Archive for the ‘Slavery’ Tag
Above: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well of Jacob
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
NOT OBSERVED IN THE SEASON AFTER THE EPIPHANY 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 9:8-15 or Proverbs 22:1-23
Psalm 119:33-48
1 Timothy 6:1-8
John 4:1-42
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First, I condemn all forms of slavery at all times and places. The acceptance of slavery in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 is false doctrine.
With that matter out of the way, I focus on my main point. 1 Timothy 6:7 is correct; we came into this world with nothing. We, likewise, can take nothing with us when we die. Greed is a form of idolatry.
The reading from Proverbs 22 includes harsh words for those who oppress the poor. To oppress to the poor is to get on God’s bad side. Oppression of the poor is a topic in the Book of Amos. That practice is one of the stated causes of the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel.
Judgment and mercy exist in balance in Amos 9. The destruction, we read, will not be thorough. Then restoration will follow. This restoration remains in future tense, given the scattering of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
LORD, let your mercy come upon me,
the salvation you have promised.
–Psalm 119:41, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
Jesus knew how to use harsh language. He used none with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, though. He had a long conversation with a woman–a Samaritan woman. Jesus surprised even his closest associates by doing so. Christ offered grace and no judgment. Many exegetes, preachers, and Sunday School teachers have judged the woman, though. They should never have done so.
The woman at the well was different from the condemned people in Amos 9 and the false teachers in 1 Timothy 6. She was receptive to God speaking to her when she realized what was happening. That Samaritan woman gained insight. She also acquired a good name, something more desirable than great riches.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 3, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF EDWARD CASWALL, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD PERRONET, BRITISH METHODIST PREACHER
THE FEAST OF GLADYS AYLWARD, MISSIONARY IN CHINA AND TAIWAN
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ALFRED PASSAVANT, SR., U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HUMANITARIAN, AND EVANGELIST
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https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/01/03/devotion-for-proper-6-year-d-humes/
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/03/judgment-and-mercy-part-xx/
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Above: King Josiah
Image in the Public Domain
Parts of One Body III
NOT OBSERVED DURING THE SEASON AFTER THE EPIPHANY IN 2021
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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 Chronicles 34 or Joshua 23 (portions)
Psalm 82
Ephesians 5:21-33
Luke 6:27-42
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The faithfulness of God calls for faithfulness to God. We humans, living in communities, have a moral obligation to obey the lofty principles in the Law of Moses, as in Leviticus 18:
- We are responsible to each other.
- We are responsible for each other.
- We depend entirely on God.
- We depend on each other.
- We have no right to exploit each other.
To act on these principles is to behave in a way consistent with righteousness/justice (the same word in the Bible).
We have some difficult readings this week. “Do I have to love my enemies?” “But I enjoy judging people without (much, if any) evidence!” These are responses with which all of us can identify. Hopefully, we have progressed in our spiritual pilgrimages in Christ. Ephesians 5 and 6 contain some really chair-squirming material regarding husbands, wives, masters, and slaves. I do not excuse that which I consider inexcusable. I reject all forms of slavery at all times and in all places. I also affirm gender equality. Furthermore, I contextualize those passages within the epistle.
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
–Ephesians 5:21, The Revised English Bible (1989)
That verse exists within the context of Ephesians 4:25:
Then have done with falsehood and speak the truth to each other, for we belong to one another as parts of one body.
Regardless of one’s cultural context, if one treats others according to that context, one will do well. Likewise, a society with norms that encourage that principle has much to commend it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 21, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH, AND JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH, COMPOSERS
THE FEAST OF JOHN S. STAMM, BISHOP OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH THEN THE EVANGELICAL UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF FLÜE AND HIS GRANDSON, SAINT CONRAD SCHEUBER, SWISS HERMITS
THE FEAST OF SAINT SERAPION OF THMUIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF UMPHREY LEE, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER AND MINISTER OF SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/parts-of-one-body-iii/
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/devotion-for-proper-6-year-c-humes/
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Above: Flowering Herbs, 1597
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-71911
A Difficult Commandment
FEBRUARY 16, 2022
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The Collect:
Living God, in Christ you make all things new.
Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 24
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 22:11-17
Psalm 120
Luke 11:37-52
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Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips
and from the deceitful tongue.
