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The intent of Pilgrim Processing is to provide commentary on the Daily Lectionary from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The format for the comment is Old Testament Lesson first, Gospel, and Epistle with a portion of one of the Psalms for the day as a prayer at the end.

Friday, November 7, 2014

7 November 2014


The priest and other worship leaders have an important role to play in the liturgical work.  Here the writer pens a paean to a priest whose leadership led the people truly to worship.  If the leaders are worshipping and not simply performing their duties we know it don't we?  We have all experienced worship which is nothing more than going through the motions, getting it all right but without any sense of awe and wonder and worship.  When we are prepared for encounter, when we recognize we do all to His glory and in His presence, everything changes.  Worship should be anticipation, not just what we do on Sundays.  If it engages only our heads then we fail because we are more than simply minds.  The writer here remembers what might seem insignificant details, " he held out his hand for the cup and poured a drink offering of the blood of the grape; he poured it out at the foot of the altar, a pleasing odor to the Most High, the king of all."  These details, however, must have been powerful for him to recall them as leading to worship.  Simple things done over and again, but sometimes magic happens.

How nice of the Pharisees to warn Jesus of Herod's wrath against Him.  (Sarcasm)  Their only intent was to find a way to get Jesus to be quiet or, better yet, leave the area in fear.  Jesus has already covered that ground though in telling the disciples to fear not the one who can kill the body but the one who has power also over the soul eternally.  Jesus gives them a message to Herod telling the king where He may be found.  He must needs go to Jerusalem for that is where the prophets always find their Waterloo, a sad summary of the city of God.  His desire is to comfort her and to keep her safe and yet they will not come to Him.  They will soon say within her walls, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!" but they will then soon also say of Him, "Crucify Him!"  Acclaim is usually short-lived.

John sees a prostitute seated on a scarlet beast enticing the nations to sexual immorality and idolatry.  This woman has a powerful allure.  She represents, in the contemporary context, Rome.  Ultimately, other kings will arise and they will align with this beast to kill her, destroy her and ruin her.  We know that the Roman Empire fell within a relatively short time after this book was written.  We also must know that this cycle will repeat itself through history and that we must always be on watch against the temptation to sin that will draw us from the Father.  We are called and chosen by Him and we also are to be faithful to Him.  Worship is one of the ways we keep ourselves on the right path.


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