Archive for the ‘Pietism’ Tag
Above: Archaia Korinthos, Greece
Image Source = Google Earth
Embodied Justice
JANUARY 14, 2024
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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1 Samuel 3:1-10
Psalm 67
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
John 1:43-51
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Lord God, you showed your glory and
led many to faith by the works of your Son.
As he brought gladness and healing to his people,
grant us these same gifts and lead us also to perfect faith in him,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 15
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Almighty and eternal God,
Governor of all things in heaven and on earth,
mercifully hear the prayers of your people,
and grant us your peace in our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 22
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Nathanael said to [Jesus], “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
–John 1:48, The New American Bible–Revised Edition
I begin with the proverbial low-hanging fruit: What was amazing about Jesus seeing St. Nathanael sitting under a fig tree? Father Raymond E. Brown, in the first volume of his two-volume commentary on the Gospel of John, lists one interpretation after another in a long endnote. Then he concludes:
We are far from exhausting the suggestions, all of which are pure speculation.
I do not presume to know more about the Gospel of John than Father Raymond E. Brown did.
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We all belong to God. We all need to serve God. Some of us may be so fortunate as (a) to know how to do that in circumstances, and (b) to be able to do that. If one continues to read after 1 Samuel 3:10, one finds that God sometimes tells us uncomfortable truths. Speaking these truths–even in love and tact–may be awkward.
The reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians requires context. Pagan temple prostitution did occur in ancient Corinth. And, given Platonic philosophy regarding the body and the soul, some Corinthian Christians may have excused sexual immorality (as with pagan temple prostitutes) as being justifiable. If the body was only a hindrance to the soul, why not?
Yet what if the body is not a hindrance to the soul? In Hebrew thought, continued in Pauline epistles, the Greek philosophical separation of body and soul does not exist. Rather, “soul” means “essential self,” one with the body. Furthermore, in Pauline theology, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The body, then, deserves great respect.
Without falling into the trap of fun-damn-mentalism and the excesses of Pietism and Puritanism, I affirm this timeless principle. We, who are in the flesh, serve God with our bodies and how we use them properly. How we treat others, in the flesh, is of great spiritual and moral importance. Whatever good we do to others in the flesh, we do to Jesus. Whatever good we do not to others in the flesh, we do not do to Jesus. Whatever evil we commit to others in the flesh, we do to Jesus.
I do not understand John 1:48, but I grasp this point well. It troubles me, for sins of omission are as real as sins of commission. Pray we me:
God of all mercy,
we confess that we have sinned against you,
opposing your will in our lives.
We have opposed your goodness in each other,
in ourselves, and in the world you have created.
We repent of the evil that enslaves us,
the evil we have done,
and the evil done on our behalf.
Forgive, restore, and strengthen us
through our Savior Jesus Christ;
that we may abide in your love
and serve only your will. Amen.
—Enriching Our Worship (1998), 19
The line about “the evil done on our behalf” indicts me every time. What response does that line elicit from you, O reader?
John 1:51 echoes Genesis 28:12 and reminds us that a better world is possible. Heaven and Earth can be one by divine action. In the meantime, may we, by grace, act both collectively and individually to leave the Earth better and made more just than we found it. The Golden Rule requires that of us.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 9, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF HARRIET TUBMAN, U.S. ABOLITIONIST
THE FEAST OF EMANUEL CRONENWETT, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCES OF ROME, FOUNDER OF THE COLLATINES
THE FEAST OF JOHANN PACHELBEL, GERMAN LUTHERN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PACIAN OF BARCELONA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF BARCELONA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SOPHRONIUS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Isaiah Wall, United Nations, New York, New York
Image in the Public Domain
Eschatological Ethics
NOVEMBER 27, 2022
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122 (LBW) or Psalm 50:1-15 (LW)
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:37-44 or Matthew 21:1-11
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Stir up your power, O Lord, and come.
