At Pentecost, Proper 19C, we come to another instance in Luke where religious leaders watch Jesus to trap him. From the assigned Gospel reading, Luke 15:1-10, we hear the narrative of Jesus responding to Pharisees and scribes grumbling because Jesus “receives sinners and eats with them” (2). He tells them three parables, the first two…
Today in the Spirit: Proper 18C
From the Proper 18C Gospel reading, Luke 14:25-33, we learn that as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, “great crowds accompanied him” (25). “Accompanied” as opposed to “come after me” (27). Luke uses subtleties of the Greek language to distinguish from Jesus’ words the stark difference between being in the presence of the Son of God and surrendering…
Today in the Spirit: Proper 17C
This week’s assigned Gospel reading contains yet more teaching of Jesus found only in Luke. The setting of Luke 14:1,7-14 is a meal with religious dignitaries to which Jesus has been invited to attend. To the guests who were maneuvering to take the seats of honor at the banquet, Jesus tells a parable concerning the…
The Book of Wisdom: Divine Intelligence or AI?
This is the fifth part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” Many Anglicans greet the season of Advent with the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” the second verse of which says: O Come, thou Wisdom from on high, Who orderest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And…
The Book of Judith, the Jewish People, and the Advent of the Messiah
This is the fourth part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” The Daily Office readings for November (BCP page 760) insert ten days of readings from The Book of Judith, from the Apocrypha. This book picks up themes from the Books of Maccabees, which I reviewed earlier, and adds some gender balance…
Let Us Now Praise Famous (and Unfamous) Men: The Wisdom of Sirach
This is the third part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” “Let us now praise famous men” is the best-known phrase from the entire Apocrypha. In the 20th century, it was used as the title of a photo narrative of poverty in Appalachia by James Agee and Walker Evans and a patriotic…
Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha: 1 & 2 Maccabees
This is the second part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” In my introductory article, “What is the Apocrypha and Why Should You Read It?” I suggested one practical reason for Anglicans to do so is that the Prayer Book lectionary prescribes selections from the Apocrypha. Now I’d like to up the ante…
What is the Apocrypha, and Why Should You Read It?
This is the first part of Dr. Noll’s series, “Reading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.” It is hard enough to pronounce or spell Apocrypha, so why should you want to read it? Good question. Answering that question is my task in this series of articles. Did you know that the Apocrypha is part of the Bible?…
The Apocrypha: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Many people coming into the Anglican tradition have been told that the Apocrypha is bad, that its books are pure mythology, or that they distract from the aim of Scripture. Yet, upon closer examination, there seems to be a place for the Apocrypha. The New Testament contains allusions to the Apocrypha, and these writings enjoyed…
