“In the language of the Holy Writ, there is a time for all things. There is a time to preach and a time to fight.” Thus ended the sermon of Lutheran pastor John Peter Muhlenburg, as he removed his clerical robes to reveal the uniform in the Continental Army. After church service, 300 men of his congregation rode off with him to join General Washington’s troops. Born this day, October 1, 1746, and he died this same day in 1807. John Peter Muhlenburg was promoted to Major-General, and later Congressman and Senator. A statue of him now stands in the U.S. Capitol.

Federer, B. (2003). American minute. St. Louis, MO.: Amerisearch, Inc.

Nothing does reason more right,
than the coolness of those that offer it:
For Truth often suffers more
by the heat of its defenders,
than from the arguments of its opposers.
--- William Penn

... from here, there and everywhere

1     Like snow in summer or rain at harvest-time,
     so honor for a fool is out of place.

Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible-OE
: An English version of the Tanakh (OT) and
B'rit Hadashah (NT) (1st ed.). Clarksville, Md.: Jewish
New Testament Publications.

                The sphere of exaltation

     Jesus leadeth them up into a high mountain apart by themselves. --- Mark 9:2.

     We have all had times on the mount, when we have seen things from God’s standpoint and have wanted to stay there; but God will never allow us to stay there. The test of our spiritual life is the power to descend; if we have power to rise only, something is wrong. It is a great thing to be on the mount with God, but a man only gets there in order that afterwards he may get down among the devil-possessed and lift them up. We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle. Spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mount. We feel we could talk like angels and live like angels, if only we could stay on the mount. The times of exaltation are exceptional, they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware lest our spiritual selfishness wants to make them the only time.

     We are apt to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching, it is to be turned into something better than teaching, viz., into character. The mount is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a great snare in asking—‘What is the use of it?’ In spiritual matters we can never calculate on that line. The moments on the mountain top are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God’s purpose.

Chambers, O. (1993). My Utmost for His Highest

I don't know; ask the place.
  It was there when we found it:
  Sand mostly, and bushes, too;
  Some of them with dry flowers.
  The map indicates a lake;
  We thought we saw it from the top
  Of a sand-dune, but walking brought it
  No nearer.
          There are great birds
  There that stain the sand
  With their shadows, and snakes coil
  Their necklaces about the bones
  Of the carrion. At night the wild
  Boars plough by their tusks'
  Moonlight, and fierce insects
  Sing, drilling for the blood
  Of the humans, whom time's sea
  Has left there to ride and dream.

R.S. Thomas Selected poems, 1946-1968

     Unity is essential among Christians, but unity does not mean uniformity; and one of the most remarkable patterns in church history is that God uses his church and blesses his children even when they disagree. History’s first missionary team, Paul and Barnabas, argued over John Mark. Wesley and Whitefield were at odds over various points of theology. And the Reformers themselves, strong-willed men, crossed swords over, among other things, the nature of the Lord’s Supper.

     The Swiss Reformers, led by Ulrich Zwingli, insisted that the Lord’s Supper was a memorial service, while the German Reformers, led by Martin Luther, insisted that Christ is actually present in the consecrated bread and wine.

     The conflict was so sharp that a local political leader invited the men to his castle in Marburg on October 1, 1529. In the banquet hall a long table, covered with a velvet runner, sat in the middle of the room. Before the proceedings began, Luther reportedly took a piece of chalk and, on the cloth in front of him, wrote the words, “This is my body.”

     The debate raged for three days. Zwingli insisted that the verb “is” in the phrase “This is my body” should be interpreted as “represents.” Luther said, “Where in the Bible does the verb ‘is’ ever mean ‘represent’?” Zwingli showed him several places. But Luther wouldn’t budge. At the end of the three-day conference, the delegates had agreed on 14 of 15 areas of former confusion. But on the fifteenth—the Lord’s Supper—they failed to reach agreement, and the Reformers were unable to join the German and Swiss factions. As a result, Zwingli lost the support of the German princes. The five Catholic Cantons of Switzerland sent an army against him, and he died in the Battle of Kappel.

     But nothing could stop the Reformers’ fire, and despite the failure of the Marburg meetings, the doctrine of justification by grace through faith spread across the continent.
|
     During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this. It is my body.” Jesus picked up the cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people. … ”
--- Mark 14:22-24.