Protect us by your strength and
save us from the threatening dangers of our sins,
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 13
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Stir up, we implore you, your power, O Lord,
and come that by your protection
we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins
and be saved by your mighty deliverance;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 10
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When I compose a post based on lectionary readings, I prefer to write about a theme or themes running through the assigned readings. The readings for this Sunday fall on the axis of divine judgment and mercy, in balance. Hellfire-and-damnation preachers err in one direction. Those who focus so much on divine mercy that they downplay judgment err in the polar opposite direction.
Isaiah 2:2-4, nearly identical to Micah 4:1-4 (or the other way around), predicts what, in Christian terms, is the fully-realized Kingdom of God. The soaring, positive imagery of Isaiah 2:2-4 precedes divine judgment on the impious and impenitent–those who revel in the perils of their sins. There is no place for such people in the fully-realized Kingdom of God.
Psalm 50 focuses on divine judgment. YHWH is just, keeping faith with the “devoted ones” who have kept the moral mandates of the Law of Moses. YHWH is just, prioritizing these moral mandates over ritual practices. Rituals still matter, of course; they are part of the Law of Moses, too. Yet these rites are never properly talismans, regardless of what people may imagine vainly. People will still reap what they have sown.
Psalm 122 is a hymn of a devout pilgrim who had recently returned from Jerusalem. The text fits neatly with Isaiah 2:1-4. Psalm 122 acknowledges the faithfulness of God and the reality of “thrones of judgment.”
Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 21:1-11, and Matthew 24:37-44, like Isaiah 2:1-4, exist within the expectation of the establishment or unveiling of the fully-realized Kingdom of God. We read of Jesus acting out Second Zechariah’s prediction of the Messiah’s arrival at Jerusalem at the fulfillment of time (Zechariah 9:9-10) in Matthew 21:1-11. Romans 13:1-14 and Matthew 24:37-44 remind us to straighten up and fly right, so to speak.
St. Paul the Apostle identified the resurrection of Jesus as the dawn of a new historical era. Naturally, therefore, he taught that salvation had come nearer. St. Paul also expected Jesus to return soon–nearly 2000 years ago from our perspective, O reader. St. Paul’s inaccurate expectation has done nothing to minimize the importance of his ethical counsel.
Forbidden fruits frequently prove alluring, perhaps because they are forbidden. Their appeal may wear off, however. This is my experience. That which really matters is consistent with mutuality, the Law of Moses, and the Golden Rule. That which really matters builds up the common good. This standard is about as tangible as any standard can be.
Let us be careful, O reader, not to read into Romans 13:14 that which is not there. I recall Babette’s Feast (1987), a delightful movie set in a dour, Pietistic “Sad Dane” Lutheran settlement. Most of the characters are unwilling even to enjoy their food, literally a “provision for the flesh.” One can live honorably as in the day while enjoying the pleasures of life.
Advent is a bifurcated season. It begins with mostly somber readings. By the end of Advent, however, the readings are more upbeat. Just as divine judgment and mercy exist in balance, so do the two halves of Advent.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 5, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF ANTONIO LOTTI, ITALIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF FELIX MANZ, FIRST ANABAPTIST MARTYR, 1527
THE FEAST OF SAINT GENOVEVA TORRES MORALES, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE HOLY ANGELS
THE FEAST OF JOHN NEPOMUCENE NEUMANN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF PHILADELPHIA
THE FEAST OF MARGARET MACKAY, SCOTTISH HYMN WRITER
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: The Marriage at Cana, by Paolo Veronese
Image in the Public Domain
Deeds and Creeds
JANUARY 30, 2022
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Amos 5:18-24 or Proverbs 3:5-18
Psalm 117
1 Timothy 3:1-13
John 2:1-12
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Rituals are part of religion. The Law of Moses specifies elements of ritualism, down to priestly vestments and certain details of sacred spaces. May we human beings shun Puritanical and Pietistic excesses as we focus on the point of Amos 5:18-24. That point is that sacred rituals are not talismans. They do not shield people from the consequences of a lack of righteousness–in this case, manifested in the exploitation of the vulnerable and in corruption.
Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance. We may praise God for having merciful love (as in Psalm 117), but divine justice is catastrophic for the habitually unrighteous (as in Amos 5). Therefore, blessed and happy are those who find wisdom (as in Proverbs 3).
