Summit to Shore

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, February 19, 2012, the Transfiguration of the Lord (Year B)

2012-02-16T00:05:00.044-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

First Reading - 2 Kings2:1-12

vs. 1-12 How much does this reading influence our understanding of the Transfiguration and inform our interpretation of Mark 9:2-9? Can we read Mark 9:29, in part, as Midrash on this reading? What is a whirlwind?

v. 3 Who are the company of prophets here and in verse 5? Why did Elisha bid them to keep silent? What do you know about Bethel?

v. 5 What do you know about Jericho?

v. 6 What do you know about the Jordan? Why this travel narrative?

v. 7 Is there anything significant or symbolic about the number fifty?

v. 8 What is a mantel? Is this a Midrash on Moses’ parting of the Red Sea?

v. 9 What is a double measure of spirit? I would settle for half of Elijah’s spirit.

v. 11 Why does a chariot of fire and horses of fire appear? What is their relationship to the whirlwind?

v. 12 Why did Elisha tear his clothes in two?

Psalm - Psalm 50:1-6

v. 1 Does God not summon from the setting of the sun to its rising?

v. 2 What is perfect beauty?

v. 3 Does this verse alone justify this Psalm being paired with the First Reading?

v. 5 Are we to assume from the First Reading that only Elijah was faithful?

Second Reading - 2Corinthians 4:3-6

v. 3 Is our gospel veiled? What sort of veil is Paul talking about?

v. 4 Who, or what, is the god of this world? How does this verse illuminate our understanding of the Transfiguration and inform our interpretation of the Gospel Reading?

v. 6 Wherein Scripture did God say “Let light shine out of darkness,”?

Gospel - Mark 9:2-9

v. 2 Six days later, after what? Why does Jesus always seem to take with him Peter, James and John? Whatis the meaning of the word “transfigured”?

v. 3 Was this in the days before Clorox and/or OxiClean?

v.4 Why Elisha and Moses? What do they represent and/or symbolize? If you had to pick two people from the Jewish Scriptures to appear with you, whom would you pick?

v. 5 Why might Peter have wanted to build three dwellings?

v. 7 Where and when have we heard something like this before?

v.8 What just happened?

v.9 Why would Jesus order Peter, James and John not to tell anyone about what they had just seen? Why is “Son of Man” used here but not earlier in this account? Why do the three have to wait untilafter the resurrection?

ADDENDUM

In addition to serving as the half time Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check out my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, Sunday, February 12, 2012, the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

2012-02-09T00:05:00.005-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

2Kings 5:1-14

v. 1 How many juxtapositions can you find in this verse and the reading in addition to a great man suffering from leprosy?

v. 2 Is this the only Biblical instance of a captured Israelite bringing some sort of salvation to their captors?

v. 3 Who is the “my lord” being referred to?

v. 4 Who is the “his lord” being referred to?

v. 6Why was Naaman sent to the king of Israel rather than the prophet in Samaria?

v. 7 Does the king of Israel ask a rhetorical question? Why does the king of Israel think the king of Samaria is trying to pick a fight?

v. 8 How might have Elisha heard about what had happened? Note that in verse 3 the young girl referred to a prophet who is in Samaria, yet in this verse, Elisha refers to a prophet in Israel.

v. 9 Why seven times?

v. 11 What was the source of Naaman’s anger?

v. 12 Is there any difference between the water in the Jordan and the water in the Abana or Pharpar? Why are some rivers, such as the Jordan and the Ganges, considered sacred and holy, while others are not?

Psalm30:1-12

v. 1 What does it mean to “extol” the LORD? Do you extol anyone or anything?

v. 2 This verse pairs well with the First Reading, but can you imagine these words, or this Psalm, being spoken by Naaman?

v. 3 Is this verse about resurrection, or something else?

v. 5 I like the contrast between God’s anger and God’s favor. Why does it seem that some people get this backwards?

v. 6 I hear echoes of other passages here. How do we read this and the following verse in the midst or, or near the end of, The Great Recession?

v. 9 What logic is the psalmist employing?

vs. 11-12 Is it the promise of God’s grace, or the experience of God’s grace, that leads to mourning turning into dancing?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

v. 24 Yes, we know this. Although, for some, just finishing a race is reward enough, even if they do not finish first.

v. 25 How might you compare Christian spiritual disciplines to the regimen of athletic training? What can winning athletes teach us about the Christian life?

v. 27 Is this a call to Christian asceticism, or self flagulation?

