the living. He had committed blasphemy, they thought.
St. Paul had a higher opinion of Abraham than I do, but the Apostle had a valid point in Romans 4, for the patriarch preceded the Law of Moses. Abraham did manifest active trust in God when he was still Abram, as the Apostle pointed out. And Genesis describes a very close relationship between God and Abraham; they were on speaking terms, face-to-face, according to the texts.
We should, while avoiding extremes (such as seeking to kill people in the name of God) approach God with deep awe and love. We worship the deity, who has not only approached us but incarnated and became one of us. And we have a commandment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, to respect the image of God in them. May we act accordingly, trusting in God and recognizing the limits of our abilities and knowledge. And may we value being merciful more than being correct in our minds.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 17, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN CHRISTIAN TILL, U.S. MORAVIAN ORGANIST, COMPOSER, AND PIANO BUILDER; AND HIS SON, JACOB CHRISTIAN TILL, U.S. MORAVIAN PIANO BUILDER
THE FEAST OF SAINT HUGH OF LINCOLN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROQUE GONZALEZ DE SANTA CRUZ, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROSE-PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC CONTEMPLATIVE
These readings teach about sacred vocation–the vocation to walk with God, to be a light in the world, and even to convert adversaries when possible. It is a vocation which one ignores at the peril of oneself and the health of one’s society. Indeed, society is just people, so enough people can change society.
And, if one feels unqualified, that is because one is not qualified for the great tasks God has assigned to one. Jeremiah was young. Gideon’s army was too small. The eleven surviving Apostles had feet of clay. St. Paul the Apostle had a difficult personality. Rahab was a prostitute. And Jacob/Israel was a trickster. I could continue, but I trust that I have made my point plainly.
Each of us has weaknesses and strengths inside self. And each of us has access to a much greater strength–God, who works through people much of the time. Furthermore, strengths can emerge from weaknesses. If that is not evidence of grace, I do not know what is.
So, O reader, what is God calling and empowering you to do?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR CARL LICHTENBERGER, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Liturgical time matters, for it sacramentalizes days, hours, and minutes, adding up to seasons on the church calendar. Among the frequently overlooked seasons is the Season after Epiphany, the first part of Ordinary Time. The Feast of the Epiphany always falls on January 6 in my tradition. And Ash Wednesday always falls forty days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday. The Season after Epiphany falls between The Feast of the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. In 2013 the season will span January 7-February 12.
This season ought to be a holy time, one in which to be especially mindful of the imperative to take the good news of Jesus of Nazareth to others by a variety of means, including words when necessary. Words are meaningless when our actions belie them, after all. Among the themes of this season is that the Gospel is for all people, not just those we define as insiders. No, the message is also for our “Gentiles,” those whom we define as outsiders. So, with that thought in mind, I encourage you, O reader, to exclude nobody. Do not define yourself as an insider to the detriment of others. If you follow this advice, you will have a proper Epiphany spirit.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 9, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARTIN CHEMNITZ, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF BARTON STONE, COFOUNDER OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
God’s saving justice was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, but now it has been revealed altogether apart from law: God’s saving justice given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
I Myself will graze my flock, and I Myself will let them lie down–declares the Lord GOD. I will look for the lost, and I will bandage the injured, and I will sustain the weak; and the fat and the healthy ones I will destroy, and I will tend them rightly.
I have written one post to cover material for two days because, after having written many devotional blog entries, I do not know what else to say about the January 11 content. The texts, I think, make their points succinctly. Yet the January 12 content does lend itself to my comments.
Pauline theology holds that the Law of Moses served its purpose in its time. Yet now that Jesus has arrived on the scene, a new stage of salvation history has begun. That is a simplification, but hopefully not an excessive one. Linking Romans 3:19-31 with Ezekiel 34:1-24 works well, for the prophet, channeling God, condemned false and bad shepherds, such as certain kings. A good and divine shepherd, identified as God, would step in, set matters right, and find the stray sheep. And, of course, the Good Shepherd is an image for Jesus in the Gospels.