1 Timothy 3, somewhat bound by cultural context, does contain a timeless element, too. Ecclesiastical leaders have a duty to lead by example. They must have fine character. Their deeds must not belie the sacred truth.
Hypocrisy offends, does it not? I recall a news story from years ago. A minister had preached against gambling. Then someone caught him gambling in a casino.
Deeds reveal creeds. Words may deceive, but deeds to not lie. In Jewish theology, God is like what God has done and is doing. The same principle applies to human beings.
In the Gospel of John, Christ’s first miracle was turning water into wine at Cana. This was no mere parlor trick. Yes, Jesus saved his host from embarrassment. Christ also pointed to his glory, that is, God’s presence in him. Jesus pointed to God.
Divine grace is extravagant. It saves us from sins and from ourselves. Sometimes it may save us from embarrassment. Do we accept that grace and point to God? Do we accept that grace and love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Or do we reject that grace?
Our deeds will reveal our creeds.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 30, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF ALLEN EASTMAN CROSS, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN MAIN, ANGLO-CANADIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MONK
THE FEAST OF FRANCES JOSEPH-GAUDET, AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDUCATOR, PRISON REFORMER, AND SOCIAL WORKER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ADAMS BROWN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/deeds-and-creeds-iv/
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Above: Landscape with the Parable of the Sower, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Image in the Public Domain
Spiritual Journeys
FEBRUARY 11, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 8:34-9:13
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Pietism is an error-ridden system of thought. One of its gravest mistakes is the rejection of ritualism, often due to a misinterpretation of Psalm 50. The sacrificial system, commanded in the Law of Moses, is not the problem in Psalm 50. No, the divorce between sacrifices and morality is the offense. Mistaking sacrifices and other acts of public piety for a talisman is wrong. People need to walk the walk, in other words. Their acts of public piety will be genuine.
Speaking of sacrifices, the context of the Transfiguration in Mark 8-9 is the foretelling of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The prose poetry of the account tells us of Elijah (representing the prophets) and Moses (representing the Law) appearing with the glorified Jesus. This is, in context, an apocalyptic scene, as anyone steeped in the culture of Palestinian Judaism would have known. The attempt to institutionalize such a moment is always misguided, for one should keep on moving with Jesus, toward Jerusalem. Faith is a journey, not a permanent shrine.
My journey will not be identical to yours, O reader, nor should it be. Our journeys will properly contain many of the same landmarks, though. The destination will also be the same–God in Christ.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 19, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES ARTHUR MACKINNON, CANADIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
THE FEAST OF ALFRED RAMSEY, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF CHARITIE LEES SMITH BANCROFT DE CHENEZ, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM PIERSON MERRILL, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SOCIAL REFORMER, AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/spiritual-journeys/
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Above: The Death of Simon Magus
Image in the Public Domain
Grace, Demanding Faithful Responses, Part I
JANUARY 13-15, 2022
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The Collect:
Lord God, source of every blessing,
you showed forth your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son,
who brought gladness and salvation to his people.
Transform us by the Spirit of his love,
that we may find our life together in him,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 22
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 3:1-5 (Thursday)
Jeremiah 3:19-25 (Friday)
Jeremiah 4:1-4 (Saturday)
Psalm 36:5-10 (All Days)
Acts 8:18-24 (Thursday)
1 Corinthians 7:1-7 (Friday)
Luke 11:14-23 (Saturday)
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Like a generous host you give them their fill of good food from your larder.
From your lovely streams which bring such pleasure you give them water to drink.
–Psalm 36:9, The Psalms Introduced and Newly Translated for Today’s Readers (1989), by Harry Mowvley
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That is true, of course, so idolatry is especially galling. Marriage, a literal matter in 1 Corinthians 7, is a metaphor in Jeremiah 3 and 4, where whoring becomes a metaphor for idolatry. A relationship with God is intimate, this language tells us.