Mark1:40-45

v. 40 Recalling the First Reading, I hereby proclaim this Sunday to be “Leper Sunday.” Oh wait, this Sunday has already been proclaimed “Evolution Sunday”. What does it mean to be made clean?

v. 41 Do you think Jesus was really moved with, or motivated by, pity?

v. 42 One of Mark’s favorite words: “Immediately”!

vs. 43-44 Why would Jesus sternly warn the man he healed not to anything about itbut to show himself to the priest? What did Moses command to be offered?

v. 45 Why could Jesus no longer go into towns openly?

ADDENDUM

For those who are observing it, February 12, 2012 is Evolution Sunday. How might these texts illuminate the relation of science and faith and one’s understanding of creation and evolution?

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, February 5, 2012, the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

2012-02-02T00:05:00.004-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Isaiah40:21-31

vs. 21-31 This is one of the longer readings we have seen in a while. Note that it is not prose. How does that affect or influence your interpretation and application?

v. 21 Are these merely rhetorical questions?

v. 22 Who is “he”? I am surprised by “the circle” of the earth as I would have expected a flat earth with four corners.

v. 24 what are the “they”?

v. 26 What are the “these”?

v. 27 Is there any instance in Scripture of anyone speaking these words?

v. 28 I hear a refrain. This sounds like a confession of faith.

vs. 30-31 This is one of my favorite passages to read as part of a Service of Witness to the Resurrection.

Psalm147:1-11, 20c

v. 1 Why is it that some worshiping communities simply do not like to sing hymns and spiritual songs?

v. 2 Who are the outcasts of Israel?

v. 3 Are the brokenhearted and wounded the same people as the outcasts of Jerusalem?

v. 4 I wonder what God has to say about all the organizations that, for a small fee, will name a star after someone and register that name.

v. 5 A confession of faith as well as expression of praise.

v. 7 See my comments for v. 1

v. 9 I wish God would get up every morning to feed my dog so that I did not have to.

v. 10 So God is not a sports fan, or least not horse racing or track and field.

v. 11 What is the meaning of “fear”? Do you fear God?

v. 20c Always a good way to end a Psalm and in this case the last/ending line echoes the first/opening line.

1Corinthians 9:16-23

v. 16 If? IF? IF? I can almost resonate with Paul’s assertion.

v. 18 How do “compensated” preachers handle this one?

v. 20 But Paul WAS a Jew!

v. 21 Who were outside the law?

v. 22 How did Paul become weak? Can anyone truly be everything to all people?

Mark 1:29-39

v. 29 Where did Simon and Andrew live?

v. 30 Simon was married? Were he and Andrew living with Simon’s in-laws or were Simon’s in-laws and Andrew living with Simon and his wife?

v. 32 ALL? Really? I think this is hyperbole.

v. 33 The whole city? All one thousand of them? Could this be another example of hyperbole?

v. 34 Is this verse an example of messianic secret of Mark?

v. 35 So Jesus was a morning person! Why pray in a deserted place?

v. 36 Who were Simon’s companions?

v. 39 What if Jesus had proclaimed the message but not cast out demons? What if he had cast out demons but not proclaimed the message? Must proclaiming the message and casting out demons go hand in hand?

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, January 29, 2012, the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

2012-01-26T00:05:00.006-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Deuteronomy18:15-20

v. 15 Who is speaking?

v. 16 Is there any other reference to the people saying this?

v.19 What does it mean to be held accountable by God?

v. 20 What other gods? Do we ever presume to speak in God’s name when God has not commanded us to speak?

Psalm 111:1-10

v. 1 Who are the upright?

v. 2 What are the works of the Lord? How does one study them?

v. 6 What is the heritage of the nations?

v. 9 What is meant by “redemption”? What is the difference between “Holy” and “awesome”?

v.10 What is meant by “fear”? What is meant by “wisdom”?

1Corinthians 8:1-13

v.1 When was the last time you were concerned about food offered to an idol? What is meant by knowledge?

v. 2 I think Socrates would have liked this verse?

vs. 4-6 what is Paul really saying about idols, gods and God?

v.7 what is the relation between knowledge and conscience?

vs.7-13 What is more pastoral, to dumb things down, or to set high expectations while helping people meet those expectatons?