We modern readers, especially those not in frequent contact with sheep or shepherds, need to recall that shepherds were not highly respected people in the times of Ezekiel, Jesus, and Paul. Shepherds were necessary, but they were not respectable. They were, in fact, smelly. Yet this profession provided imagery for God (Yahweh/Adonai) and Jesus. One might draw several useful points from this fact, but I focus on one here. Channeling an attitude from Ezekiel 34, we ought not to look down upon those among us who perform necessary work we might deem undesirable. The job titles vary from place to place. In Georgia, my home, the “shepherds” are Latin American migrants who work mostly on farms. These individuals merit our respect, not our disdain.
Each of us bears the image of God; may we think of and treat each other accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 15, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZACHARY, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF EDMUND MUSKIE, UNITED STATES SENATOR AND SECRETARY OF STATE
THE FEAST OF SAINT LOUISE DE MARILLAC, COFOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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THE FIRST READING
1 Samuel 1:9-20 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said,
O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant, but will give to your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.
As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her,
How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you.
But Hannah answered,
No, my lord, I am a woman sorely troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out of my soul before the LORD. Do not regard your maidservant as a base woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.
Then Eli answered,
Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have made to him.
And she said,
Let your maidservant find favor in your eyes.
Then the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.
They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her; and in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said,
I have asked him of the LORD.
THE TWO OPTIONS FOR THE RESPONSE
Canticle 15 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
(The Magnificat plus the Trinitarian formula)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 123 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 To you I lift up my eyes,
to you enthroned in the heavens.
2 As the eyes of the servants look to the hand of their masters,
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
3 So our eyes look to the LORD our God,
until he show us his mercy.
4 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy,
for we have had more than enough of contempt,
5 Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich,
and of the derision of the proud.
THE GOSPEL READING
Mark 1:21-28 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth ? Have you come to destroy us? I know what you are, the Holy One of God.
But Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Be silent and come out of him!
And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, saying,
What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
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The Collect:
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
It is appropriate to pair Mary’s Magnificat with the reading from 1 Samuel 1. In each case a woman becomes mother to a son who will become a giant of faith. Yes, Peninnah had children, but what mark did they make in the Biblical narrative? Hannah had a child, who became the prophet Samuel, about whom we will read in successive days. And Jesus? Need I say anything? Does not the New Testament cover that material sufficiently?
We read in 1 Samuel 1 a story of God blessing a woman who, in her culture, lived in disgrace. God lifted that unjustly imposed shame from her. And Hannah’s son became a spiritual giant of the Old Testament. I think that the faith of Samuel’s mother and father had much to do with that fact.
If not for the fact of Samuel’s existence, Elkanah and Hannah would have been historically insignificant. Their legacy–a form of immortality–persists via their son. Your legacy might surprise you, O reader. Make it count.
Above: Temptations of Jesus, from St. Mark’s, Venice
Jesus, Who Identifies With Us
JANUARY 11, 2023
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Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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Hebrews 2:14-18 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
Since therefore the children share in the flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Psalm 105:1-15 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Give thanks to the LORD and call upon his Name;
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him,
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy Name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Search for the LORD and his strength;
continually seek his face.
5 Remember the marvels he has done,
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant,
O children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the LORD our God;
his judgments prevail in all the world.
8 He has always been mindful of his covenant,
the promise he made for a thousand generations;
9 The covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac,
10 Which he established as a statute for Jacob,
an everlasting covenant for Israel,
11 Saying, “To you will I give the land of Canaan,
Mark 1:29-39 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them.
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered together about the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him.
And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him followed him, and they found him and said to him,
Every one is searching for you.
And he said to them,
Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.
And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Below: A Map of Galilee During Roman Times
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The Collect:
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
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If you have been paying sufficient attention to certain details, you have noticed that the readings from Mark and Hebrews have been sequential; one follows another according to chapter and verse. Much of the value of a lectionary resides in this pattern. I find more value in following a lectionary by identifying common threads in different readings assigned for the same day. Among the greatest errors in biblical interpretation is reading a text outside of context, literary or historical.
Parts of the readings for this day, although prose by form, are more like poetry. They communicate great truth without containing historical and scientific accuracy. Writing from the context of 2010, I know the biological and psychosocial causes and contributing factors of physical diseases and mental illnesses. Demonic possession is not among them. Remember though, that the people of Jesus’ day had no way of knowing what I do. They did the best with what they had. And Jesus worked within that context.