One of the themes in the Gospel of Mark, no part of which we read today, is that those who think they are insiders might actually be outsiders. That theme applies to our Lord and Savior’s accusers in Luke 11; he was never in league with evil. The fact that a person who knew Jesus could not recognize that reality speaks badly of that individual. Jesus was no more in league with evil than Simon Magus could purchase the Holy Spirit, the offer to do which led to a quotable rebuke:
May your silver be lost for ever, and you with it, for you think that money could buy what God has given for nothing! You have no share, no part, in this: God can see how your heart is warped. Repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the LORD that this scheme of yours may be forgiven; it is plain to me that you are held in the bitterness of gall and the chains of sin.
–Acts 8:20b-23, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
From that incident came the word “simony.”
Grace is free yet not cheap. We can never purchase or earn it, but we can respond favorably to it. Grace demands concrete evidence of its presence, as measured in deeds, which flow from attitudes. Do we love our neighbors as we love ourselves? I prefer that standard to any Pietistic list of legalistic requirements.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 COMMON ERA
PROPER 21: THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEOBA, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN AND MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA, 1947
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/grace-demanding-faithful-responses-part-i/
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Above: A Biblical Oil Lamp
Image in the Public Domain
Secrets, Lies, and Misconceptions
JANUARY 3 and 4, 2021
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you gave us your only Son
to take on our human nature and to illumine the world with your light.
By your grace adopt us as your children and enlighten us with your Spirit,
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 20
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The Assigned Readings:
Job 42:10-17 (January 3)
Isaiah 6:1-5 (January 4)
Psalm 72 (Both Days)
Luke 8:16-21 (January 3)
Acts 7:44-53 (January 4)
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Give the king your judgments, O God,
and your righteousness to the son of a king.
Then shall he judge your people righteously
and your poor with injustice.
–Psalm 72:1-2, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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Solomon built the first Temple. Unfortunately, he used high taxes and forced labor to do so. So much for justice for the poor!
We cannot keep our secrets forever. It is good, therefore, that one’s secrets be either positive or morally neutral. To give to charity anonymously, for example, is a positive secret. To contribute beauty to the world anonymously for the glory of God is also a virtue. I think, for example, of William Arthur Dunkerley (1852-1941), who went to much effort to keep the secret that he was the novelist, poet, and religious writer John Oxenham. Authors and editors of hymnal companion volumes from his lifetime did not know the actual identity of John Oxenham. (I know, for I own such books from that time period.)
Why we keep secrets matters. Sometimes it is simply a matter of privacy. “None of your business” is frequently a legitimate reason. Keeping a secret so that glory will go to God, one oneself, is a good reason, as I have argued. Yet covering up something negative, although perhaps successful for a period of time, will fail, at least in the ultimate court of justice–that of God.
The majesty and mystery of God, in whose presence we are not worthy to stand, is awe-inspiring. That majesty and mystery also becomes an unfortunate excuse to dodge proper questions which warrant real answers. In the Book of Job, for example, God permitted the titular character to suffer as a test of his loyalty. Job insisted correctly on his innocence (to which the text attests). Job deserved a real answer from God. Instead he received the “I’m God and you’re not” reply. Then he recanted. The tacked-on happy ending, in which God restores Job’s riches and gives him more children, does not satisfy me. The God of the Book of Job is a figure to recoil from in terror, not to love.
A faithful, awe-filled response to God, who exceeds human capacity of comprehension, includes loving and glorifying God, enjoying God, and loving one’s neighbor as one loves oneself. Attitudes lead to actions. So, without falling into the heresy of Pietism, I affirm the principle of the Letter of James that works matter. So does being careful regarding what one says and writes about the character of God. Many people have used God as an excuse to justify their bigotry and violence. Some of them wrote parts of scripture. The standard for me is Jesus of Nazareth, God incarnate. Understandings of God have changed and continue to do so, but Christ is constant. And that is no secret.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 25, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MICHAEL FARADAY, SCIENTIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/secrets-lies-and-misconceptions/
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Above: A Greek Lamb Led to the Slaughter, 500s BCE
Image in the Public Domain
Being Mindful of Others
JANUARY 28, 2024
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Deuteronomy 18:15-22 (New Revised Standard Version):
[Moses speaking]
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said:
If you hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.
