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.
3:1 The Moses saga continues with last week’s infant Moses now a
married, grown man. What other great figures from the Jewish Scriptures
spent their early life as a shepherd? Is the fact that Moses’
father-in-law was a priest a foreshadowing of Moses future role? Where or what
is Midian and is it significant? Why would Moses lead his flock beyond the
wilderness where there be dragons or deities? Did Moses know he was near Horeb,
the mountain of God, or is this description hindsight?
3:2 Note that in the NRSV it is “the”—not “an”—angel of the
LORD. Why do we usually refer to this as “the burning bush” rather than
“the bush that was not consumed?” How often are angels and/or the LORD
associated with fire?
3:3 Turn aside? Where had Moses been looking before he looked
at the bush?
3:4 What if Moses had never turned aside? Might we miss signs of
God’s presence if we are not attentive, not turning aside to notice something
out of the ordinary? How often in the Jewish Scriptures does God call a
person’s name twice? How many people in the Jewish Scriptures, and who,
respond to God “Here I am.” If the angel of the LORD appeared to Moses from the
midst of the bush, why did the LORD and not the angel call to Moses?
3:5 Why do some people remove their shoes and socks when standing
on holy ground? Why do Christians not worship barefooted? I wonder how close to
the bush Moses was when he was commanded to remove his sandals.
3:6 Who was Moses’ father? Abraham? Isaac? Jacob?
Someone else? Why are only men mentioned? Can we be faithful
to Scripture and include Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel as well as Zilpah and
Bilha in this list? Why was Moses afraid to look at God?
3:7 What took God so long to respond? How does God “know”
their sufferings?
3:8 Where has God come down from and why did God need to come down
at all? What is a land flowing with milk and honey like? Is it not a
problem that this land seems to be already inhabited by others?
3:9 How did the cry of the Israelites come to God? How did
God see?
3:10 So, God comes down (v. 7), but sends Moses!
3:11 A perfectly good question.
3:12 It sounds like the confirmation will be after the fact?
It is like me telling you that you are an excellent Biblical scholar and you
asking me how you can be sure that you are an excellent Biblical Scholar and me
answering that you will know you are an excellent Biblical Scholar when you
earn a Ph.D.
3:13 Why does Moses refer to “your ancestors” rather than “our
ancestors”? Why is knowing God’s name so important?
3:14 “I AM WHO I AM?” Why, in NRSV, does this appear in upper case
letters?
3:15 It seems that the LORD is known more by past associations than
name or title, nevertheless, exactly what is God’s name and title? Is
God’s name the same as God’s title?
PSALM 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b
105:1 In the NRSV, “LORD” is all upper case. Therefore, what
would be the “name” to call on? What are the LORD’s deeds? Who are the
peoples?
105:2 This is beginning to read like a couplet. Are Hymns in worship
sung “about” God or “to” God? Are the LORD’s wonderful works the same as the
LORD’s deeds?
105:3 How does one “Glory in” the LORD’s name when the LORD’s name is
not pronounced? Does your heart rejoice?
105:4 How can we continuously seek God’s presence? Is the
LORD not always present with us?
105:5 Are both “miracles” and “judgments” among the LORD’s works
in 105:2?
105:6 Why is Isaac omitted?
105:23-26 Is this merely a retelling of part of salvation history or is
something more going on here?
105:45b A budding psalmist can never go wrong ending a psalm this way. How
often do we end up praising the LORD for something we at first was a
curse?
ROMANS 12:9-21
12:9 How can love not be genuine? Is “hating evil” the
opposite of “holding fast to what is good?”
12:10 Is non-mutual affection better than no affection at all?
12:11 What is zeal? What does it mean to be ardent in spirit?
12:12 How does one persevere in prayer?
12:13 Is this a reference to any particular offering? How long
should hospitality to strangers last?
12:14 What does Paul mean by “bless”and”curse?”
12:15 Who were rejoicing and who were weeping?
12:16 What if we extended the admonition to “live in harmony with one
another” to extend to other species? Who are the lowly? I think Socrates
would have liked this verse.
12:17 What is noble in the sight of all?
12:18 And what if by “all” we meant all living creation, not just
other humans? What if it is not possible to live peaceably with all?
12:19 What is the “wrath of God”? While Paul advises us to not
avenge ourselves, what about state sanctioned punishment for crime? Where is it
written that “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” and how often is
it quoted out of context and misapplied?
12:20 Since when is food and water the same as burning coals?
Is this good statecraft and foreign policy? What would H. Richard Niebuhr
say about this? What sort of enemies does Paul have in mind?
12:21 Paul is sounding like Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King
Jr. Or maybe King and Gandhi learned their non-violent civil resistance
from Paul! Or Jesus?
MATTHEW 16:21-28
16:21 From what time on? Why did Jesus not show this earlier? What
does it mean that he is “showing” and not “telling?”
16:22 Why did Peter take Jesus aside? Why did Peter rebuke
Jesus?
16:23 Did Jesus just refer to Peter as Satan? What is the pun
in referring to Peter as a stumbling block? What is the human thing Peter
was setting his mind on? What was the divine thing Jesus wanted Peter to
set his mind on?
16:24 What does it mean to “deny” oneself? Is there a difference
between taking up Jesus’ cross and taking up one’s own cross?
16:25 What is the meaning of this? Is this a paradox?
16:26 What is a life worth?
16:27 Who is “the Son of Man”? Is Jesus applying this title to
himself? Why this shift from moral admonition to apocalyptic language?
16:28 How shall we interpret this passage nearly twenty centuries
after the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ? What does it mean
to “see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom?” Can we read this as
a reference to the Christian Pentecost of Acts rather than a second coming of
Christ?
ADDENDUM
I am a Minister Member of Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and am serving as the Pastor of the Bethlehem United Presbyterian Church, Wheeling, WV. Sunday Worship at Bethlehem begins at 10:45 AM. Here is Bethlehem United's Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/Bethlehem-United-Presbyterian-Church-102482088303980
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