Underpinning much of the Bible is an ethos of mutuality and of recognition of complete human dependence on God. We are responsible to each other and for each other. We are supposed to support each other in vocations from God, not seek to advance on the proverbial ladder by kicking other people off that ladder. And we ought to act based on the knowledge that everything we have comes from God. There is no such being as a self-made person.
St. Paul the Apostle, writing in Romans 12, likened Christian community to the body of Christ. He meant what he wrote plainly–that Christians are members of each other and that all spiritual gifts are necessary. Nobody in the body of Christ is insignificant and no gift is too small.
God has equipped all people for a productive role or roles in society. One vital function of each person is to help others to fulfill their vocation or vocations as the opportunities to do so present themselves. Whenever I read about a person who has accomplished much, I notice that others helped him or her along the way to one accomplishment or another. Such helpers tend not to receive the credit they should, but they are always essential.
Nehemiah, who left a position in the Persian royal court, was able, with the help of King Artaxerxes I (reigned 465-424 B.C.E.) and many others, most of whose names have not come down to us, to help rebuild Jerusalem. The efforts of those whose labors supported Nehemiah’s project were no less important than Nehemiah’s zeal. The visionary and his helpers were essential, for one without the other would have accomplished nothing.
In the spirit of mutuality we ought to help each other spiritually. Each of us has blind spots in spiritual matters, but others can tell us what occupies them. We also need encouragement to continue to do the right things the right ways. Positive reinforcement is also crucial to maintaining good practices. A third category of mutual spiritual help is providing feedback in the middle ground between “keep doing that” and “stop doing the other thing.” Sometimes we are moving in the right direction yet require advice in how to pursue that path more effectively. Often we have difficulty recognizing our deficiencies in that category also.
A true friend is one who says and does that which one needs, not necessarily what one wants. A “yes man” is not a true friend. Within the bounds of social and ecclesiastical friendship we ought to be true friends to each other. How many of us will fulfill that vocation?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 3, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE EVE OF THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI: PROPER FOR THE GOODNESS OF CREATION
THE FEAST OF THEODOR FLIEDNER, PIONEER OF THE DEACONESS MOVEMENT IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF GEORGE KENNEDY ALLEN BELL, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF CHICHESTER
THE FEAST OF JOHN RALEIGH MOTT, ECUMENICAL PIONEER
Almighty God, by grace alone you call us and accept us in your service.
Strengthen us by your Spirit, and make us worthy of your call,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 23
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 19:1-15 (Thursday)
Jeremiah 20:7-13 (Friday)
Jeremiah 20:14-18 (Saturday)
Psalm 65:5-12 (All Days)
Revelation 18:11-20 (Thursday)
2 Peter 3:1-7 (Friday)
Luke 10:13-16 (Saturday)
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Those who dwell at the ends of the earth tremble at your marvels;
the gates of the morning and evening sing your praise.
–Psalm 65:7, Common Worship (2000)
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The prophet Jeremiah would have been thrilled for that statement to have applied to Jerusalem. Alas, some people there even sacrificed their children to pagan gods at the valley whose name became the source for the label “Gehenna,” a place of suffering in the afterlife. Jeremiah condemned such idolatrous and violent practices and pronounced divine punishment. For his trouble he faced flogging and imprisonment. Yet those who mistreated him would, he said, die as exiles in Babylon. That prediction came true.
A common expectation in New Testament times was that Jesus would return quite soon. It was an age of apocalyptic hopes that God would end the violent and exploitative rule of the Roman Empire, set the world right, and that the divine order would govern the planet. In that context a lack of repentance was especially bad, as in Luke 10:13-16. In Revelation 18 the Roman Empire had fallen (within the Johannine Apocalypse only), but the imperium survived well beyond the first century of the Common Era. Discouragement and scoffing had become evident by the 80s and 90s, the timeframe for the writing of 2 Peter. Yet the calls to repentance remained applicable.