Then the LORD replied to me:
They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I have commanded. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak–that prophet shall die.
You may say to yourself,
How can we recognize a word that the LORD has not spoken?
If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.
Psalm 111 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Hallelujah!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the deeds of the LORD!
they are studied by all who delight in them.
3 His work is full of majesty and splendor,
and his righteousness endures for ever.
4 He makes his marvelous works to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He gives food to those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works
in giving them the lands of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice;
all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever,
because they are done in truth and equity.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever;
holy and awesome is his Name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise endures for ever.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13 (New Revised Standard Version):
Now concerning food sacrificed to idols we know that
all of us possess knowledge.
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.
Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that
no idol in the world really exists,
and that
there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth–as in fact there are many gods and many lords–yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
Food will not bring us close to God.
We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.
Mark 1:21-28 (New Revised Standard Version):
Then Jesus, Simon Peter, Andrew, and James and John, sons of Zebedee, went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.
But Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Be silent, and come out of him!
And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on talking to one another,
What is this? A new teaching–with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
The Collect:
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/fourth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-a/
Mark 1:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/week-of-1-epiphany-tuesday-year-1/
Luke 4 (Parallel to Mark 1):
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/week-of-proper-17-tuesday-year-1/
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There is a difference between restraining one’s self or one’s children from certain activities (at some or all times) for the spiritual benefit of others and kowtowing to the unreasonable expectations of spiritually uptight people.
I recall that, in the early 1980s, when I measured my lifespan in single digits, my father served the Vidette United Methodist Church, Vidette, Georgia (http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/vidette-united-methodist-church-vidette-georgia/). The parsonage was next to the church building, with just a dead-end road running between the two. For at least part of the time we were there (June 1980-June 1982), I was not supposed to play in the front yard on Sunday afternoons, lest anyone “get the wrong idea,” which I suppose, is that I was not keeping the Sabbath appropriately, i.e., dolefully.
I refuse to live in such a way that I run no risk of offending spiritually uptight people, some of whom take offense easily. Nevertheless, I do try to live a good life, one of gratitude to God. So I decide to do X but not Y, according to that standard, and to leave the taking of offense (or absence thereof) by the spiritually uptight to them. If I were to try not to offend them, I would do little or nothing, and even that might bother them. Even Jesus offended, and he was perfect. How “offensive” then, will I be?
I am not a pietist, obviously.
Nevertheless, as Paul observed, Christian liberty is not a license to do everything which is lawful for one. Sometimes discretion and concern for others dictates that one decide not to do something. This something is not wrong in and of itself, but does the other person know that? Paul was dealing with the eating of meat sacrificed to false and imaginary deities, a circumstance which no longer applies in many cultures in contemporary times. It has no bearing on me in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, in 2011. In fact, I cannot think of anything I do in public that would have a negative spiritual effect on anyone. And my private life is mostly mundane, if one assumes that scandals are interesting. (My life is far from scandalous.)
All this falls into the Lutheran category of “civil righteousness.” Yes, it is laudatory that I did not rob a liquor store last week and that I did perform many good works, but…
Our churches teach that a person’s will has some freedom to choose civil righteousness and to do things subject to reason. It has no power, without the Holy Spirit, to work the righteousness of God, that is, spiritual righteousness.
—Augsburg Confession of Faith, Article XVIII, as quoted in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions–A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord, Paul Timothy McCain, General Editor, Second Edition, Concordia Publishing House, 2006, page 40
I am mindful of the command not to lead the spiritually weak astray, which informs my decisions. To the extent I have succeeded in following the spirit of Paul’s advice in my cultural context, I have done so by grace.
Grace is the work of God. It precedes us and enables us to respond favorably to God. By grace we have free will, so the misuse and abuse of free will is not what God has intended for us. May we encourage and support each other in our Christian pilgrimages of faith, not throwing up road blocks consciously or unconsciously. And may we not have hallucinations of road blocks, either. Thus may we follow Jesus, our Lord and the ultimate authoritative prophet, successfully–by grace, of course.
KRT
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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