Mark1:21-28

v. 21 Who are “they”?

v. 22 When was the last time you were astounded by someone’s teaching?. I’m glad I am not a scribe.

v. 23 How convienant!

v. 24 What is the irony here?

v. 25 What would Jesus rebuke this truth speaking spirit, even if it was an unclean spirit?

v. 27 Indeed, what is this?

v.28 When was the last time you associated the word ”fame” with Jesus?

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, January 22, 2012, the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

2012-01-19T07:27:00.000-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Jonah3:1-5, 10

v. 1 What was the “word of the Lord” before the incarnation and how did it come to people?

v. 2 What do you know about Nineveh and what would be a modern equivalent?

v. 3 Three days to walk across? Really? Is this perhaps hyperbole?

v. 4 What is so special about forty?

v. 5 So ritual without real repentance is OK?

v.10 This verse must a Process Theologian’s favorite.

Psalm62:5-12

v. 5 Who or what else might your soul wait in silence? What does it mean to “wait in silence”? What do you know about contemplative prayer?

v. 6 Are rock, salvation and fortress merely poetic synonyms or does each noun offer a unique nuance?

v.7 Are deliverance and honor related?

v. 8 What times might we be tempted not to trust in God? How does one pour bout one’s heart before God?

v. 9 What is the difference between a breath and a delusion?

v. 10 Why would anyone put confidence in extortion? It is OK if riches increase, but if they do, do not set your heart on them. How does this verse counteract the prosperity gospel?

v.11What is the meaning of “once” and how is it related to “twice.”

vs. 11-12 Is God’s steadfast love the source of God’spower?

1Corinthians 7:29-31

v.29 What is “the appointed time” being referred to? How does any time grow short? So much for family values. This must be Newt Gingrich’s favorite verse!

v. 30 Let those who buy be as though they had no possessions? That is un-American!

v. 31 What is the present form of the world? How does it pass away? Are Plato and C. S. Lewis any help here?

Mark1:14-20

v. 14 Is “after” a chronos or a kairos reference? What is “the good news of God”?

v. 15 Is the good news of God the news that the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near? How does the kingdom of God come near?

vs. 16-17 It sounds like Jesus had a thing for brothers. I wonder why.

vs. 18-20 It sounds like Mark has a thing for “immediately”.

v. 20 Why would Jesus call James and John but not their father or the hired men? I think it is a shame that the father’s name is not given here.

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, January 15, 2012, the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

2012-01-12T07:17:00.000-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

v. 1 What does it mean that “the voice of the Lord was rare in those days”? What does the voice of the Lord sound like? Is the voice of the Lord rare today?

v. 3 What do you know about the spiritual discipline of incubation? Have you ever slept in the sanctuary of a church?

v. 4 Where have we heard “Here I am” before?

v. 7 How can God be calling a person by name if that person does not know God or the word of God has not yet been revealed to that person?

v. 8 Is there any symbolism behind the fact that God called Samuel THREE times?

v. 10 The Lord “stood” there? Physically? Is this a metaphor?

v. 11 What makes your ears tingle?

v. 13 Woe to the parents of pks!

v. 15 How many people do you think might of experienced a spiritual vision but are afraid to talk about it with anyone, even their pastor?

v. 16 Samuel still responds to Eli the same way he responded to God.

v. 19 Whose words, Samuel’s or God’s? How does one earn the trustworthiness of others?

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

v. 1 How does the Lord search us? What does it mean to be known by the Lord?

v. 4 How can God know what we are going to say before we ourselves know?

v. 5 What does it mean to be hemmed in by God?

v. 6 What was inscribed on the Temple at the Oracle of Delphi?

v. 13 What about in-vitro fertilization?

v. 14 Is the Human body, or the human eye, still enough evidence to support an argument for creation from design? What would Darwin say about this verse?

v. 15 Was the psalmist made in the depths of the earth or in his or her mother’s womb?

v. 16 Is this book available for kindle or the nook?

v. 17 How much do thought’s weigh?

v. 18 Do you recall the story of Augustine and sand at a beach?

