Who is like you, יְהֹוָ֖ה
We have delightful scripture appointed for next Sunday, 13 September 2020, Proper 19A. First is the story of Israel crossing the Red Sea (or, the Sea of Reeds, which we don't like as well because in the mind's eye it is less dramatic for the bad guys to get stuck in the mud, and far less satisfying than to have our savior יְהֹוָ֖ה suddenly close the ocean in on them!). All manner of things in there for a Sunday School class to ponder.
And for a bit of a change, the Lectionary framers offer us a choice of readings as our Response to that good old-time Sunday School bible story. Either response is apt, but if I were choosing, it would be the second one, and we would stand and shout-out sing The Song of Miriam, which not only is one of our canticles set to singable music, but also is a joyous, joyful, loud, clap, and pump the air with your fist victorious hymn that was a favorite of my class when I was in seminary!
As usual for my new +Time normal, I give myself three hacks at the upcoming Sunday's readings. Monday opens the week ahead with all the Propers for next Sunday, and possibly commenting on one or all of the five (counting the Collect).
Wednesday I probably train on one of them and have a little fun with it just as if we were in our Sunday School class (looking below, I'm thinking it'll likely be the Romans reading).
Then Sunday I finish the week with a final comment on one, the story, or the collect, or the psalm, lesson or gospel. If I'm in the pulpit on the Sunday, as was the case yesterday, I print my sermon/homily manuscript as soon as our 10:30 worship service ends, while still sitting in my chair up front in the chancel.
For a change in +Time.1, I'm resorting as I DWP to using what I've always regarded as the mark of a fool, an exclamation point, as it hits me! But no political stuff. Continued restraint in employing "very", the singularly most overused word in the English language, and especially "very, very", or "very, very, very", sure and certain σημείων signs of intellectual darkness.
Tom+
The Collect
O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament
Exodus 14:19-31
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord יְהֹוָ֖ה drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”
Then יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
Thus יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord and believed in יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord and in his servant Moses.
The Response
Psalm 114 In exitu Israel
1 Hallelujah!
When Israel came out of Egypt, * the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
2 Judah became God's sanctuary * and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea beheld it and fled; * Jordan turned and went back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, * and the little hills like young sheep.
5 What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? * O Jordan, that you turned back?
6 You mountains, that you skipped like rams? * you little hills like young sheep?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, * at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water * and flint-stone into a flowing spring.
or
The Response
Exodus 15:1b-11,20-21
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior; יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord is his name.
“Pharaoh's chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power-- your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble.
At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
“Who is like you, יְהֹוָ֖ה O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?”
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.
And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to יְהֹוָ֖ה the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”
The Epistle
Romans 14:1-12
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.
We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."
So then, each of us will be accountable to God.
The Gospel
Matthew 18:21-35
Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.
So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”