Proclaiming the words of God can prove to be a risky undertaking.
The prophet Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch knew this truth well. They worked in a particular political context. Not only was there no separation of religion and government, but the monarch, Jehoiakim (reigned 608-598 B.C.E.), was a vassal. Neco, the Pharaoh of Egypt, had chosen him to rule as King of Judah in lieu of Jehoahaz (reigned 609 B.C.E.), another son of the great Josiah (reigned 640-609 B.C.E.). In time Jehoiakim became a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar II (reigned 605-562 B.C.E.) of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire, against whom he rebelled. Nebuchadnezzar II was not amused. (You, O reader, can read more at 2 Kings 23:28-24:7 and 2 Chronicles 36:1-8). The purpose of the contents of the first scroll in Jeremiah 36 was to create an opportunity for repentance–the act of turning around or changing the mind. King Jehoiakim and his courtiers did not repent. No, he burned the scroll. YHWH was not amused. Jeremiah and Baruch found themselves in legal trouble, but YHWH hid them. And Jeremiah dictated a second scroll to Baruch.
St. Paul the Apostle and his traveling companions also knew well the political and legal hazards of proclaiming the words of God. In fact, the Apostle became a martyr because of that proclamation. He also knew the risks of hurting the feelings of people who were precious to him. As St. Paul knew, one is not responsible for the thin skins of other people.
Jesus and St. Paul understood the value of building up others and faithful community. Sometimes acting on this principle requires moving along to another place, to engage in the work of building up others there.
I have belonged to a series of congregations, mostly during my time in the household of my father, a United Methodist minister. I moved on psychologically, burying many memories, when I relocated physically. Nevertheless, I recall that certain members of those rural congregations in southern Georgia, U.S.A., used their positions, whether formal or informal, to build up themselves to the detriment of faith community. They forgot, if they ever knew, that the congregation belonged to God, not to them. Those churches would have been healthier faith communities if those people had acted differently and others had not enabled such destructive behavior. I have seen such behavior less frequently in Episcopal congregations I have attended, not than one denomination is more prone to this pathology than another.
What is God calling you, O reader, to do in the context of faith community? Building it up is a general description, what are the details in your context? And, if proclaiming the words of God faithfully puts you at risk, are you willing to proceed anyway? Whatever your circumstances are or will become, may the love of God and the imperative of building up others, society, and faith community compel you. And may you succeed, by grace.
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
Compassionate God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence
and continually reveal your Son as our Savior.
Bring wholeness to all that is broken and speak truth to us in our confusion,
that all creation will see and know your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 23
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The Assigned Readings:
Numbers 22:1-21 (Monday)
Numbers 22:22-28 (Tuesday)
Psalm 35:1-10 (Both Days)
Acts 21:17-26 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 7:32-40 (Tuesday)
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My very bones will say, “Lord, who is like you?
You deliver the poor from those who are too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
–Psalm 35:10, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Thus he who marries his betrothed does well,
and he who does not marry does better.
–1 Corinthians 7:38, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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St. Paul the Apostle thought that the Second Coming of Jesus might occur within his lifetime, so he argued that changing one’s social or marital status ought not to constitute major priorities. Most important, he contended, was living faithfully to God. Thus avoiding distractions to a proper spiritual life was crucial, he wrote. The Apostle was correct in his case that certain relationships do function as such distractions on some occasions. He also argued correctly that God should come first in our lives. Nevertheless, he was wrong about the timing of the Second Coming and the low priority of working for social justice.
A recurring theme in recent devotions in this series has been the sovereignty of God. I have written that to use that eternal truth as cover for hatred and related violence is sinful. Now I expand that statement to argue that using the sovereignty of God as cover for erecting and defending barriers between people and God is also sinful. Yahweh is the universal deity, not a tribal god. Divine power extends to Gentiles, from Balaam (in Numbers 22) to people in New Testament times to populations today.
I understand why people erect and defend spiritual barriers to God. Doing so establishes boundaries which comfort and include those who define or defend them. Fortunately, God’s circles are larger than ours. Thus our Lord and Savior ate with notorious sinners, conversed at length with women, and committed many more scandalous deeds. As the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta tells me, we should draw the circle wider.
Drawing the circle wider can threaten an identity founded on a small circle of the pure, but is doing that really such a bad thing? No! We ought to think less about our alleged purity and the supposed impurity of those different from us and focus instead on the vital work of ministry. That work entails both evangelism and social justice efforts, for both aspects are consistent with the Old and New Testaments. If I, for example, have the opportunity to help someone who is hungry eat proper food and choose not to do so, I do not feed Jesus. If I say “be filled” to that person, I do him or her no good. I have not loved my neighbor as myself. And, if I affirm the unjust socio-economic system which keeps many people hungry, I am complicit in a societal evil.
The sovereignty of God is far more than a theological abstraction. May it be a great force for loving others as our neighbors in God and therefore for improving society. May grace, working through us, heal divisions, draw circles wider, and engage in radical hospitality. May we witness what the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., called a moral revolution of values in 1967; may we (as a society) value people more than things and wealth. As St. Laurence of Rome understood well long ago, when he gave his life for his faith in 258, the poor are the treasures of the Church.
DECEMBER 1, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF NICHOLAS FERRAR, ANGLICAN DEACON
THE FEAST OF SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT
THE FEAST OF SAINT EDMUND CAMPION, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
The Law of Moses and other segments of the Bible speak of the responsibilities we humans have toward each other. Authors thunder condemnations of judicial corruption and economic exploitation from the pages of the Bible. And the Law of Moses provides culturally-specific applications of the universal, timeless standard to care for the less fortunate. The texts for today offer examples of these generalizations.
