Lectionary
Ruminations 2.0 is a revised continuation of Lectionary Ruminations. Focusing on The Revised Common Lectionary Readings for the upcoming Sunday from New Revised
Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible, Lectionary
Ruminations 2.0 draws on nearly thirty years of pastoral experience. Believing that the questions we ask are often
more important than any answers we find, without overreliance on commentaries I
intend with comments and questions to encourage reflection and rumination for
readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are
invited and encouraged. All lectionary
links are to the via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings
website.
FOR AN UPDATED AND REVISED VERSION, GO
TO THIS LINK
1:8 Thus begins the Moses
cycle/narrative. What does this verse
say about the importance of memory? Might we consider this reading a feminist narrative?
1:9-10 How might these
verse inform current thinking and analysis of American immigration policy and
even recent events in Ferguson, Missouri?
1:11 What do we know about
Pithon and Rameses?
1:12 What lesson might be
learned from this?
1:13-14 What Governments
are ruthless today?
1:15 Were Shiphrah and Puah
the only two midwives?
1:16 Why kill the males but
allow the females to live. The opposite
would seem to make better sense. I
wonder if Shiphrah and Puah served as midwives only to Hebrew woman or also to
Egyptian women
1:17 In this context what
does it mean to fear God? Did Shiphrah and Puah engage in civil disobedience?
1:19 When is it alright to
lie?
1:22 Was Moses the only Hebrew
baby boy thrown into the Nile? How might this verse and 1:16 inform our
understanding of the account of the slaughter of the innocents found in Matthew
2:13-23?
2:1 Why are the man and
woman not named? Is there anything
special about the house of Levi?
2:2 What might have
happened if she saw that he was not a FINE baby? Is there anything significant
about the time span of three months?
2:3 What else was once
plastered with bitumen and pitch? What is the Hebrew word translated as “basket”
and how else is it used in the Hebrew Scriptures?
2:4 Did the mother tell the
sister to watch or did the sister take this watching upon herself?
2:5 This seems like a fortuitous
and ironic development.
2:6 Why did she think this
might be a Hebrew baby?
2:7 I think the sister acts
somewhat boldly here as she makes the best of the opportunity.
2:8 This sounds like a
strange construction since this is the boys sister and thus his mother is also
her mother, yet she is referred to “the girl”.
2:9 The child’s own mother
ends up nursing her child who might have died if the daughter of the man who
ordered his death had not found him and had pity.
1:10 Yes, this explains the
name Moses, bit is there also some foreshadowing going on here?
12:1-2a Sometimes when I
begin a responsive reading and the response sounds shallow, hollow, and barely audible,
I will repeat the call phrase. Might
something similar be happening here?
12:2b Who are Israel’s
enemies that attacked?
12:2b-6 Does this Psalm
reflect the Exodus? Why is this Psalm paired with the First reading?
12:8 This sounds like a
familiar refrain.
12:1 What is a “living”
sacrifice? What is “spiritual”
worship? Is there such a thing as
unspiritual or spiritless worship? How might Paul have addressed the holocaust,
or Shoah?
12:2 What is the difference
between “conformed” and” transformed”?
How are our minds renewed? Why
does Paul write about the renewing of our minds rather than the renewing of our
hearts?
12:3 How do we measure our
faith? Do you think that sometimes Paul thought to much oh himself?
12:4 What does Paul mean by
“members”?
12:5I understand the logic
with the exception of the last phrase.
How are we individually members one of another? Might holography and
holograms help us here?
12:6 “We have gifts that
differ” in the NRSV is “We have gifts differing” in the KJV. It is the biblical
phrase that inspired Myers and Briggs to title their book applying Jung’s type
theory Gifts Differing. You may want to also look at 1 Corinthians
12. What are your gifts?
16:13 Where did Jesus enter
from? Is there anything special about
the district of Caesarea Philippi? Why
would Jesus ask his disciples this question?
Does the average person in the pew or Bible Study have a clue about the
baggage associated with “Son of Man” language and imagery?
16:14 Apparently there were
various views of who Jesus was. I guess times have not changed.
16:15 Here is the
quintessential question. What is your answer? IMHO, Statements of Faith
prepared for examination of a candidate or transferring minister tells us more
about a person’s breadth of theological education and ability to think
systematically than they do about what a person actually believes.
16:16 As usual, Peter is
the first to speak up. Did he get it
right or did he stick his foot into his mouth? Compare the Gospel parallels. Can we think of each of the Gospels as a
somewhat unique answer to this question?
16:17 What does this say
about the nature of revelation?
16:18 What is the play on
words with “Peter” and “rock”? What and
where is Hades?
16:19 What are the “keys to
the kingdom”? What does it mean to “bind”
and to “loose”?
16:20 Why would Jesus order
his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah? Has this passage just equated “the Son of
Man” with “the Messiah”?
ADDENDUM
No comments:
Post a Comment