If one begins to read Ecclesiastes and gives up quickly, one might mistake the theme of the book to be that all is futility and vanity. One might ask,
Why bother doing anything?
If, however, one keeps reading and pays attention, one will arrive at the précis of the book, present at its conclusion, in 12:13-14: The duty of a human being is to stand in awe of God and keep divine commandments, for God is the judge of everything, whether good or evil.
That ethic is consistent with Ezekiel 11:14-20 and Psalm 3. Fidelity to God does not ensure a life full of ease, wine, ad roses, but it is one’s duty. It is the duty to which Jesus, who called his Apostles, continues to call people and for which the Holy Spirit continues to equip the saints.
Sometimes, however, in the name of obeying God, well-meaning people establish or maintain barriers to would-be faithful people who are different. This segue brings me to the reading from Galatians and to the question of circumcising Gentile male converts to Christianity. On one level it is a matter of a commandment as old as the time of Abraham. On another level it is a question of identity. On yet another level it is, for many, a matter of obedience to God.
For St. Paul the Apostle it was a stumbling block to Gentiles. He was correct. Fortunately, St. Paul won that debate.
Fidelity to God is supposed to help others come to God, not to make that more difficult than it is already. May we who follow Christ never be guilty of standing between God and other people.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 19, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPH OF NAZARETH, HUSBAND OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
The economic crisis in Judea was one which entailed some Jews exploiting other Jews–poor returnees, to be precise–in violation of Exodus 22:24-26. Seizing property put us collateral for a loan to a poor person violated the letter of the Law of Moses and contradicted the underlying ethos of mutuality. Both civic and religious leaders were guilty, but at least Nehemiah used his gubernatorial power to correct the injustice. He possessed much wisdom and righteousness.
Jesus, a figure far greater than Nehemiah, also possessed much wisdom and righteousness–more than Nehemiah. Our Lord and Savior–a sage yet more than just that–taught in a particular geographical and historical context, one in which the realities of the Roman occupation frustrated the already-harsh realities of peasants’ lives. Much of Christian tradition has ignored or minimized the economic-political background of Christ’s sayings, unfortunately. Perhaps doing otherwise would have led to unpleasant and inconvenient political situations for ecclesiastical organizations and leaders loyal to governments and potentates, or at least dependent upon them. More figures such as Nehemiah among civic leaders as well as among ecclesiastical shepherds would have helped many people. The same thought applies well to current times.
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
let those who love your salvation say always, “The Lord is great.”
–Psalm 40:17, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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The words of a dying church, I have heard, are
We’ve never done it that way before.
The Bible speaks again and again of God doing new things and provides examples–the main one being the Incarnation and all that flowed from it. The tension between the traditional and the innovative is an old story. One can find both gold and dross among both the old and the new. Yet how can one distinguish between the dross and the gold?
That is a difficult question, one worth wrestling with over time. My study of the past tells me that hindsight proves useful. Traditional interpretations of the Bible in the Antebellum U.S. South affirmed chattel slavery. Thus, according to that standard, abolitionists were heretics. Yet the alleged heretics were really the orthodox and the alleged orthodox were really the heretics. The new was superior to the old. Yet hindsight does not exist in the moment. That is a problem.
Here is another example: I like hymns with theologically deep words. These hymns might be old or new. Their value does not depend on their age. But “seven-eleven songs”–songs with seven words one sings eleven times–are dross. Thus I despise praise songs and choruses, heaping upon them a great amount of undying contempt for their shallowness.
Striking the proper balance between the old and the new can prove difficult. I propose a standard from Philip H. Pfatteicher, an expert on Lutheran liturgy. He wrote:
…the new is not always found in opposition to the old but arises from the old as its natural growth and development. Stability and continuity are essential elements of catholic Christianity.
—Commentary on the Lutheran Book of Worship: Lutheran Liturgy in Its Ecumenical Context (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1990), page 10
It is good to remember that our traditions began as innovations. They became traditions only with the passage of time. And neither theology nor liturgy should function as museums. Yet neither ought the faddish displace the tried-and-true, as my studies of liturgical development have revealed. (Some 1970-1972 liturgies have not aged well.)
Furthermore, some issues are questions purely of taste, with no right or wrong involved. One ought to recall that also.
Isaiah 48:12-21 condemns the faithlessness of both Chaldea and Judah yet ends with the promise of the redemption of the latter.
If you had only listened to my commands,
verse 18a reads in The Revised English Bible (1989). The commands of God are old sometimes and new on other occasions, from our temporal perspectives. May we, by grace, identify these commands and follow them, separating the new and worthy from the new and faddish and the old and worthy from the old and erroneous. So, with the worthy old and the worthy new, may we rejoice in the Lord.
