Lectionary Ruminations 2.5 is a further revision and refinement
of my Lectionary Ruminations and Lectionary
Ruminations 2.0. Focusing on The Revised Common Lectionary Readings
for the upcoming Sunday from New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible, Lectionary Ruminations 2.5 draws on over thirty years of pastoral
experience. Believing that the questions we ask are often more important
than any answers we find, without over reliance on commentaries, I intend with
sometimes pointed and sometimes snarky comments and Socratic like questions, to
encourage reflection and rumination for readers preparing to lead a Bible
study, draft liturgy, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and
encouraged.
42:1 In Isaiah’s original
context, whom would Isaiah identify as the servant? Was the Spirit put on him
because he was already a servant, or did he become a servant because the spirit
was put upon him? In light of today’s Gospel Reading, who is the servant, John
the Baptizer or Jesus?
42:2 Why does this matter?
42:3 What is a “bruised
reed”? Why would a dimly burning wick be quenched?
42:4 This is the third
occurrence of the word “justice” (42:1 and 42:3). What is the nature
of this justice?
42:5 Now that we have the
formulaic “Thus say God, the LORD”, might we ask who was speaking in verses
1-4? I like the pairing of “breath” and “spirit”. Which creation
account, if either, does Isaiah allude to?
42:6-7 To whom is the LORD
speaking? Does this passage at all inform any doctrine of call? Note the plural
“nations”! Could the dark prison be a metaphor?
42:8 What is the name of the
LORD?
42:9 Change is
difficult. Are most people in the pews willing and ready to accept
that former things have come to pass? What are the new things that the LORD now declares?
PSALM 29
29:1 Who
are the “heavenly beings”? Are there heavenly beings in addition to
angels, cherubim and seraphim?
29:2 What is the LORD’s name
(See Isaiah 42:8)? What is “holy splendor”?
29:3 Is the Psalmist
alluding to the first creation account or simply alluding to the attributes and
praise of the God of the storm? Might we find some some baptismal
imagery and language here?
29:4-10 I love loud, crashing
thunder and bright lightning streaking across the sky because it reminds me of
the awesome grandeur of God. What if we baptized from maelstroms
rather than cute, little, calm, manageable fonts? Perhaps a
domesticated God is not worthy of praise. Consider this quote from Annie
Dillard: “On the whole, I
do not find Christians, outside the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of the
conditions. Does any-one have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so
blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The
churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up
a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw
hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers
should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our
pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense, or the waking god
may draw us out to where we can never return.” Teaching a Stone to Talk,
Harper & Row, 1982
29:5 What is so special
about the cedars of Lebanon?
29:6 Who or what is
“Sirion”?
29:7 Is this a reference to lightning
or to volcanic eruptions?
29:8 What and where is the
wilderness of Kadesh?
29:9 What about the still,
small voice of God in 1 Kings 19:11-13?
29:10 I thought the LORd sits
enthroned above the cherubim.
29:11 After all the previous
violent storm imagery, how shall we interpret this blessing of peace? One could
adapt this as a blessing, for instance: “May the LORD give strength to you. May
the LORD bless you with peace.”
ACTS 10:34-43
10:34 Who was Peter speaking
to? It has been awhile since we have heard from Peter. While it
might be true that God shows no partiality, I think we cannot say the same of
the institutional church.
10:35 Does “nation” refer to
geographical realities or ethnic and religious groups? Does this verse point to
any sort of universalism? What does it mean to “fear” God? Can someone fear God
and not be a practicing Jew or Christian? How does this verse fly in the face
of justification by faith through grace?
10:36 Why “peace” rather than
salvation?
10:37 Did John “practice” or “preach”
baptism? Does this verse justify this Reading being selected for “Baptism of
the Lord”? This verse almost makes it sound like the Gospel began to be
preached even before Jesus was baptized by John and began his public ministry.
10:38 What is the difference
between being anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power? Does this verse
suggest that all illness is a result of oppression by the devil? What does it
mean for God to “be with” someone?
10:39 Why a “tree” rather
than a cross?
10:40 Note that Jesus was “raised”. He did not rise on his own.
10:41 How does this verse
impact our theology of the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist?
10:42 How does this verse
inform our understanding of ordination?
10:43 “All the
prophets”? Really? I think Peter is prone to a little
hyperbole.
MATTHEW 3:13-17
3:13 When was “Then”? How
will you answer people when they ask “if Jesus was sinless, why did he seek to
be baptized?”?
3:14 Was John asking the
above question?
3:15 How does Jesus being
baptized by John “fulfill all righteousness”?
3:16 Jesus “saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove and alighting on him,” but did anyone else see
it? How do dove’s descend?
3:17 Whose voice is heard?
Who heard this voice? Might this verse prefigure anything similar in
Matthew?
ADDENDUM
I am
a Minister Member of Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) and am serving as the Interim Pastor of the Richmond United
Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Ohio. Sunday Worship at Richmond begins at 11:00
AM. Some of my other blog posts have appeared on PRESBYTERIAN BLOGGERS and The Trek.
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