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

v. 12 I think this might be Ron Paul’s favorite verse.

v. 13 What is the definition of fornication? Did it mean anything different in Paul’s day than it does today? How do we responsibly deal with this verse when many young adults are postponing marriage until they are in their late 20’s or even early 30’s?

vs. 12-18 Of all possible actions that might not be beneficial, why is Paul singling out fornication?

vs. 19-20 I think these verses have been used to speak out against the use of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, meat, and who knows what else.

John 1:43-51

v. 43 What happened the day before this? Please note: Jesus found Philip. Philip did not find Jesus. I think I will market a new bumper sticker saying “Jesus Found Me”.

v. 45 Who are “we”? Son of Joseph? Why not son of the Virgin Mary?

v.46 Is this a rhetorical question? Is not “come and see” the quintessential invitation? I prefer it to “Are you saved?”

v. 47 How could Jesus know this?

v. 48 I think Psalm 139:16 would have been a better answer.

v.49 And Jesus did not even ask Nathaniel who people said he (Jesus) was!

v. 51 Was this ever fulfilled or is Nathaniel still waiting to see this spectacular thing?

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, January 8, 2012, the Baptism of the Lord (Year B)

2012-01-05T11:05:00.003-05:00

Genesis 1:1-5

v. 1 There are several ways the verb can be translated. Is it “when God created” or “when God began to create” or something else altogether? What difference does it make? Take a close look at the user notes in one or two study Bibles, or better yet, the gleanings and notes in The Torah. Why is thispassage paired with Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism?

v. 2 What is the Hebrew word for “wind” and how else can the word be translated?

v. 3 What, if any, is the significance of light being the first thing created?

v. 4 What if God saw that the light was not good? How did God separate the lighgt from the darkness?

v. 5 Can there be day without night, or night without day?

vs. 1-5 How does one preach/teach this passage in a post Copernican and post modern world, especially considering there is at least one other Biblical (and different) account of creation?

Psalm 29:1-11

v. 1 Who are the heavenly beings?

v. 2 What is the name of the LORD?

vs. 3-11 How can one teach/preach using storm god imagery while recognizing that storm god imagery is not the only imagery applied to the LORD? Sleeping under a small tarp in the wilderness during a nighttime thunder and lightning storm and hiking on a high wilderness ridge during a daytime thunder and lightning storm has greatly influenced how I read this passage. What are your experiences of storms and how do those experiences influence how you understand this passage?

Acts 19:1-7

v. 1 Who was Apollos? What else do you know about him? Why does Paul mention him?

v. 2 How could someone be a disciple and never have heard about the Holy Spirit.

v. 3 Were these disciples actually baptized by John?

v. 5 Did Paul actually baptize them with water, or simply lay his hands on them? What is the difference between being baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus” and being baptized “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit”? What does it mean to speak in tongues? What does it mean to prophesy?

v. 7 “About” seems to be a relatively general term while “twelve” seems to be very specific and pointvto the twelve tribes of Israel and “the twelve” disciples of Jesus.

Mark 1:4-11

v. 4 I much prefer the descriptive phrase “John the baptizer” rather than the more usual “John the Baptist.” At least Mark agrees with Acts regarding a description of John’s baptism.

v. 5 “All the people of Jerusalem” seems to be hyperbole.

v. 6 Where does this imagery come from and what does it point to? Might locusts refer to something other than bugs?

v. 7 As I have asked in a previous rumination, what is so special about the thing of a sandal?

v. 8 Might this be some literary foreshadowing or reading developments back into the text?

v. 10 What do the heavens being torn apart look like? Is there a difference between the Spirit “descending like a dove” and “descending as a dove”? Did anyone other than Jesus see these things?

v. 11 Did anyone other than Jesus hear this voice?

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, January 1, 2012, the First Sunday after Christmas (Year B)

2011-12-29T00:05:00.039-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.) Lectionary Ruminations is also cross-posted on my personal blog, Summit to Shore. http://summittoshore.blogspot.com/

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

v. 10 How does one’s whole being exult? Most Presbyterians only exult with the mind. I find it interesting that both bridegroom and bride imagery is employed.

v. 11 It seems righteousness must take root and grow and does not materialize out of thin air.

v. 2 What could this new name be?

Psalm 148:1-14

v. 1 Who, or what, is praising from the heavens? Or is it the heavens that are praising.

v. 2 How do you deal with angels?

v. 3 It seems that everything above the earth is praising God. What about everything below the earth?

v. 7 Now sea creatures below the surface of the earth join the choir.

v. 11 Some human voices finally join the chorus.

v.1-14 I think I would interpret this Psalm through an environmentalist’s lens.