What shall be done to you, and what more besides,
O you deceitful tongue!
–Psalm 120:2-3, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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A callous heart is at least as bad as a deceitful tongue.
YHWH’s criticism of King Jehoahaz (a.k.a. Shallum) of Judah (reigned 609 B.C.E.) was that he cared about himself, not justice. King Josiah (reigned 640-609 B.C.E.), of whom biblical authors approved, had died in battle against the forces of Pharoah Neco II of Egypt. Shallum/Jehoahaz succeeded his esteemed father as King of Judah and reigned for about three months before the Pharaoh deposed him. Shallum/Jehoahaz died in captivity in Egypt. For full details, read 2 Kings 23:30-35 and 2 Chronicles 36:1-4, O reader.
More than once in the canonical Gospels Jesus condemns Pharisees for obsessing over minor regulations while neglecting commandments requiring social justice. There is some repetition from one synoptic Gospel to another due to duplication of material, but the theme repeats inside each of the Gospels. That theme is as germane today as it was when Jesus walked on the planet. Keeping certain commandments, although difficult, is easier than obeying others. The proverbial low-hanging fruit is easy to reach, but keeping other commandments proves to be inconvenient at best and threatening to one’s socio-economic standing at worst. This is one reason, for example, for many socially conservative Christians having emphasized individual holiness while doing little or nothing to oppose racism, slavery, sexism, child labor, and other social ills in the history of the United States. Yes, many Christians worked to end these problems, but many others accepted them or even used the Bible to justify them. Yet, as the Bible testifies again and again, God desires holiness and social justice.
YHWH and Jesus call for proper priorities. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, they command us. That is a difficult order.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 14, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALL CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL ISAAC JOSEPH SCHERESCHEWSKY, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF SHANGHAI
THE FEAST OF THOMAS HANSEN KINGO, DANISH LUTHERAN BISHOP, HYMN WRITER, AND “POET OF EASTERTIDE”
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/10/14/a-difficult-commandment/
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©Photo. R.M.N. / R.-G. Ojda
Above: The Visitation
Image in the Public Domain
God, Challenging
DECEMBER 22 and 23, 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:
Micah 4:1-5 (December 22)
Micah 4:6-8 (December 23)
Luke 1:46b-55 (Both Days)
Ephesians 2:22-22 (December 22)
2 Peter 1:16-21 (December 23)
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And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my savior;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
–according to the promise he made to our ancestors–
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.
–Luke 1:46-55, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
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One function of rhetoric regarding the fully realized Kingdom of God is to criticize the errors of human social, economic, and political systems. Exploitation of people, often via the artificial scarcity of wealth, has been a serious problem for a long time. Many of the hardest working people are among the poorest, for many economic systems are rigged to benefit a relative few people, not the masses, and therefore the society as a whole. Violence is among the leading causes of poverty and hunger, corruption frustrates poverty and creates more of it, and labeling groups of people “outsiders” wrongly for the benefit of the self-appointed “insiders” harms not just the “outsiders” but all members of society. Whatever we do to others, we do to ourselves. As even many antebellum defenders of race-based chattel slavery in the United States of America admitted, keeping a large population “in their place,” that is subservient to Whites, held back Whites and the entire society also. After all, if keeping a large population “in their place” was to be a reality, who was going to keep them there without forgoing other tasks? In human brotherhood free people could have advanced together, but slavery delayed the society in which it existed.
In Christ, we read in Ephesians 2, we are:
no longer strangers and aliens, but…citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord….
–Verses 19-21, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
2 Peter 1 reminds us “cleverly concocted tales” to quote The Revised English Bible (1989), form the basis of the declaration of the majesty and power of Jesus. The oral tradition, which informs many canonical writings, has a flexible spine which preserves the core of stories yet permits variation in recall of minor details. Nevertheless, the narrative retains its integrity, even if it contradicts itself about, for example, in whose house a woman anointed Jesus. So, without committing the error of biblical literalism, I affirm that something happened and that we can have at least an outline of what that was.
This is a devotion for December 22 and 23, two of the last three days of Advent. This is a time when I complain about the inaccuracy of many manger scenes. The shepherds, from the Gospel of Luke, were at Bethlehem. The Magi, from the Gospel of Matthew, were at Nazareth a few years later. What are they doing in the same visual representations? Why have more Christians, churches, and artists not paid attention to these details? Regarding those details I acknowledge that, even if all of them are not literally true, something still happened and we can have some reliable idea about what that was. Via the Incarnation God broke into human history and started a new chapter in the grand narrative of salvation. That is no “cleverly concocted tale.”