Divine time and human time work differently, but some things remain the same. Fearful theocrats react badly to honest prophets. The realization that God has not met a human schedule leads to bad spiritual results. Violent, oppressive, and exploitative governments continue to exist. And the promise that God will destroy the evil order then replace it with a holy and just one remains a future hope. In the meantime we would do well to consider the moral lessons of Revelation 18. For example, do we benefit from any violent, oppressive, and/or exploitative system? If so, what is the “Babylon” or what are the “Babylons” to which we have attached ourselves, from which we benefit, and whose passing we would mourn?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 23, 2014 COMMON ERA
PROPER 29–CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY–THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF JOHN KENNETH PFOHL, SR., U.S. MORAVIAN BISHOP; HIS WIFE, HARRIET ELIZABETH “BESSIE” WHITTINGTON PFOHL, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICIAN; AND THEIR SON, JAMES CHRISTIAN PFOHL, SR., U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLEMENT I OF ROME, BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT COLUMBAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF MIGUEL AUGUSTIN PRO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
The laws of God which are written on hearts and minds are laws of grace, love, and responsibility for and to each other. They are laws of love for and responsibility to God. The essence of them is to love God fully and others as ourselves. The rest is commentary–mostly culturally-specific commentary–examples (bound by time, space and circumstances) of universal principles. Therefore to become so fixated on examples as to ignore or minimize the universal principles is to miss the point and fall into legalism.
This internalized covenant is for all people, not that everyone embraces it or will do so. It is for Hebrews and Gentiles alike. It is for those like us and those quite different from us. It is as much as for Hebrews as it was for a confused Ethiopian eunuch who needed a good catechist. Fortunately, God sent him one.
The reading from Exodus speaks of the Passover meal instructions and of the importance of blood in deliverance–the latter being a theme in other readings for these days. In the case of the Passover, the blood protected the Hebrews not from their own sins, but those of Egyptians. This is a point which one might overlook out of imagined familiarity with the text. Anyhow, the metaphor of the Passover as applied to Jesus (perhaps most explicitly applied to Jesus in the Gospel of John, where he dies on Passover itself–is the sacrificial lamb) carries meaning beyond just saving us from ourselves–from our sins.
A traditional American hymn speaks of
What wondrous love
that
caused the Lord of bliss
to
lay aside his crown for my soul.
May we–you, O reader, and I–respond favorably to that grace with heart and mind engaged fully, giving neither short shrift. May we understand correctly and act accordingly, helping others to whom God sends us and others whom God sends to us, to do likewise. For we are all responsible to and for each other.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF GREGORIO AGLIPAY, PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT BISHOP
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)
Now suppose that some branches were broken off, and you are wild olive, grafted among the rest to share with the others the rich sap of the olive tree….
Sometimes a lectionary is too choppy. At such occasions extended readings are appropriate. Such is the case with the readings for January 21 and 22 on the daily lectionary from the Lutheran Service Book (2006).
The Book of Joel, from the Persian period (539-332 B.C.E.) of Jewish history, opens with frightening images. Read the first chapter, O reader of this post, for full effect. Locusts, flames, and other forces have devastated the land. And, as Chapter 2 opens, the terrifying Day of the LORD approaches. The earth trembles, the sky shakes, and stars go dark. Yet even then there is the possibility of forgiveness, assuming repentance, or turning around.
Paul spends Romans 10 and 11 dealing with the question of Jews who have rejected Jesus. In this context he likens Gentiles to branches grafted onto the tree of Judaism. Gentiles, he advises, ought not to become proud and dismissive. As much as there is divine mercy, there is also divine judgment–for Jews and Gentiles alike.
There is an often repeated misunderstanding about God as He comes across in the Hebrew Scriptures. The God of the Old Testament, we hear, is mean, violent, and vengeful. This is a gross oversimplification–read Joel 2 for evidence of that statement. I am convinced that some of the violent imagery and some of the stories containing it result from humans projecting their erroneous assumptions upon God. Yet I refuse to say that all–or even most–of such incidents flow from that practice. I seek, O reader, to avoid any stereotype–frightful or cuddly–about God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 31, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA SKOBTSOVA, ORTHODOX MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENJAMIN, ORTHODOX DEACON AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS ASBURY, U.S. METHODIST BISHOP
Above: Commander William Adama, from the Second Season of Battlestar Galactica
(A screen capture I took via PowerDVD)
Showing Mercy
JANUARY 21, 2022
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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 24:2-20 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him,
Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, “Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem to you.”