Our Lord and Savior cared deeply for people, with whom he identified. Indeed, as the author of Hebrews informs us, Jesus is able to help us through temptation because he knows how powerful that force is. Temptation is a mighty force. You know this at least as well as I do. It is important, I think, to know the difference between the imperative to ask forgiveness and to repent and the unhelpful practice of being unduly self-critical. We are all broken; God knows this. We need to recognize our brokenness, take it to Jesus, and leave it there. Beating up on ourselves, literally or spiritually, accomplishes no good purpose.
I have known powerful and deep anger. My cause has been just, and the actions of my foes have been perfidious in consequences, if not intentions. (I have insufficient information to evaluate their intentions, but the consequences of their actions are obvious to me.) I have learned also that even righteous anger is too heavy a burden to carry for long. My burden is fading away, by grace. In time, it will cease to exist, also by grace. My sin (which continues as I write this devotional) is not having forgiven my foes, who will remain unnamed in this post. I am weak; Jesus is strong. Jesus can cast out my figurative demons of rage at injustice and of any desire to cling to righteous indignation. That power is my only hope.
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
He it is who came by water and blood,
Jesus Christ,
not with water alone,
but with water and blood,
and it is the Spirit that bears witness,
for the Spirit is Truth.
So there are three witnesses,
the Spirit, water and blood;
and the three of them coincide.
If we accept the testimony of human witnesses,
God’s testimony is greater,
for this is God’s testimony
which he gave about his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within him,
and whoever does not believe
is making God a liar,
because he has not believed
the testimony God has given about his Son.
This is the testimony:
God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
Whoever has the Son has life,
and whoever has not the Son of God has not life.
I have written this to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God
so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Psalm 147:12-20 (New Jerusalem Bible):
Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem,
Zion, praise your God.
For he gives strength to the bars of your gates,
he blesses your children within you,
he maintains the peace of your frontiers,
gives you your fill of finest wheat.
He sends his word to the earth,
his command runs quickly,
he spreads the snow like flax,
strews hoarfrost like ashes,
he sends ice-crystals like breadcrumbs,
and who can withstand that cold?
When he sends his word it thaws them,
when he makes his wind blow, the waters are unstopped.
He reveals his word to Jacob,
his statutes and judgments to Israel.
For no other nation has done this,
no other has known his judgments.
Luke 5:12-16 (New Jerusalem Bible):
Now it happened that Jesus was in one of the towns when suddenly a man appeared, covered with a skin-disease. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him saying,
Sir, if you are willing you can cleanse me.
He stretched out his hand, and touched him saying
I am willing. Be cleansed.
At once the skin-disease left him. He ordered him to tell no one,
But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering of your cleansing just as Moses prescribed, as evidence to them.
But the news of him kept spreading, and large crowds would gather to hear him and have their illnesses cured, but he would go off to some deserted place and pray.
The Collect:
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Jesus needed to find solitude and to pray. If this was a requirement for him, much more do we need to do this, too?
I have lived without cable television voluntarily for years. This was partially a financial decision: Why should I pay a bill for a service I barely use and really do not want or need? Yet it was a spiritual choice, too. I have chosen to read more books, listen to more Canadian radio online, and play more classical music and jazz. And I have discs when I want to watch something. What I watch then is probably better and more interesting than what I could find on cable TV at the time. And I have thrown myself into blogging, of course. To think that what I do in private can help others whom I will never meet is gratifying.
Yet I can still distract myself from the imperative of prayer. I am no spiritual giant.
Prayer can assume many forms, the greatest of which (I am convinced) are non-verbal. Ultimately prayer is a state of being in which we crave to be conscious of the presence of God and in which the desire for more of this oozes from our pores, so to speak. Frequently this entails solitude and silence, or at least a suitable environment we create with music. I have encountered God in silence, classical music, and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, for example.
We are always in the presence of God. May we become increasingly conscious of this reality, and recharge our spiritual batteries so that we may serve God better. In so doing we will realize that we have eternal life–knowing God via Jesus–in the here and now.
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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