Velveteen Priest
So my usual Monday commitment, printing the propers for next Sunday, 18 October. Myself, I have issues with the collect, but never mind, it's just me.
Exodus 33, I've fooled with the OT lesson a bit, we probably won't read it aloud anyway, I added verse 11 where it says יְהוָה used to speak to Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend. Mind, it does not say they WERE friends, and in my stunted experience in the OT, God is only "friends" with Abraham. God and David are different, God loves David not simply as friend, but as his own son, as only a father can love a child and David almost can do no wrong; but God and Abraham are fast friends, my OT professor at seminary said "old drinking buddies". Moses, though, from start to finish, has a tentative relationship of tension with יְהוָה and now and then the two seem too much at odds to go on working together. Anyway, down where God tells Moses he's going to pass before Moses and proclaim b'shem haShem, I enjoyed fiddling with that.
God is not really speaking with Moses "face to face" at all, indeed, this is the part, you'll recall,where Moses wants to see God (Moses is not sure who or what it is that he has been trusting and working with, he wants a bit of proof or at least visual evidence). So God says I'll pass before you but I'll cover your eyes to protect you and only let you see my behind, because anyone who sees my face will die. I wonder if Nachash, the serpent of Genesis 3, wouldn't have pshawed "fiddlesticks, you won't die!"
The psalm, I like Psalm 99, the repeat acclamation He is the Holy One!
Now: in our parish we read the OT lesson from "Track One" (OT bible stories) but I happened to glance at the Track Two reading for next Sunday, and remembered the first time I noticed it, Isaiah 45:1, יְהוָה speaking to his messiah, his christ, LXX his χριστῷ Cyrus. Not only not Jesus, it isn't even a king of Israel or Judah. I believe the only place in the OT where a gentile is called לִמְשִׁיחוֹ֮ l'Moshiach, Messiah, Annointed, Christ. So, I noted some of that and may mention it in our Sunday School class next Sunday morning. Turns out that christ, messiah is not Jesus' last name at all, but one designated ("anointed") to a particular task.
The epistle: next Sunday we are starting to read 1st Thessalonians, which is said to be the first and oldest of Paul's letters that we have. There may have been earlier letters, but this is the oldest one that was saved, the word is "extant". And it has interesting apocalypticism, which we will discuss in class. In fact, the letter is short, so probably we'll read and discuss the whole thing.
Gospel: Jesus' adversaries are trying to trick him into saying Yes or No, either of which will be the wrong answer. Jesus never answers a trick question, in fact, I don't recall that he ever answers a question at all, he turns the situation around and himself asks a question that gets the best of the conversation. Maybe it's an example of what is meant by "God is in control"?
That's all I want to say this morning. Happy Monday. When I was real, Monday was my day off. I'm no longer real, not a real rabbit, nor, for Geppetto, a real boy. Not yet a spirit, I'm sort of a ghost. It's pretty nice, actually, wait till you get here and you will see for yourself.
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament
Exodus 33:11,12-23
11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp; but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent. 12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”
The Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.”
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you בְשֵׁם the name, יְהוָה y'Vah Adonai haShem ‘The Lord’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” And the Lord continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
The Response
Psalm 99
Dominus regnavit
1 The Lord is King;
let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.
2 The Lord is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.
3 Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.
4 "O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob."
5 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.
8 O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.
9 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.
or
Old Testament
Isaiah 45:1
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֮ לִמְשִׁיחוֹ֮ לְכ֣וֹרֶשׁ
OJB
Thus saith Hashem to His Moshiach, to Koresh (Cyrus)
LXX
ΟΥΤΩ λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ χριστῷ μου Κύρῳ
1 Thus saith the Lord God to my Christos, my christ, my anointed Cyrus
JUB
Thus saith the LORD to his Messiah, to Cyrus,
WYC
The Lord saith these things to my christ, Cyrus,
Isaiah 45:1
HEB: אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֮ לִמְשִׁיחוֹ֮ לְכ֣וֹרֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־
NAS: to Cyrus His anointed, Whom
KJV: the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,
INT: says the LORD his anointed to Cyrus
Mechon mamre
כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה, לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְכוֹרֶשׁ
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe;
I the Lord do all these things.
The Epistle
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
The Gospel
Matthew 22:15-22
The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
TW+