God, via Jesus and other means, seeks to reconcile us to God and to each other. Part of this reconciliation is the correction of social injustices, the perpetuation of which provides certain benefits to many of us while harming us simultaneously. In baby Jesus we have a reminder that God approaches us in a variety of ways, some of which we do not expect. We might miss some of them because we are not looking for them. Our functional fixedness is counterproductive.
God’s glorious refusal to fit into the proverbial boxes of our expectations challenges us to think and act anew. May we rise to the challenge.
Merry Christmas!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 21, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN ATHELSTAN LAURIE RILEY, ANGLICAN ECUMENIST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/god-challenging/
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Above: An Exorcism
Image in the Public Domain
Idolatry and the Sovereignty of God
JANUARY 25-27, 2024
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The Collect:
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:
Deuteronomy 3:23-29 (Thursday)
Deuteronomy 12:28-32 (Friday)
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (Saturday)
Psalm 111 (All Days)
Romans 9:6-18 (Thursday)
Revelation 2:12-17 (Friday)
Matthew 8:28-9:1 (Saturday)
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The works of the Lord are great,
sought out by all who delight in them.
His work is full of majesty and honour
and his righteousness endures for ever.
–Psalm 111:2-3, Common Worship (2000)
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We have a batch of overlapping and difficult passages these three days. Some (such as Moses in Deuteronomy and a herd of swine in Matthew) suffer for the offenses of others. People also suffer for their own sins in other passages of Scripture. All of this falls under the heading of the sovereignty of God in Romans 9, in the theological style of God’s speech at the end of the book of Job.
I recognize the mystery of God and am content to leave many questions unanswered. Comfort with uncertainty is consistent with my Anglican theology. Nevertheless, I understand that the sovereignty of God can become something it is not supposed to be–a copout and a seemingly bottomless pit into which to pour one’s ignorance and prooftexting tendencies. We should never use God to excuse slavery, genocide, sexism, homophobia, racism, and a host of other sins. Whenever God seems to agree with us all of the time, we ought to know that we have created God in our own image. We have forged an idol. And God, according to the Hebrew Scriptures, disapproves of idolatry.
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
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/idolatry-and-the-sovereignty-of-god/
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Above: Abraham Journeying into the Land of Canaan, by Gustave Dore
Image in the Public Domain
The Call of God, Part III
JANUARY 22 and 23, 2024
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The Collect:
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
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/the-call-of-god-part-iii/
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Above: Jesus and His Apostles
Image in the Public Domain
Compassion, the Will of God, and Bad Theodicy
DECEMBER 29, 2023
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The Collect:
All-powerful and unseen God, the coming of your light
into our world has brightened weary hearts with peace.
Call us out of darkness, and empower us to proclaim the birth of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior 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:
Isaiah 49:5-15
Psalm 148
Matthew 12:46-50
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Let kings and commoners,
princes and rulers over the whole earth,
youths and girls,
old and young together,
let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name is high above all others,
and his majesty above earth and heaven.
He has exalted his people in the pride of power
and crowned with praise his loyal servants,
Israel, a people close to him.
Praise the LORD.
–Psalm 148:11-14, Revised English Bible (1989)
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Excessive, selfish individualism–that which says, “every man for himself”–violates Biblical ethics. Our Lord and Savior speaks of spiritual kinship in Matthew 12:40. And the text of Isaiah 49:1-15 describes a society in which people look out for each other and the chosen of God function as a light to the nations.
I do not pretend to be an expert on the will of God. Unfortunately, that concept has become fodder for detestable theology, run-of-the-mill bad theology, and merely shallow theology. I have heard people invoke the will of God to make excuses for the inexcusable and read many other examples of people doing the same. Slavery has allegedly been consistent with the will of God, as have genocide, epidemics, and wars of conquest. Many people, out of misguided piety, have committed bad theodicy, describing God as a cosmic thug–a deity I do not seek to worship.