Galatians 4:4-7

v. 4 What is”full” time? Is this kairos time or the eschaton? John Shelby Spong used a phrase from this verse as the title of his book about the birth of Jesus. Why would Paul refer to Jesus being born of a woman rather than of the Virgin Mary?

v. 6 What do you think about translating “Abba” as “Daddy”?

vs. 4-7 These verses seem to base adoption as God’s children upon Jesus’ birth. So why did he have to die?

Luke 2:22-40

v. 22 What time was this?

v. 24 Why two turtledoves but no partridge in a pear tree or three French hens?

v. 25 Is there anything special about the name Simeon?

v. 27 What was customary under the law?

v. 32 Gentiles? I think Luke might be the only Gospel that could say this.

v. 40 Luke is long on prose but short on detail.

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, December 25, 2011, the Nativity of Jesus Christ (Year B)

2011-12-22T07:41:00.004-05:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references may be linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Isaiah 62:6-12

v. 7 Being a native of Appalachia, I resonate with this verse. How does the mountain reference resonate with people not familiar with, or who do not have an affinity for, mountains? Why are feet the body part mentioned?

v. 8 who are the sentinels? The sentinels do not talk or yell, they sing.

v.9 How can ruins sing?

v. 10 What does it mean to uncover an arm? Is this anything like the euphemism “to roll up one’s sleeve”? Is this a proof text for universal salvation?

Psalm 98:1-9

v. 1 I am drawing connections with Isaiah 52:8 and 9

v. 2 Why all this arm talk? (see Isaiah 52:10)

v. 3 Must God be able to forget in order to remember?

vs. 4-6 I think these verses call for joyous, hearty singing rather than shallow funeral dirges I usually hear.

vs. 7-9 I am thinking of musicians such as Paul Winter who incorporate animal sounds into their music.

Hebrews 1:1-4

v.1 How long ago? How many and in what various ways?

v. 2 Why the plural “worlds”?

v. 3 What do you make of “reflection” and “imprint”? How are sins purified?

v.4 What name has been inherited?

John 1:1-14

v. 1 Is this an allusion to Genesis 1:1, or something else? What do you know about the role of the logos in Greek Philosophy?

v. 2 Can we cite this verse to argue for the preexistent Christ, or only the preexistent Word?

v.5 How could darkness ever overcome light?

v. 7 Not all witnesses are called to testify, but John is. Who believes through you and your testimony?

v. 10 Another verse which seems to support the preexistent Word.

v.12 What is meant by “power,” how does the Word give it away, and how do people use it to become children of God?

v. 14 If the Word became flesh, then the word existed before becoming flesh.

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, December 18, 2011, the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year B)

2011-12-15T17:39:00.004-05:00

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

v. 1 Is this the beginning of institutionalized religion and the placing of buildings over mission?

v.2 David seems to be speaking to Nathan as God might.

v. 4 What carries more authority, the word of the king or the word of the LORD?

v. 6 What seems to be at stake here?

v. 11 Might God better live in community rather than in a building? Note the play on the word "house.”

v. 16 Was this promise fulfilled?

Psalm89:1-4, 19-26

v. 1 How can the Psalmist, or anyone, sing forever and proclaim anything to generations? Is this nothing more than poetic hyperbole?

v.3 Apparently an allusion to the First Reading. Does this verse justify the lectionary pairing this Psalm with the First Reading? This Psalm is actually an alternate. Another possibility is the Magnificat, Luke 1:47-55. I have used the Magnificat the past few cycles and this year am opting to use the Psalm 89.

v. 19 Who is the faithful one?

v. 20 So David is the Son of God?

Romans16:25-27

v. 25 What does Paul mean by “My Gospel?” What is the mystery that has been revealed?

v. 26 What does Paul mean by “prophetic writing?”

Luke1:26-38

v. 26 Sixth month of what? Why Gabriel?

v. 27 How can we read this verse with 21^st century sensibilities without reading our prejudices back into the text?

v. 28 What does Gabriel mean by addressing Mary as “Favored One?”

v. 29 Apparently Mary did not know what Gabriel meant.

v. 31 Note that Mary “will” conceive. She apparently was not yet pregnant.

v. 35 Is there a difference between being proclaimed “Son of God” and actually being the Son of God?

v. 36 Apparently Elizabeth was between the second and third trimester.

v. 37 Could this be the key verse of the passage?

v. 38 Where have we heard “Here am I” before?