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: Jonathan and David (1642), by Davids Abschied von Jonathan
David Laments Saul and Jonathan
JANUARY 22, 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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2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19-27 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag; and on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and earth upon his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obesiance. David said to him,
Where do you come from?
And he said to him,
I have escaped from the camp of Israel.
And David said to him,
How did it go? Tell me.
And he answered,
The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.
…(The visitor, an Amalekite resident alien, claims to have killed Saul at the king’s request before fleeing with the royal crown and armlet.)…
Then David took hold of his clothes, and tore them; and so did all the men who were with him; and they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
…(David orders the execution of the Amalekite.)…
[And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan…]
Your glory, O Israel, is slain upon your high places!
How are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon;
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor upsurging of the deep!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan turned not back,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles,
they were swifter than lions.
You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you daintily in scarlet,
who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen
in the midst of battle!
Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.
I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
your love tome was wonderful,
passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!
Psalm 80:1-7 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts;
show us the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O LORD God of hosts,
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
show us the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
John 8:51-59 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
[Jesus said, …]
Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.
The Jews said to him,
Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophet; and you say, “If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?
Jesus answered,
If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.
The Jews then said to him,
You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?
Jesus said to them,
Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.
So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
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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.
Details matter, some more than others. But it is sufficed to say that if one is mistaken about a preponderance of details (whether historical or literary or theological, etc.), one risks missing even the main point of what one is trying to say. I am a history buff and a stickler for details, so I try to get as many details accurate as often as possible. It is what I do, sometimes driving others inadvertently to fits of frustration with me. C’est la vie.
Using this approach, I consider 2 Samuel 1 and its immediate predecessor, 1 Samuel 31. I accept neither Biblical inerrancy nor infallibility intellectually or as an article of my faith; I have read the book too closely for that. Nevertheless, I do take the Bible quite seriously, try to keep my details straight, and endeavor not to imagine or manufacture a contradiction. When I catch myself in error, I correct myself. So know, O reader, that I have read 1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1 very closely and found no contradictions between them.
1 Samuel 31 tells us that King Saul and his forces fought Philistines at Mt. Gilboa, where Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul died and the king suffered an injury. Not wanting the Philistines to capture him alive, Saul, asked his armor-bearer to kill him with his sword. When the armor-bearer declined to do this, Saul did it himself. National humiliation followed, with Philistines decapitating Saul’s corpse, placing his armor in a pagan temple, and fastening his body to a wall. Yet “valiant men” of Israel recovered the corpses of Saul and his sons then proceeded to burn them and bury the remains properly.
Now read the portion of Psalm 80 again. It fits well after what I have just described.
So now we come to 2 Samuel 1. An Amalekite resident alien carrying Saul’s crown and armlet wanders into David’s camp. He reports accurately that Saul and Jonathan are dead then states that he killed Saul at the king’s request. The Amalekite says this; there is no narrator’s voice confirming his account. David takes the news badly, orders the execution of the Amalekite, and laments Saul and Jonathan.
There was at least one other living of Saul, however, for he, Ish-bosheth, became king in Saul’s place. (See 2 Samuel 2:8-11.) David’s rebellion continued.
(By the way, compare the accounts in the early chapters in 2 Samuel with those in 1 Chronicles 10 and 11.)
Saul and David had had a difficult relationship. Saul, David’s father-in-law, had tried to kill him more than once. Yet David had spared Saul’s life twice and ordered his men not to kill the king. Saul, in David’s mind, was still “the anointed of the LORD.”
It is easy to understand why David mourned Jonathan, his brother-in-law and good friend, who had saved his life.
How prone are you and I to seek the best for our enemies and to mourn their passing? I can speak only for myself; I need to work on that, by grace.
But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who have walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness–
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
Psalm 27:1, 4-9 (New Revised Standard Version):
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
One thing I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
Come,
my heart says,
seek his face!
Your face, LORD, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
1 Corinthians 1:10-18 (New Revised Standard Version):
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says,
I belong to Paul,
or
I belong to Apollos,
or
I belong to Cephas,
or
I belong to Christ.
Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Matthew 4:12-23 (New Revised Standard Version):
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulon, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–
the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.
From that time Jesus began to proclaim,
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea– for they were fishermen. And he said to them,
Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
The Collect:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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The central theme in the Sundays after the Epiphany is the spread of the Christian message to the Gentiles. This reminds us that message of Jesus is for all people, that God seeks to draw all people around the heavenly throne. St. Peter came to understand this lesson, that God shows no partiality, but that all who follow God please God, regardless of who they are or from where they come.
You, O reader, might notice that the readings for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany fit neatly with those for the Second Sunday. This demonstrates the beauty and utility of a lectionary. Thus my next remarks fit well with those for the previous Sunday.
