Thursday, December 11, 2008

More from the Daily Readings: what if God is sending a delusion?

Yesterday featured Isaiah 6, with God's strange command to preach to the rebellious so that they will not hear or understand, and will continue on the path to empty and ruined institutions. What a provocative message for those of us in and around The Episcopal Church.

Today featured II Thessalonians 2:1-12, which says in part,

They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

What are we to say and do if it is God who is sending the delusion among Episcopalians, giving them over to the falsehood that has been enshrined in all our denominational leadership bodies? No wonder church conventions, clergy gatherings and other events seem totally impervious to Biblical truth - that's just the way God wants it for now.

Today also included the first part of Psalm 37:

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *do not be jealous of those who do wrong.

2 For they shall soon wither like the grass, *and like the green grass fade away.


3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good;dwell in the land and feed on its riches.

4 Take delight in the Lord, *and he shall give you your heart's desire.

5 Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *and he will bring it to pass.

6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light*and your just dealing as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord *and wait patiently for him.

8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *the one who succeeds in evil schemes.


9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.

10 For evildoers shall be cut off,*but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.

11 In a little while the wicked shall be no more;*you shall search out their place, but they will not be there.

12 But the lowly shall possess the land;*they will delight in abundance of peace.

13 The wicked plot against the righteous *and gnash at them with their teeth.

14 The Lord laughs at the wicked,*because he sees that their day will come.

15 the wicked draw their sword and bend their bow to strike down the poor and needy,*to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.

16 Their sword shall go through their own heart, *and their bow shall be broken.

17 The little that the righteous has *is better than great riches of the wicked.


18 For the power of the wicked shall be broken, *but the Lord upholds the righteous.

May y'all have a Psalm 37 day!

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