ADDENDUM

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, December 11, 2011, the Third Sunday of Advent (Year B)

2011-12-08T00:05:00.003-05:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, December 4, 2011, the Second Sunday of Advent (Year B)

2011-12-01T00:05:00.003-05:00

Lectionary Ruminations for for Sunday, November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent (Year B)

2011-11-24T00:05:00.004-05:00

One Fat Sheep and Ninety-nine Lean Sheep - A Sermon

2011-11-20T14:06:00.001-05:00

“One Fat Sheep and Ninety-nine Lean Sheep”

A Sermon based on Ezekiel 34:11-16,20-24 and Matthew 25:31-46

By The Reverend John Edward Harris, D. Min.

North Church Queens

Flushing, NY

November 20, 2011

Christ the King Year A

This morning, through the prophet Ezekiel, we have once again encountered a familiar biblical metaphor, one that speaks of God as a shepherd. For Ezekiel, if God was a shepherd, then the people of Israel scattered throughout the Middle East after the fall and destruction of Jerusalem in 597, were God’s scattered sheep.

Following Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem in 597, Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah as King of Judah. However, Zedekiah revolted against Babylon and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh. Nebuchadnezzar responded by invading Judah and began another siege of Jerusalem in January 589 BC.

In 587 BC, the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar’s army broke through Jerusalem's walls, conquering the city. Jerusalem was plundered and Solomon’s Temple was destroyed. The city was razed to the ground. Most of Jerusalem’s brightest, best and most talented were taken into captivity in Babylon. Only a small number of Jews were permitted to remain, left behind to tend to the land. Those Jews Jews who had not been taken into Babylonian captivity and could escape dispersed throughout the Middle East, becoming, metaphorically, God’s lost sheep.

Through Ezekiel, God promises to rescue and gather the lost sheep and to feed them with good pasture. God promises to nurse back to health any sheep that was injured. God promises to strengthen any sheep that was weak. Hearing, through the prophet Ezekiel, the prophet to the exiles, that God would seek out these lost sheep, these dispersed Jews, rescuing them from the places to which they had been dispersed, bringing them back into their own land, the Land of Israel, the land of milk and honey, would be good news if you were a Jews of the Diaspora.

However, there is also some bad news contained in Ezekiel’s prophecy. God also promises to destroy the fat and strong sheep, feeding them not with rich pastures, but with justice. Through Ezekiel, God promises to judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep, claiming that the fat sheep have pushed with the flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with their horns until they scattered the weak sheep far and wide.

Just as we might ask what came first, the chicken or the egg, we might wonder if the weak sheep are week because they are lean, or if they are lean because they are week. On the one hand, the weak sheep are lean because the strong sheep have pushed and butted them around, preventing them from grazing in the best pastures, where they could eat their fill and no longer be lean. On the other hand, the lean sheep are weak because the strong sheep have pushed and butted them around, preventing them from grazing in the best pastures where they could eat their fill and grow stronger. While the weak sheep grow weaker and the lean sheep grow leaner, the strong sheep grow stronger and the fat sheep grow fatter because they have kept the best pastures for themselves.

Some scholars indentify the fat sheep as the nations, which, at that time, oppressed Israel, particularly Babylon. One could also interpret the fat sheep as the leaders of Israel who grew fat while the city was being besieged, the leaders of Israel whose failed foreign policy led to the city’s destruction.

Fast forward about six hundred years and we hear Jesus talking about himself as if he were a King, sitting on a throne, judging between the nations, separating people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the … goats. It might surprise us that Jesus talks about sheep and goats when Ezekiel mentioned only fat, strong sheep and weak, lean sheep, except Ezekiel did not mention only sheep. In verses 17-19, verses we did not read this morning, Ezekiel also writes about God judging between “sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.” Therefore, Jesus was well within the prophetic tradition of Ezekiel, and may very well have had Ezekiel’s prophecy in mind, when he to talked about judging between the nations, metaphorically referring to them as sheep and goats. Sheep and goats, after all, are closely related. They are in the same subfamily but in are separate species.

