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.
JEREMIAH 1:4-10
1:4 Has the word of the
LORD ever come to you, and if so, how? How do you know it is a word of the Lord
and not some deception of the imagination?
1:5 I doubt this could be
used as an argument for life beginning at conception as this sounds like life,
or personhood, begins even before conception. What do you know about the
philosophy of George Berkeley and does it have any bearing on how we might
interpret this passage? Is this God talking to Jeremiah?
1:6 Is this “I do not know
how to speak” and “I am only a boy” defense anything like that of Moses?
1:7 Such a defense, as
above, never seems to work. Sometimes it seems like God calls us before we are
prepared or ready and we get on the job training.
1:8 Do not be afraid of whom,
the nations?
1:9 Does this remind you of
any other accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures? Is this entire Reading a
call narrative?
1:10 Note two pairs of
destructive activities and one pair of creative activities. How can a prophet
do such things with only words? Is the pen, or the quill, or the word truly
mightier than the aword?
PSALM 71:1-6
71:1 What comes to your mind
when you hear the word “refuge?” What is so bad about shame? Have you ever
felt shamed?
71:2 How does the LORD
incline the divine ear?
71:3 How is a rock of refuge
like a fortress? Do any rocks come to your mind when you hear “rock of
refuge?”
71:4 Is the Psalmist already
in the hand of the wicked and the grasp of the unjust and cruel?
71:5 Every time I read this
I think of “Star Wars IV – A New Hope” and Princes Leia pleading “Help me Obi Wan Kenobi,
you're our only hope.”
71:6 Does this verse justify
the Lectionary pairing this Psalm with the First Reading from Jeremiah (See
Jeremiah 1:5)? Does this verse justify referring to the LORD as a
midwife?
1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-11
13:1-13 Why read this in Sunday
worship if there is no wedding to follow? What can be said about
this Reading that has not already been said? Why do we tend to read
this at weddings when we really need to read it at divorce proceedings and during
church conflict?
13:1 What tongue do angels speak?
Do you remember “The Gong Show?”
13:2 Those are big “ifs!”
13:3 Is this an allusion to
a story Jesus told about a rich young man (see Matt. 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31,
and Luke 18:18-30)?
13:4-7 Is there anything
missing from this definition/list? How about Jenny (Ali McGraw) telling
Oliver (Ryan O'Neal) “Love means never having
to say you’re sorry” as written by Erich Segal in Love Story?
13:8 Of the three Greek words
for love, which word is Paul using? So love is nit teleological?
13:9 Is all knowledge partial?
Does this suggest an apophatic form of spirituality?
13:10 When will the complete
come?
13:11 Is there a difference
between being childish and childlike?
13:12 It is a little enigmatic,
nevertheless, this is one of my favorite verses. Is there any play on the
idea of “icon” here? What is the difference between a thing reflected and
its reflection? The best mirrors in Paul’s day were probably made of highly
polished metal. Glass mirrors as we know them did not exist.
13:13 Where did faith and hope
come from?
LUKE 5:1-11
4:21 Who is
speaking? To whom is he speaking? What is the
setting? What scripture?
4:22 All? Is this
hyperbole? When was the last time you were amazed by anyone’s
words? I think it is interesting that the speaker is identified as
Joseph’s son rather than Mary’s son.
4:23 Where did this proverb
come from? What were people saying about his time in Capernaum?
4:24 What do you think about
this? I wonder if Jeremiah had any such notion.
4:25 What does this have to
do with anything?
4:26 Where was Elijah from?
Is there anything significant or special about Zarephath in Sidon?
4:27 So?
4:28 Why were they filled
with rage? I thought they were all amazed. What happened between
verse 22 and verse 28?
4:29 Why am I thinking about
swine?
4:30 What does it mean that
“he passed through the midst of them?” Was this a sign? A wonder? A miracle?
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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