Tonight I was blessed to serve as a deacon (reading Old Testament and Epistle; distributing the holy chalice; and praying the post communion versicle and collect) in the Liturgy for the Second Sunday after Trinity. I'll do the same tomorrow at 8 a.m. This was the first time we had sung Eucharist since the state of Illinois closed our church back in March. We sang the liturgy and the Hymn of the Day (no other hymns; still easing back in and keeping the attendance below 50). I told pastor after the holy liturgy concluded that THIS was the medicine the doctor had ordered. Whew. I've missed singing the Divine Service together with my brothers and sisters more than words can begin to describe. It's been a hole right at the center of life itself.
It's wonderful to be able to return to service, and I eagerly wait when we are not limiting attendance with multiple services. A single service with the whole congregation followed by fellowship is something I didn't realize how much I would miss.
ReplyDeleteOff topic: I just listened to your Issues, Etc. interview on Gentleness. You made the offhand comment that Jesus didn't hesitate to use a whip on people. I'm hoping you can expand on this in a blog post. I got into a discussion about this recently and reviewed a number of commentaries that either said the whip was symbolic of His authority or used only on the animals because Jesus was too nice of a guy to actually use it on sinners, and a few commentaries that seemed to assume that he threatened or actually used it against the money lenders, etc. And translations seem to be varying as well. Where the KJV and the ESV seem to read that the whip was used against the money changers, but other translations seem less clear. Any light you can shed on this would be great. Thanks!
John 2 leaves little doubt that he at least used the whip to threaten the money changers and sellers and drive them out of the temple, together with their wares. Our Lord (as you can read from Proverbs) is not a believer in sparing the rod if the rod is what is needed to drive folly from the heart of His children!
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