According to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus will judge between the sheep and the goats not based on how they appear, fat or lean, strong or weak, but how they act. The sheep who fed the hungry, the sheep who gave drink to the thirsty, the sheep who welcomed the stranger, the sheep who clothed the naked, the sheep who cared for the sick, the sheep who visited the imprisoned, will be judged righteous and will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. They will enjoy eternal life.

On the other hand, the sheep who did not give food to the hungry, the sheep who did not give drink to the thirsty, the sheep who did not welcome the stranger, the sheep who did not clothe the naked, the sheep who did not care for the sick, and the sheep who did not visit the imprisoned, will be judged accursed, finding themselves not in the kingdom prepared for them since the beginning of time but in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. They will suffer eternal punishment.

Now, fast-forward another 2,000 years. These are not the days of Ezekiel. Neither our city, nor our nation, is besieged by a foreign power. Instead, we are besieged by the threat of another recession, and the growing economic disparity between the rich and the poor, a disparity that is reaching proportions not seen since just before the great Depression.

Economists not only tell us that the income gap between the rich and poor in our nation is growing increasingly wider, but that the middle class, the backbone of American prosperity, is shrinking. Economists also tell us that the latest generation of Americans will be the first generation in our country’s history to enjoy a lower standard of living than enjoyed by their parents. Meanwhile, as Congress and its Super Committee cannot reach a compromise on a national budget, they have apparently determined at least one matter of national importance, that when it comes to school lunches, frozen pizza is indeed a vegetable. The United States Congress, just this past week, voted to rebuke new USDA guidelines for school lunches that would have increased the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in school cafeterias and instead declared that the tomato paste on frozen pizza qualified it as a vegetable.

It is no wonder that hundreds, if not thousands of Occupy Wall Street protestors, prevented from actually occupying Wall Street, have instead occupied Zuccotti Park and numerous other public areas across the country in our major cities. The weak and lean sheep have grown weary of the fat and strong sheep pushing and butting them around and, as of yet, have not found any other or more constructive forum and way to express the frustration and outrage.

No, these are not the days of Ezekiel. These are not the days of Jesus. But I am convinced that if these were the days of Jesus that he would be camped out in Zuccotti park rather than roaming the halls of Congress or the trading floors of Wall Street. I think Jesus would be appalled that politicians who claim that this is a Christian Nation are proposing a national budget that would make the weak and lean sheep even leaner and weaker while enabling the fat and strong sheep to grow even stronger and fatter. A nation that fails to care for its hungry, its thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner, not to mention its homeless, its aging, and its veterans, has no right to call itself or consider itself a Christian nation, or even a just and good nation!

Earlier in Matthew 18:12-14, we hear Jesus say “What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” From a Christian ethical perspective, we might say, in our context that it is the wealthiest one percent of American sheep that has gone astray. As the wealthiest one percent has gone astray, they have left the other ninety-nine percent behind.

In our current economic, political and social context, “The One Percent” was at first a 2006 documentary about the growing wealth gap between America’s wealthy elite compared to the overall citizenry. The film's title refers to the top one percent of Americans in terms of wealth, who controlled 42.2 percent of total financial wealth in 2004. More recently, the Ninety-nine percent has become the self identifying rallying cry of the unemployed, under-employed, college graduates with thousands of dollars of student loan debts but who cannot find a job to help them pay off their debt because there are no jobs, former home owners who have had their mortgages foreclosed, and the millions of Americans without access to health care, who are demonstrating against the concentration of wealth by the top 1%

Who are the 1%. Based on 2009 tax year filing data, the Internal Revenue Service says an adjusted gross income of $343,927 or more will put you in the top 1 percent of taxpayers. I doubt if many, or any, of us worshiping here this morning would qualify. Yet, “Roughly 11% of Congress have net worth of more than $9million, according to a USA TODAY analysis of 2010 financial disclosures complied by the center for Responsive Politics. That is enough to put them in the top 1% of wealth. Congress also has 250 millionaires, the data shows. The median net worth: $891,506, almost nine times the typical household.” No wonder Congress is doing nothing. They can afford to do nothing. Follows of Christ, however, must do something.