I have detected some consistent threads running through the Bible. Among these is the idea that God cares about how we treat each other, hence the Golden Rule, the Law of Love, and many other passages. The Baptismal Covenant in The Book of Common Prayer (1979) challenges the faithful to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being” (page 305). So, while I recognize and stand in awe of the mystery of the will of God, I state confidently that loving my neighbor as myself is consistent with that will. Honoring that promise is difficult, but grace is on hand to help us live compassionately.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 8, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN VON STAUPITZ, MARTIN LUTHER’S SPIRITUAL MENTOR
THE FEAST OF JAMES THEODORE HOLLY, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF HAITI
THE FEAST OF JOHN MILTON, POET AND ANGLICAN PRIEST
THE FEAST OF THE SAINTS AND MARTYRS OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/compassion-the-will-of-god-and-bad-theodicy/
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Above: The Copyright Information for “Restless Weaver,” an Excellent 1988 and 1993 Hymn, Number 658 in Chalice Hymnal (1995)
The Old and the New
JANUARY 18, 2023
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The Collect:
Holy God, our strength and our redeemer,
by your Spirit hold us forever, that through your grace we may
worship you and faithfully serve you,
follow you and joyfully find you,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 22
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 48:12-21
Psalm 40:6-17
Matthew 9:14-17
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Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad;
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
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/the-old-and-the-new/
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Above: William Lloyd Garrison
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-10320
Faith and Grace
JANUARY 4 and 5, 2023
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The Collect:
O God our redeemer, you created light that we might live,
and you illumine our world with your beloved Son.
By your Spirit comfort us in all darkness, and turn us toward the light of Jesus Christ our Savior,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 21
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 3:1-5 (January 4)
Joshua 1:1-9 (January 5)
Psalm 72 (both days)
Hebrews 11:23-31 (January 4)
Hebrews 11:32-12:2 (January 5)
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Give the king your justice, O God,
and your justice to the king’s son;
that he may rule your people righteously
and the poor with justice;
that the mountains may bring prosperity to the people,
and the little hills bring righteousness.
He shall defend the needy among the people
and shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
–Psalm 72:1-4, Book of Common Worship (1993)
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The assigned readings for these days tell us of Biblical heroes of faith, from Moses to Joshua son of Nun to Rahab the prostitute–quite an assortment! I perceive no need to repeat their stories today, for the Bible does that better than I can. And I have other matters on my mind.
If I were to amend the hall of fame of faith in the Letter to the Hebrews, part of my addition would read as follows:
By faith abolitionists challenged racial chattel slavery in the United States. By faith Harriet Tubman risked life and limb to help her people, who called her “Moses.” By faith Sojourner Truth spoke out for the rights of women and African Americans alike, as did William Lloyd Garrison. By faith Frederick Douglass challenged racism and slavery with his words, deeds, and very existence.
By faith members of subsequent generations challenged racial segregation. These great men and women included A. Philip Randolph, Charles Hamilton Houston, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bayard Rustin, Vernon Johns, and Martin Luther King, Jr. They challenged the United States to confront its hypocrisy, to live up more closely to its stated ideals, and to guarantee civil rights. By faith Thurgood Marshall fought the good fight in courts for decades. By faith brave students, supported by their courageous parents and communities, integrated schools with hostile student bodies and administrators.
By faith Nelson Mandela confronted Apartheid and helped to end it. By faith he encouraged racial and national reconciliation as a man and as a President.
All of these were courageous men and women, boys and girls. There is no room here to tell their stories adequately. And the names of many of them will fade into obscurity with the passage of time. Some of their names have faded from collective memory already. But they were righteous people–giants upon whose shoulders we stand. They were agents of divine grace, which transformed the world, making it a better place.
May the light of God, incarnate in each of us, shine brightly in the darkness and leave the world–if only one “corner” of it at a time–a better place. May we cooperate with God, for grace is more about what God does than what we do. We ought to work with God, of course. Doing so maximizes the effects of grace. But grace will win in the end. That is wonderful news!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 24, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS A KEMPIS, SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN BOSTE, GEORGE SWALLOWELL, AND JOHN INGRAM, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/faith-and-grace/
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Above: The Call of Isaiah
Image Source = Cadetgray
Sacred Vocations
FEBRUARY 6, 2022
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Isaiah 6:1-13 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):
In the year that King Uzziah died, I beheld my Lord seated on a high and lofty throne; and the skirts of His robe filled the Temple. Seraphs stood in attendance on Him. Each of them had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his legs, and with two he would fly.