Everyone has a calling from God to be a positive influence and a light. The nature of light in darkness is such that even a little light makes a great difference; it can be the difference between standing in the pitch dark and having one’s bearings, knowing where one is and identifying the route one needs to take. This light is for the common good, as are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So to use the light for selfish, self-aggrandizing ends is sinful and destructive to the faith community. Actually, the faith community is at its peak when it permits everyone’s light to shine to its full potential. Human divisions–such as politics, economics, gender, race, and ethnicity–are irrelevant to the potential of one’s light from God.
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 8:6-13 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
But, as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For it that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second.
For he finds no fault with them when he says:
The days will come, says the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah;
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
for they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord.
This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach every one of his fellow
or every one of his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
and all shall know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.
In speaking of a new covenant he treats the first as obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Psalm 85:7-13 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
7 Show us your mercy, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what the LORD God is saying,
for he is speaking peace to his faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to him.
9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together,
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring up from the earth,
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 The LORD will indeed grant prosperity,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him,
and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.
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.
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The author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes of a new covenant, one which God has instigated for people without regard for human distinctions. We mere mortals are skilled at labeling ourselves and each other and transforming these into the basis for conflict: clean vs. unclean, Jew vs. Gentile, White vs. Black, native-born vs. foreign-born, liberal vs. conservative, heterosexual vs. homosexual, male vs. female, Protestant vs. Roman Catholic, et cetera. We are a tribal bunch, are we not? Yet our notions of what is proper or clean do not bind God.
This theme runs through the canonical Gospels. Jesus was on the outs with the religious establishment of his own religion, and he found faith among prostitutes, Roman collaborators, tax collectors (working for Rome), Gentiles attracted to Judaism (yet kept marginal by the orthodox), and notorious sinners. Shame and honor are social constructs; one has or lacks them according to consensus. By this standard, Jesus died shamefully. Yet the instrument of his execution has become a symbol of triumph and a popular symbol for jewelry.
Let us consider the motley crew we call the Twelve Apostles.
Simon Peter was impetuous. He went on to deny Jesus three times before finding his sea legs and becoming the leader of the group.
Thomas was a healthy skeptic, and thus a good foil to Simon Peter’s tendency to blurt out unfortunate yet well-meant statements.
James and John, sons of Zebedee, were cousins of Jesus. The standard translation of boanerges is “sons of thunder,” but I recall a now-deceased seminary professor saying that “hellraiser” is a better rendering of the word.
Matthew had been a tax collector for the Roman Empire. The tax farming system was set up such that he and other tax collectors gathered more funds than the Empire required. They passed along the Empire’s taxes and kept the rest for themselves. They were literal tax thieves, not to mention collaborators.
Simon the Cananaean had been a violent revolutionary trying to expel the occupying Romans.
Judas Iscariot became disappointed in Jesus, whom he betrayed.
Unfortunately, we know little about some of the Apostles. This is one area in which I would have asked the authors of the canonical Gospels for more information.
Ten of the Twelve Apostles died as martyrs.
The canonical Gospels (especially Mark) are clear that the Apostles misunderstood Jesus for years. Others knew who and what Jesus was and what that meant (at least partially). Yet the Apostles stand out in the Gospels as not being the brightest crayons in the box.
There is hope in this for you and me. Jesus did not call he qualified; he qualified the called. Our Lord and Savior recognized the potential in these men. And it worked out well in 11 of 12 cases. It did not work out well immediately, but I have my faith today in large part because of the Apostles and their actions.
The universal covenant of Christ defies human labels. Jesus had both a former Roman tax collector and a former insurrectionist against Roman imperial rule within his inner circle. Both Matthew and Simon found their unity in Jesus.
The universal covenant of Christ is written on human hearts and minds. It is internalized, based on love of God. This is a healthy spiritual relationship built on terror, but on trust, awe, and respect. In this context social constructs, such as shame and honor, mean nothing. Most of the Apostles died shamefully, according to human standards. Yet their martyrdoms were not shameful, for these men died for the love of God and their fellow human beings.
In the early 1950s, during the McCarthy Era witchhunts, Doris Plenn wrote the following words:
When tyrants tremble, sick with fear,
And hear their death-knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile,
Our thoughts to them go winging;
When friends by shame are undefiled,
How can I keep from singing?
I suspect that we humans like labels, such as “clean” and “unclean” because they help us order our world in ways convenient for us. We tell ourselves that are “clean,” of course, and those different people are “unclean.” We heap shame upon the heads of others when they have done nothing wrong and we excuse ourselves when we sin. But God does not see as we do; God looks on the heart. And, as Jesus said, certain prostitutes will enter Heaven before some of us, who think ourselves respectable, will. So, what is certain? The judgment, mercy, and wisdom of God, which exceed human understanding, are constant. And, if that makes you uncomfortable, that might be a healthy spiritual sign, depending on what you do with that discomfort. Will you examine yourself spiritually and be open to God, or will you resist?
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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