More Lectionary Madness
Once again those strange nameless characters who compile the daily lectionary have pulled off the astonishing achievement of shooting themselves in the foot by making a chapter of the Bible meaningless. (I mean, who are these people? Do they even trial these lectionaries? 'Cause it sure as hell looks as if they don't actually use them!)
This evening we were invited to read Daniel 1.1-7, 20-end. The story of how Jerusalem was besieged and captured by Nebuchadnezzar, many of its leading citizens taken into exile, among whom were four young Jews who were assigned to serve in the royal palace. They were given new (Babylonian) names, and trained ... and they came top of the class, excelling even their native-born Babylonian colleagues.
Now I'm all for leaving out of Holy Scriptures anything that looks like a polemical tract in favour of vegetarian teetotalism (Daniel 1.8-19) - I like my beef and beer like the next good Chestertonian. What I can't forgive is the violence these lectionary compilers do to the Story when they mess it about like this. The whole point of the Story is that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were faithful and obedient to the Lord and to the Law, even at the risk of their lives, and resisted the temptations offered by the Babylon of their day. And because of their faithful obedience, they were blessed, and came to be in a position where they could be used by God.
A generation that only read the Bible in the filleted, meaningless form of the present daily lectionary, wouldn't have a clue about this.
(I can only pin my hopes on human nature. Which, if most people are like me, means that when you're told to leave out some verses, those are exactly the ones you want to read, to find out what's going on. Perhaps the lectionary should have a warning like the Radio Times: May be edited for its vegetarianism.)
This evening we were invited to read Daniel 1.1-7, 20-end. The story of how Jerusalem was besieged and captured by Nebuchadnezzar, many of its leading citizens taken into exile, among whom were four young Jews who were assigned to serve in the royal palace. They were given new (Babylonian) names, and trained ... and they came top of the class, excelling even their native-born Babylonian colleagues.
Now I'm all for leaving out of Holy Scriptures anything that looks like a polemical tract in favour of vegetarian teetotalism (Daniel 1.8-19) - I like my beef and beer like the next good Chestertonian. What I can't forgive is the violence these lectionary compilers do to the Story when they mess it about like this. The whole point of the Story is that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were faithful and obedient to the Lord and to the Law, even at the risk of their lives, and resisted the temptations offered by the Babylon of their day. And because of their faithful obedience, they were blessed, and came to be in a position where they could be used by God.
A generation that only read the Bible in the filleted, meaningless form of the present daily lectionary, wouldn't have a clue about this.
(I can only pin my hopes on human nature. Which, if most people are like me, means that when you're told to leave out some verses, those are exactly the ones you want to read, to find out what's going on. Perhaps the lectionary should have a warning like the Radio Times: May be edited for its vegetarianism.)
posted by Tony at 11/19/2004 06:45:00 pm
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