And one would call to the other,
Holy, holy, holy!
The LORD of Hosts!
His presence fills all the earth!
The doorposts would shake at the sound of the one who called, and the House kept filling with smoke. I cried,
Woe is me; I am lost!
For I am a man of unclean lips
And I live among a people
Of unclean lips;
Yet my own eyes have beheld
The King LORD of Hosts.
Then one of the seraphs flew over to me with a live coal, which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched it to my lips and declared,
Now that this has touched your lips,
Your guilt shall depart
And your sin be purged away.
Then I heard the voice of my Lord saying,
Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?
And I said,
Here am I; send me.
And He said,
Go, say to that people:
“Hear, indeed, but do not understand;
See, indeed, but do not grasp.”
Dull that people’s mind,
Stop its ears,
And seal its eyes–
Lest, seeing with its eyes
And hearing with its ears,
It also grasp with its mind,
And repent and save itself.
I asked,
How long, my Lord?
And He replied:
Till towns lie waste without inhabitants
And houses without people,
And the ground lies waste and desolate–
For the LORD will banish the population–
And deserted sites are many
In the midst of the land.
But while a tenth part yet remains in it, it shall repent. It shall be ravaged like the terebinth and the oak, of which stumps are left even when they are felled; its stump shall be a holy seed.
Psalm 138 (Revised English Bible):
I shall give praise to you, LORD, with my whole heart;
in the presence of the gods I shall sing psalms to you.
I shall bow down towards your holy temple;
for your love and faithfulness I shall praise your name,
for you have exalted your promise above the heavens.
When I called, you answered me
and made me bold and strong.
Let all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
when they hear the words you have spoken;
let them sing of the LORD’s ways,
for great is the glory of the LORD.
The LORD is exalted, yet he cares for the lowly
and from afar he takes note of the proud.
Though I am compassed about by trouble,
you preserve my life,
putting forth your power against the rage of my enemies,
and with your right hand you save me.
The LORD will accomplish his purpose for me.
Your love endures for ever, LORD;
do not abandon what you have made.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (The Jerusalem Bible):
Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you–believing anything else will not lead to anything.
Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five thousand of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.
I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God that is with me, have worked harder than any of the others; but what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed.
Luke 5:1-11 (The Jerusalem Bible):
Now he was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats close to the bank. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats–it was Simon’s–and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking he said to Simon,
Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.
Simon replied,
Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.
And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled the two boats to sinking point.
When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying,
Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.
For he and all his companions were completely overcome by the catch they had made; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners; But Jesus said to Simon,
Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.
Then, bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed him.
The Collect:
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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\My most basic prayer for anyone–including myself–is that God’s best for that person will be that person’s reality. This petition speaks of an awareness that God has a set of purposes for each person and that one’s set is not another’s. There are certain broad generalizations which apply across the board, of course. Glorifying and enjoying God forever is one of them. Loving one’s neighbors is another. But circumstances and grace dictate the specifics.
We human beings have demonstrated the unfortunate tendency to work toward keeping people different from us and therefore allegedly inferior to us “in their place.” Thus Antebellum slaves in the Southern U.S. were supposed, by law in several states, to be illiterate. And, after emancipation, powerful white people did not always provide schools for African Americans. The schools which did exist were woefully inferior in many places. Thus a large proportion of the population lacked equality of opportunity. The society suffered, for keeping another “in his place” requires someone to make sure he stays there. That monitor is therefore not far removed from his victim. Thus perpetrators victimize themselves.
But what is God’s designated place for each of us? Isaiah became a prophet. Simon Peter, James, and John became great Apostles. And so did Paul. Human sinfulness was no obstacle to grace. What is God’s designated place for you? If you, O reader, are fortunate, you are there already. If not, may you get there. Getting there requires human assistance, so may you help others arrive at God’s destination and may others help you in your sacred vocation(s).
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 13, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT HERMENEGILD, VISIGOTHIC PRINCE AND ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT HUGH OF ROUEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP, ABBOT, AND MONK
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARTIN I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF MIKAEL AGRICOLA, FINNISH LUTHERAN BISHOP OF TALLINN
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/sacred-vocations/
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ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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