According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance throughout the Old and New Testaments.
Isaiah 9 opens on a note of mercy. The verb tenses in Hebrew throughout Isaiah 9:1-6 are vague. My historical methodology makes me biased toward interpreting this text as a reference to King Hezekiah of Judah. Yet millennia of Christian interpretation bypasses Hezekiah and makes the text about Jesus. Anyhow, Isaiah 9:1-6 is about the divine deliverance of the Kingdom of Judah from the perils of the Syro-Ephraimite War.
Divine judgment of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel opens Amos 3. Or divine judgment of the Jewish people (in general) opens Amos 3. References to Israel in the Book of Amos are vague sometimes. The status of being God’s chosen people–grace, if ever I heard of it–means that the people (collectively) should have known better than they do or seem to know, we read. They brought judgment upon themselves.
Psalm 27 is a pious Jew’s expression of confidence in God. This text fits well with Isaiah 9 and stands as a counterpoint to Amos 3.
The Corinthian Christians should have known better than they did. That church, still a group of problematic house churches long after the time of St. Paul the Apostle (see 1 Clement, circa 100), compromised its witness by being, among other things, petty and fractious. They brought judgment upon themselves.
Matthew 4:12-23, quoting Isaiah 9:1-2, tells of Christ’s first cousins, Sts. James and John, sons of Zebedee, leaving the family fishing business and following him, after two other brothers, Sts. Andrew and Simon Peter, had done the same.
God sends nobody to Hell. God seeks everyone to follow Him. All those in Hell sent themselves. C. S. Lewis wrote that the doors to Hell are locked from the inside.
Judgment need not necessarily lead to damnation, though. It may function instead as a catalyst for repentance. Some of the Hebrew prophetic books, with their layers of authorship over generations, contradict themselves regarding the time for repentance has passed. That time seems to have passed, according to an earlier stratum. Yet according to a subsequent layer, there is still time to repent.
Anyway, while the time to repent remains, may we–collectively and individually–do so.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME, AND MARTYR, 250
THE FEAST OF SANTS EUTHYMIUS THE GREAT AND THEOCTISTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
THE FEAST OF GREVILLE PHILLIMORE, ENGLISH PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF HAROLD A. BOSLEY, UNITED METHODIST MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HARRIET AUBER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF RICHARD ROLLE, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC SPIRITUAL WRITER
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:
Genesis 12:1-9 (Monday)
Genesis 45:25-46:7 (Tuesday)
Psalm 46 (Both Days)
1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (Monday)
Acts 5:33-42 (Tuesday)
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The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
–Psalm 46:7, Common Worship (2000)
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I refuse to defend St. Paul the Apostle’s consistent failure to condemn slavery. Perhaps he thought that doing so was unnecessary, given his assumption that Jesus would return quite soon and correct societal ills. The Apostle was wrong on both counts. At least he understood correctly, however, that social standing did not come between one and God.
Whom God calls and why God calls them is a mystery which only Hod understands. So be it. To fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant partially via notorious trickster and con artist as well as his sons, some of whom sold one of their number into slavery, was to take a route which many people (including the author of this post) would have avoided. And the eleven surviving Apostles (before the selection of St. Matthias) had not been paragons of spiritual fortitude throughout the canonical Gospels. Yet they proved vital to God’s plan after the Ascension of Jesus.
Those whom God calls God also qualifies to perform important work for the glory of God and the benefit of others. This is about God and our fellow human beings, not about those who do the work. So may we, when we accept our assignments, fulfill them with proper priorities in mind. May we do the right thing for the right reason.
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
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
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 5:1-7, 10 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
(About two years after the events 2 Samuel 1; in the meantime Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, reigns then dies due to an assassination. Then David orders the execution of the assassins.)
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said,
Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said of you, “You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.”
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David,
You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off
–thinking,
David cannot come in here.
Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
…
And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.
Psalm 89:19-29 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
19 You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people:
“I have set the crown upon a warrior
and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant;
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 My hand will hold him fast
and my arm will make him strong.
22 No enemy shall deceive him,
nor any wicked man bring him down.
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and love shall be with him,
and he shall be victorious through my Name.
25 I shall make his dominion extend
from the Great Sea to the River.
26 He will say to you, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 I will make him my firstborn
and higher than the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my love for him for ever,
and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29 I will establish his line for ever
and his throne as the days of heaven.”
Mark 3:19b-30 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
Then he went home, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. And when his friends heard it, they went out to seize him, for they said,
He is beside himself.
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said,
He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.
And he called to him and said to them in parables,
How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.
Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin
-–for they had said,
He has an unclean spirit.
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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.
This day’s reading from 2 Samuel 5 culminates the material from 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 4, which chronicles David’s rise to power. Speaking of chronicles, compare 1 Samuel 31-2 Samuel 4 with 1 Chronicles 10 and 11. The account in 1 Chronicles rushes, bypassing Ish-bosheth and going directly from the death of Saul to the reign of David and the capture of Jerusalem. O well, so much for inerrancy and infallibility.
The books of Samuel and Kings are quite honest, especially about David. There we read about how he ordered an Amalekite, who claimed to have Saul but, as it turns out, did not, executed. In 2 Samuel we read about David ordering the execution of King Ish-bosheth’s assassins the mutilation of their corpses. In these books we read of David’s infidelity with Bathsheba and David’s arranged murder of her husband. Yet this is the man the narrative extols. Nevertheless, it depicts him fully, warts and all.
David was such an illustrious person that Biblical writers referred back to him centuries later, especially as his successors, members of his dynasty, failed to measure up to him. The reign of David became the ancient “good old days.” The problem with nostalgia, of course, is that the old days were never quite as good as many people think they were. Have you, O reader, ever noticed that Golden Ages seem always to be in the past? Yet even then, in the alleged Golden Ages, people looked to the past for their Golden Ages.
At least the authors and editor of the books we now call 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings were honest about their hero, for heroism does not mean perfection. May we likewise be honest about ours, neither excusing the inexcusable nor giving short shrift to the virtues of these men and women.
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.
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
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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