Morgan, R. J. On This Day 365 Amazing And Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs And Heroes

     In ancient times, the sanctity of Torah created not only a series of rules on how to live life, but also a series of rules on how to decipher Torah. One of those sets of rules is found in the opening chapter of the Sifra, where Rabbi Yishmael taught that “the Torah is interpreted by thirteen principles.” Those rules gave Rabbi Yishmael and his colleagues direction and limitation in their quest for knowledge from Torah. That same list is found in the traditional siddur, where it is read each morning during the Shaḥarit service. Though rather technical and complex, Rabbi Yishmael’s principles enabled Jews to study a selection of Rabbinic literature each day.

     As this book draws to an end, we offer a series of contemporary rules for understanding Torah in our day, “The Thirteen Guidelines of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Gershon.”

     Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Gershon said: The Torah can be interpreted through thirteen guidelines.

1.     First, we learn.

     Midrash comes out of an interpretation of the sacred text. We begin not with a message we want to preach, but with a willingness to study, to question, and to search the Torah for what it has to say to us.

2.     Learning requires tools.

     Midrash implies a connection to the Jewish past. We cannot rely on ourselves alone; we need to turn to other commentaries and interpretations—traditional and scholarly, conceptual or technical—to ground us. Jews don’t just read the Bible; they study it.

3.     Ask questions.

     We can’t discover a good answer until we’ve asked the right question. Every verse we read should provoke a series of questions. “Who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “why” are as good a place as any to start.

4.     Know the context.

      It is critical to know what came before the section we’re studying and what comes after it. How a particular story fits in to what surrounds it is of great importance in Midrash (even though the Midrash itself often takes a verse out of context!).

5.     Pay attention to details.

      The Bible often tells us a lot less than we’d like to know. When it does pay attention to detail, we should too, because this is usually a hint that we are being told something significant.

6.     Don’t get lost in the details.

     Don’t miss the forest for the trees. Always ask: What is the main point or the ultimate value that is being conveyed?

7.     Fill in the blanks.

     Ask what is missing, and then go out and find it. Draw on earlier or later stories about the same characters, or use personal experiences, or turn to the imagination to flesh out the story.

8.     Language is important.

     So much of the Midrash is based on the particular phrases, words, or letters that are being used to tell the story. Why did the author choose this way and not some other? This means that while we may work with translations, the Hebrew text contains many secrets.

9.     Bring in and acknowledge other sources.

     We are links in a chain of tradition. Bringing in other interpretations shows that we do not depend on ourselves alone. Quoting those sources shows our respect for the ideas of others.

10.     There is more than one right answer.

      Two people may see the same verse in very different ways. And we may find that over time, we ourselves have changed our opinions of what the text means. “Both are the words of the living God,” as the Rabbis often said.

11.     Be respectfully radical.

     From time to time, the Rabbis said things that border on the blasphemous. The key is not what we say, but how we say it. Anger, challenge, questioning are tolerated in Midrash, if they come from within the tradition, and if they come with love.

12.     Let the Torah challenge us.

     We don’t use the Torah merely to buttress a position we already believe in. Just as we have to question the Torah, we have to let the Torah question and challenge us.

13.     Connect the Torah to today.

     After we immerse ourselves in the Torah, we turn outward and try to make it speak to something in our lives and to something in the world around us. Or else, what is the point?

     Creating Midrash is difficult, but it is among the most rewarding things that we can do. There is always a need for … another D’rash.

Katz, M., & Schwartz, G. Searching for Meaning in Midrash: Lessons for Everyday Living Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society.

     How great is God—beyond our understanding! --- Job 36:26.

     I cannot read the Bible without seeing that God has moved his believers in the direction of courage and sacrifice. (Joseph Parker (1830–1902), “The Unknowable God,” downloaded from a Web site of Tom Garner, at www.txdirect.net/~tgarner/ghmor2.htm, accessed Aug. 21, 2001.)

     In the direction of courage, this is not mere animal courage, for then the argument might be matched by many gods whose names are spelled without capitals. No, this is moral courage, noble heroism, fierce rebuke of personal and national corruption, lofty and inspiring judgment of all good and all evil.

     The God idea made mean people valiant soldier-prophets; it broadened the piping voice of the timid inquirer into the thunder of the national teacher and leader. For brass it brought gold; for iron, silver; for wood, brass; and for stones, iron. Instead of the thorn it brought up the fir tree and instead of the brier the myrtle tree, and it made the bush burn with fire.

