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
Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, most merciful redeemer,
for the countless blessings and benefits you give.
May we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day praising you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 22
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The Assigned Readings:
Judges 2:6-15 (Thursday)
Judges 2:16-23 (Friday)
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 (Both Days)
2 Corinthians 10:1-11 (Thursday)
Acts 13:16-25 (Friday)
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God, examine me and know my heart,
probe me and know my thoughts;
make sure I do not follow pernicious ways,
and guide me in the way that is everlasting.
–Psalm 139:23-24, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
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2 Corinthians is a cut-and-pasted document. There were four letters from St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthian Church:
The first is lost, as are many other ancient texts.
1 Corinthians is the second letter.
2 Corinthians 10:1-13:13 is the third letter.
2 Corinthians 1-9 (except for 6:14-7:1, the authorship and original placement of which are matters of dispute) is the fourth letter.
[Thanks to Calvin J. Roetzel, The Letters of Paul: Conversations in Context, 2d. Ed. (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1982), pages 52-63.]
The text which is actually 3 Corinthians is a defensive, scolding, sarcastic, and sometimes threatening letter. St. Paul argued against criticisms, such as the claim that he was more effective at a distance than when he was near and the allegation that he could not do what he claimed he could do. He had to contend with fractiousness and rumor mongering. Such problems constituted evidence of spiritual problems in the congregation.
St. Paul was not the only one who had to contend with people who disobeyed God. Of course, God has had to deal with that problem for a long time. Even those who had experienced the Exodus were prone to idolatry and rebellion. Their descendants continued that pattern, unfortunately.
We humans have insufficient attention spans much of the time. We also have selective memories. I read about God’s mighty acts of the past, but many people experienced them. How could any of them forget or ignore such wonders?
May we–you, O reader, and I–pay better attention and be more obedient.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 19, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN HERMANN SCHEIN, GERMAN LUTHERAN COMPOSER
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
Above: Nazis and the Ark of the Covenant, in a screen capture from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Overconfidence and Misplaced Confidence
JANUARY 11, 2024
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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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1 Samuel 4:1c-11 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said,
Why has the LORD put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that he may come among us from the power of our enemies.
So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
When the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said,
What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?
And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid; for they said,
A god has come into the camp.
And they said,
Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and acquit yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; acquit yourselves like men and flight.
So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. And the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
Psalm 44:7-14, 23-26 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
7 Surely, you gave us victory over our adversaries
and put those who hate us to shame.
8 Every day we gloried in God,
and we will praise your Name for ever.
9 Nevertheless, we have rejected and humbled us
and do not go forth with our armies.
10 You have made us fall back before our adversary,
and our enemies have plundered us.
11 You have made us like sheep to be eaten
and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You are selling your people for a trifle
and are making no profit on the sale of them.
13 You have made us the scorn of our neighbors,
a mockery and derision to those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughing-stock among the peoples.
23 Awake, O Lord! why are you sleeping?
Arise! do not reject us for ever.
24 Why have you hidden your face
and forgotten our affliction and oppression?
25 We sink down into the dust;
our body cleaves to the ground.
26 Rise up, and help us,
and save us, for the sake of your steadfast love.
Mark 1:40-45 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
And a leper came to him begging him, and kneeling said to him,
If you will, you can make me clean.
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him,
I will; be clean.
And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And he sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, and said to him,
See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.
But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.
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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.
1 Samuel 3:1b sets the stage for this day’s reading from Chapter 4. Consider this short text:
And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
The Ark of the Covenant was powerful, mysterious, revered, and feared object. Many Israelites believed that its presence at a battle made their army invincible, and the Philistines, who were accustomed to thinking in polytheistic terms, feared that this was true. But the Philistines fought through their fear while the Israelites went into battle with misplaced confidence.
What happened next?
The Philistines discovered the power of the ark for themselves, so they returned it.
Eli died.
Samuel succeeded him as priest, prophet, and judge.
That summarizes the portion of 1 Samuel we will skip over in the lectionary.
Back to the main idea now…
The narrative of much of the Old Testament, written in the historically-themed books with the benefit of hindsight, is that YHWH smiles upon worshiping him alone (not as part of a pantheon) and working for social justice, much of which is economic. God, in the Bible, frowns upon polytheism and economic exploitation. Consider the words of Hebrew prophets in relation to why a Hebrew nations rises or falls. The Hebrews were supposed to be a light to the nations; they were not supposed to blend in with them.
Yet, as we read in 1 Samuel 3:1b,
And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
Many in the Confederate States of America believed honestly that God had ordained the institution of slavery. So, they thought, those who argued from the Bible against the Peculiar Institution were heretics, and God would surely grant the Confederacy victory in the Civil War. The Confederacy’s loss therefore left many of these partisans puzzled. Surely, they told themselves, slavery was still ordained by God, so maybe they had carried it out in the wrong way. They were not only overconfident; they also had misplaced confidence.
In my nation, the United States of America, income inequality has become much more pronounced in the last few decades. Ironically, many of the most Social Darwinian defenders of those who have aided and abetted this transfer of wealth are would-be theocrats, self-appointed experts in morality. Yes, they are quick to condemn sins of the flesh yet oblivious to the sin of economic exploitation. These are false prophets. When they speak, the word of the LORD is not heard in the land; their religion is one variety of what Karl Marx understood correctly as the opiate of the masses. Yet there is a true religion, one which is a liberator, not an opiate, of the masses. Eli, Samuel, John the Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth, Paul of Tarsus, Francis of Assisi, Menno Simons, and Walter Rauschenbusch were prophets of this religion. May we hear, understand, and obey, for the common good. May we neither place in confidence in the wrong places nor become complacent. And may God save us from ourselves.
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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