Then David arose and stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe. And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. He said to his men,
The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing that he is the LORD’s anointed.
So David persuaded his men with these words, and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave, and went upon his way.
Afterward David also arose, and went out of the cave, and called after Saul,
My lord the king!
And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obesiance. And David said to Saul,
Why do you listen to the words of men who say, “Behold, David seeks your hurt”? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave and some bade me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, “I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’s anointed. See, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for by the fact that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me upon you; but my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! May the LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see to it, and plead my cause, and deliver me from your hand.
When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said,
Is this your voice, my son David?
And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David,
You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good, where as I have repaid you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand….
Psalm 57 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,
for I have taken refuge in you;
in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge
until this time of trouble has gone by.
2 I will call upon the Most High God,
the God who maintains my cause.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will confound those who trample upon me;
God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.
4 I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongue is a sharp sword.
5 They have laid a net for my feet,
and I am bowed low;
they have dug a pit before me,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
6 Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
7 My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;
I will sing and make melody.
8 Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp;
I myself will waken the dawn.
9 I will confess you among the peoples, O LORD;
I will sing praise to you among the nations.
10 For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Exalt yourselves above the heavens, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
Mark 3:13-19 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom he surnamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
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The Collect:
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The lesson to forgive one’s enemies and leave judgment to God is consistent with the Bible. However, like other Biblical lessons, it has insincere echoes on tee-shirts and bumper stickers. So, in the same vein as “DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO UNTO YOU,” one might read, “FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES–NOTHING ANNOYS THEM MORE.” I prefer the Biblical version.
Saul had tried to kill David more than once. When 1 Samuel 24 began, David found Saul in a rather vulnerable position in a cave and chose not to kill him or even to harm him. David did, however, inform Saul of what he would have done, had he been inclined to do so. This did not end the conflict between the two men, but it did have at least a momentary affect on the troubled monarch.
It can be difficult to choose not to wield the sword or another weapon; some might even call it being “soft,” as in “soft on defense.” There are subcultures where being “hard,” as in the opposite of “soft,” is considered a virtue. (Prisons and jails come to mind immediately.) But consider this: David, in 1 Samuel 24, was not being passive. Nevertheless, he did choose not to assassinate his king and father-in-law, who had tried to murder him more than once. David acted properly and informed Saul, thereby appealing to the conscience of the king.
As Commander William Adama said in Resurrection Ship, Part II, an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, “It’s not enough to survive; one must be worthy of surviving.” How much suffering would not have occurred in human history had someone, in a certain time and place, shown restraint and therefore broken the cycle of violence? How much suffering might one prevent in contemporary times by demonstrating similar restraint? I wonder.
(This is a screen capture from the 2000 video of Jesus Christ Superstar, with Glenn Carter as Jesus. The film is the property of Universal Pictures.)
Why Do We Seek Jesus (Assuming That We Do)?
JANUARY 21, 2021
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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 7:23-8:7 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; for he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been make perfect for ever.
Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent, which is set up not by man but by the Lord. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary; for when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying,
See that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.
But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second.
Psalm 40:8-12, 17-19 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
8 Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required,
and I said, “Behold, I come.
9 In the roll of the book it is written concerning me:
‘I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep within my heart.'”
10 I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation;
behold, I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O LORD, you know.
11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance;
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.
12 You are the LORD;
do not withhold your compassion from me;
let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,
17 Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad;
let those who love your salvation continually say,
“Great is the LORD!”
18 Though I am poor and afflicted,
The LORD will have regard for me.
19 You are my helper and my deliverer;
do not tarry, O my God.
Mark 3:7-12 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed; also from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon a great multitude haring all that he did, came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out,
You are the Son of God.
And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
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The Collect:
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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(Another Screen Capture)
We all have needs. Many of us take these to God, as our religious traditions and aspects thereof, including our sacred texts, tell us to do. There is nothing wrong with this. Do we stop there, however? Is prayer little or nothing more than presenting God with a “honey do” list?