     Wherever the God idea took complete possession of the mind, every faculty was lifted up to a new capacity and borne on to heroic attempts and conquests. The saints who received it conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames. Their weakness was turned to strength, they became powerful in battle, they routed foreign armies.

     Any idea that inspired life and hope in humankind is to be examined with reverent care. The quality of the courage determines its value and the value of the idea that excited and sustained it.

     What is true of the courage is true also of the sacrifice, which has ever followed the acceptance of the God idea. This is not the showy and fanatical sacrifice of mere bloodletting. Many a juggernaut, great and small, drinks the blood of its devotees.

     But spiritual discipline, self-renunciation, the esteeming of others better than one’s self, the suppression of selfishness—these are the practical uses of the God idea. It is not a barren sentiment.

     It arouses courage. It necessitates self-sacrifice. It touches the imagination as with fire. It deepens every thought. It sanctifies the universe. It makes heaven possible. Unknown, unknowable. Yes, but not therefore unusable or unprofitable.
--- Joseph Parker

Wallis, D. (2001). Take Heart: Daily Devotions with the Church's Great Preachers

PROPER 21, SATURDAY
YEAR 1

Psalms (Morning) Psalm 107:33–43, 108:1–6 (7–13)
Psalms (Evening) Psalm 33
Old Testament 2 Kings 19:21–36
New Testament 1 Corinthians 10:1–13
Gospel Matthew 8:18–27

Index of Readings

PSALMS (MORNING)
Psalm 107:33–43, 108:1–6 (7–13)

33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry live,
and they establish a town to live in;
37 they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their cattle decrease.

39 When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of distress,
and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad;
and all wickedness stops its mouth.
43 Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
and consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

1 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my soul!
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.
3 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,
and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Give victory with your right hand, and answer me,
so that those whom you love may be rescued.

[
7 God has promised in his sanctuary:
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem,
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin;
on Edom I hurl my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
12 O grant us help against the foe,
for human help is worthless.
13 With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
]

PSALMS (EVENING)
Psalm 33

1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
he put the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.

13 The LORD looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.
14 From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth—
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all,
and observes all their deeds.
16 A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.

18 Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and shield.
21 Our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

OLD TESTAMENT
2 Kings 19:21–36

21 This is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him:

She despises you, she scorns you—
virgin daughter Zion;
she tosses her head—behind your back,
daughter Jerusalem.

22 “Whom have you mocked and reviled?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and haughtily lifted your eyes?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 By your messengers you have mocked the Lord,
and you have said, ‘With my many chariots
I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
to the far recesses of Lebanon;
I felled its tallest cedars,
its choicest cypresses;
I entered its farthest retreat,
its densest forest.
24 I dug wells
and drank foreign waters,
I dried up with the sole of my foot
all the streams of Egypt.’

25 “Have you not heard
that I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
what now I bring to pass,
that you should make fortified cities
crash into heaps of ruins,
26 while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
are dismayed and confounded;
they have become like plants of the field
and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
blighted before it is grown.

27 “But I know your rising and your sitting,
your going out and coming in,
and your raging against me.
28 Because you have raged against me
and your arrogance has come to my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth;
I will turn you back on the way
by which you came.

29 “And this shall be the sign for you: This year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that; then in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 30 The surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward; 31 for from Jerusalem a remnant shall go out, and from Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 32 “Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city, shoot an arrow there, come before it with a shield, or cast up a siege ramp against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return; he shall not come into this city, says the LORD. 34 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

35 That very night the angel of the LORD set out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; when morning dawned, they were all dead bodies. 36 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria left, went home, and lived at Nineveh.

NEW TESTAMENT
1 Corinthians 10:1–13

10 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. 10 And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13 No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

GOSPEL
Matthew 8:18–27

18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

The Episcopal Church. Book of Common Prayer Lectionary

     The Dead Sea Scrolls have made their way online some 2,000 years after they were written through a partnership between Google and Israel’s national museum.

     The important documents are available in searchable, high-resolution images, accompanied by informative videos, background information, and historical data. So far five of the scrolls have been digitized, including the biblical Book of Isaiah, the Temple Scroll, and three others.

     Managing Director of Google’s R&D Center in Israel, Professor Yossi Matias said they plan to add additional Dead Sea Scroll documents to the site in the future. The AP says nearly all the scrolls will be online by 2016. (PC Magazine)

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