Furthermore, those in authority are supposed to look out for the best interests of their people. Often, however, many of them do not even try to do this. Too often I read news stories of the vulnerable members of society suffering from cuts in government social programs as either
no private sector agents step up to do the work as well or better,
no private sector agents can do the work as well or better, or
no private sector agents do the work, but not as effectively.
Something is terribly wrong and socially sinful when one or more of these scenarios is part of reality. That which is most effective is the strategy I favor in any given case. This is about ideology, not “please do not confuse me with the facts” ideology.
Perhaps the most difficult advice from the readings for these days is this:
Never repay one wrong with another, or one abusive word with another; instead, repay with a blessing. That is what you are called to do, so that you inherit a blessing.
–1 Peter 3:9-10, The New Jerusalem Bible
We have all violated that rule, have we not? The desire for revenge is natural yet wrong. And the goal of having the last word might satisfy one in the short term yet does not help matters. And, when forgiveness comes slowly, the desire to forgive might precede it. Giving up one’s anger (even gradually) and the target(s) of it to God and moving on with life is a positive thing to do. And praying for–not about–people can change the one who prays. That is also good.
There is also the question of violence, which can prove to be complicated. Sometimes, when the oppressors insist on continuing to oppress, the best way to deliver their victims is devastating to the perpetrators. Yet, on other occasions, violence does not resolve the issue at hand and creates new problems instead. It is often easier to make such distinctions with the benefit of hindsight, which, of course, does not exist in the heat of the moment of decision. So I offer no easy one-size-fits-all formulas here, for none exist. The best I can do is pray that those in authority will decide and behave wisely.
Yes, sometimes life offers a choice between just the bad and the worse. In such cases I favor choosing the bad, for at least it is not worse. The best we can do is all that anyone ought to expect of us. And, if we strive to love one another as actively and effectively as possible, we are at least on the right track.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 7, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE SAINTS AND MARTYRS OF THE PACIFIC
THE FEAST OF ELIE NAUD, HUGUENOT WITNESS TO THE FAITH
THE FEAST OF JANE LAURIE BORTHWICK, TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
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)
The Book of Zechariah exists in two parts, for time and authorship separate Chapters 1-8 from Chapters 9-14. Chapter 9 is set in an ideal future when the exiles are triumphant and their enemies are defeated–both by the hand of God. The people of God will be like crown jewels. That image speaks of their preciousness to God.
Speaking of precious people….
We read in 2 Timothy 2 that pointless quarrels and misleading discussions weaken the faith of people and give rise to confusion. Yes, some people sow the seeds of mischief willingly. Yet many others–perhaps most–do not think of their activities as destructive, even though they are. Perhaps this is why we read advice to correct people gently and with the intention of changing their minds. Such an attitude recognizes the potential for repentance.
Some who are like crown jewels just need a little cleaning. May we give them the benefit of that opportunity. And may we remember that we might like crown jewels in need of cleaning.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 11, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT DIONYSIUS OF CORINTH, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY NEYROT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF GEORGE AUGUSTUS SELWYN, ANGLICAN PRIMATE OF NEW ZEALAND
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF KRAKOW
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 7:18-19, 24-29 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said,
Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this is a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD; you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord GOD!
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And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people for ever; and you, O LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, confirm for ever the word which you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken; and your name will be magnified for ever, saying, “The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,” and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, “I will build you a house”; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever before you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed for ever.
Psalm 132:1-5, 11-15 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 LORD, remember David,
and all the hardships endured;
2 How he swore an oath to the LORD
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not come under the roof of my house,
nor climb up into my bed;
4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep,
nor let my eyelids slumber;
5 Until I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
11 The LORD has sworn an oath to David;
in truth, he will not break it:
12 “A son, the fruit of your body
will I set upon your throne.
13 If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.”
14 For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he has desired her for his habitation:
15 “This shall be my resting-place for ever;
here will I dwell, for I delight in her….”
Mark 4:21-25 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
And he said to them,
Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.
And he said to them,
Take heed what you hear; the measure you get will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
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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.
Illumination is, for many of us in the industrialized parts of the world, simple. As I write these words, I count four light bulbs in front of me, two above and behind me, three around one corner, five in the bathroom, one in an understairs closet, four in the bedroom, three in the kitchen, one near the kitchen and by the back door, one outside the back door, and another one above the front door. Then I have two storm doors and some windows with blinds; natural light is easy to obtain, rendering most of the light bulbs unnecessary to use most of the time. I tend to use a light bulb for a long time before having to replace it. Yet, if I wished, I could bathe my dwelling place in light. Nevertheless, I prefer to use no more than one well-chosen light-bulb at a time. The light stands out relative to the darkness around it.
Many of the people to whom Jesus spoke lived in small, dark houses. Oil lamps could be difficult to light, so one did not extinguish a lamp casually. So a safety-conscious person who had to run an errand covered the lamp before stepping out. That way the lamp would still cast light into the darkness upon the person’s return.
Light is essential, for it allows one to see where one is going. And we tend to take light for granted when there is much of it. But let darkness fall, and the great amount of light one candle or light bulb or oil lamp can emit becomes obvious.
The light sines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
–John 1:5 (Revised Standard Version)
Jesus is the light in the spiritual darkness. The never-extinguished flame from his wick has lit many other candles and oil lamps, to the current generation. How many candles and oil lamps will you light, or at least not extinguish? And what will the results of your lighting be? This is about far more than people affirming doctrines. No, it is also about people living according to the demands that grace, which is free but not cheap, makes on them as they love their neighbors, work for justice, et cetera.