We–you and I–and have been following the Gospel According to Mark. (The Canadian Anglican lectionary I am following for these devotions entails doing this for almost all of the Epiphany Season.) Jesus has worked astounding miracles and begun to attract much attention to himself. The desperately poor and sick of his region have flocked to him, and the stress has gotten to him. The man needed some time away, too. Even Jesus needed to be alone. He needed to be where people did not seek anything from him.
Jesus is more than our perfect, celestial high priest, a role of which the author of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us eloquently. Jesus is also our passover lamb, our Messiah, a great sage, and our Lord and Savior. He is our role model. And I propose that we ought to seek him for these reasons. We should seek to please him, as best we can. As the old quote says, “I don’t know how to please you, Lord, but I think the fact that I try to please you, pleases you.”
Speaking of Jesus as role model…..
If Jesus needed quiet time, we do, too. If Jesus needed to escape the demands of others, even for a little while, so do we. I write from a society replete with computers, pagers, email, cellular phones, blackberries, and many other electronic devices. I have chosen to forgo these, except for computers, email, and cellular phones, which have become necessities in my life. The rest, however, are purely optional, and I opt out. One can be too accessible too much of the time, and sometimes I want to isolate myself from the rest of the world for a few hours at a time. So I do. That time is wonderful.
God speaks to us frequently, but how often to we listen? We cannot pay God adequate attention if other stimuli distract us. And we must be quiet in order to listen. We cannot seek Jesus properly if we do not study his life and teachings. All of these efforts require us to devote ourselves to reading and contemplating, among other tasks. These, in turn, are possible only if we turn off the electric and electronic distractions at certain times. And then we might hear God speaking, and we will know why we seek God?
Why do I seek God within the context of Christianity? I do this because of the person who was Jesus on this planet. One can never uncover the full reality of the historical Jesus, in the sense that one can understand who other people were. The Gospels are not biographies, in the sense that we moderns think of biography. They tell us how others understood him, and they omit many details. Yet I can and do know that the historical Jesus was a remarkable and brave figure whom the Roman Empire executed as an insurrectionist. He was a rebel, of sorts, but that is a high compliment. The execution of Jesus was an act of state-sponsored terrorism, judicial murder, and scapegoating, but the death of Jesus was an act of love. It signified, among other things, that God does not desire scapegoating. And, by faith, I believe that Jesus was far more than this. By faith I understand that the divine power to resurrect Jesus is unconquerable. Christ is the victor. Although the Roman Empire executed Jesus, who was love incarnate, it could not kill love.
Let Us Emphasize Our Common Ground and Build On It
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From Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), the hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
Isaiah 2:2-4
Psalm 122
Ephesians 4:1-6
John 17:15-23
God our Father, your Son Jesus Christ prayed that his followers might be one. Make all Christians one with him as he is one with you, so that in peace and concord we may carry to the world the message of your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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Now, for my thoughts….
We Christians have divided ourselves into competing theological and liturgical tribes since the earliest decades of the Jesus movement. For confirmation of this, read the New Testament epistles. Sometimes these divisions are silly or based on ego gratification. Other times, however, the matters are weightier. Yet the tragedy of schism remains, even after stated issues which people used to justify the schism have become moot points or ceased to points of contention. Inertia preserves a high degree of divisiveness within Christianity.
Sometimes schisms remain insurmountable. Yet this fact should not prevent Christians of good will from reaching across boundaries to identify and build upon common ground, to do something positive and for the glory of God together. I do not expect the Anabaptists and Roman Catholics to reconcile, but they can cooperate. Last Sunday afternoon I listened to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) radio interview with a Mennonite pastor who maintains a close faith-based relationship with nearby Catholic monks, often praying with them.
And I believe that when two or more denominations cease to have good reasons to remain separate they should open negotiations to unite organically. But when issues, such as baptismal theology, prevent a merger, the groups can still cooperate on other matters. We Christians have more in common with each other than not. May we build on that.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 11, 2010
THE FEAST OF ST. BARNABAS THE APOSTLE
THE FEAST OF THE REVEREND VERNON JOHNS, U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEER
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