I am not alone in thinking that if Jesus were here today, we would find him in Zuccotti Park. We probably would also find there John Calvin. According to Setri Nyomi, the General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, “The cause of demonstrators involved in the “Occupy Wall Street” movement would have been supported by John Calvin, the 16th century church reformer who helped shape modern-day Protestantism” In a lecture he delivered this past Tuesday at Princeton Theological Seminary, he said “I am sure [Calvin] would have been in the streets of New York or London with a placard. ” After all, Calvin wrote extensively about social and economic justice, almost as much as he did about theology. Calvin cared as much about Geneva having a working sewer system for all who lived there as he cared about the salvation of all who lived there. According to Nyomi, “Calvin expressed opposition to all forms of social oppression resulting from money.” Nyomi believes Calvin’s words resonate with life today. “The church of the 21st century needs to align itself with voices of justice … even if it means being out there in the streets,” he writes.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, November 20, 2011, Christ the King (Reign of Christ) Sunday (Year A)

2011-11-17T00:05:00.003-05:00

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
v. 11 How did God lose these sheep in the first place?

v. 13 How can one not read this and be a Zionist?

v. 16 God will search out and rescue the 99% while punishing the 1%?

v. 20 I think it is time for me to eat less, exercise more, and drop a few pounds.

vs. 23-24 David, King of the 99%!

Psalm 100:1-5
v. 2 If we are to worship God with gladness, why do so many worship services feel like a funeral and so many worshipers act like they are mourners?

v. 3 How many people in the pew understand the nuance of “LORD” and “God”? Does this verse justify this Psalm being paired with the Ezekiel Reading?

Ephesians 1:15-23
v. 15 How might Paul have heard of the Ephesians faith?

v. 17 What is “a spirit of wisdom and revelation”?

vs. 18-19 I love these phrases: the riches of his glorious inheritance, the immeasurable greatness of his power.

vs. 20-21 Yes, this Sunday is Christ the King.

Matthew 25:31-46
v. 31 How much do we need to know about the theologically loaded title “Son of Man” to responsibly interpret this passage? Does the mention of a throne justify this being the Gospel Reading for Christ the King?

vs. 32-33 The Gospel’s “sheep and goats” juxtaposed with the “sheep and sheep” of the Ezekiel Read seems to offer us a mixed, or confused, metaphor.

vs. 35-45 How do members of the Tea Party and the 1% read these verses.

v. 46 Must there be eternal punishment?

ADDENDUM
The conclusion of another lectionary cycle brings us to Christ the King. Do these Readings say anything new to us in 2011 that they did not say in 2008? Does the emergence of both the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement, not to mention the fact that we are already into the campaign cycle of the next Presidential election, influence how we interpret these Readings?

In addition to serving as the half time Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check out my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, November 13, 2011, the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-11-10T00:05:00.023-05:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, November 6, 2011, the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-11-03T00:05:00.007-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, October 30, 2011, the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-10-27T00:05:00.004-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, October 23, 2011, the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-10-20T00:05:00.005-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, October 16, 2011, the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-10-13T00:05:00.004-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, October 9, 2011, the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-10-06T00:05:00.004-04:00

About the October (and November) 2011 Header Image

2011-10-01T17:04:00.000-04:00

The most recent header photo served as the header image of Summit to Shore for two months, August and September, because it was both a summit and a shore photo. I took the shot from a summit but overlooking a shore scene.

This month I am switching to something completely different, an original colored pencil sketch rather than an original photograph. I sketched this during the past couple of months, scanning the original sketch and saving it as a jpg image. I am thinking about adopting it as the semi-permanent header image of Summit to Shore rather than posting a new header image in December.

What do you think? Should I keep this header image for several months, or post a new one in December.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, October 2, 2011, the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-09-29T00:05:00.003-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, September 25, 2011, the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-09-22T00:05:00.022-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, September 18, 2011, the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-09-15T00:05:00.049-04:00

Memories and Dreams - A Sermon Ten Years After 9-11

2011-09-11T07:30:00.002-04:00

Memories and Dreams
A Sermon by the Reverend John Edward Harris, D. Min.
Preached at the Whitestone Community Service of Prayer
In Remembrance of the Events of September 11, 2001
St. Luke Roman Catholic Church, Whitestone, NY
September 10, 2011

When the topic of the terrorist attacks of ten years ago comes up in conversation, as it has so often of late, what is one of the first questions we are likely to ask or to be asked? “Where were you when you first learned of the attacks?”

I was living in West Virginia, having started a new pastorate just the week before. As I was driving to the hospital to visit a member, I was listening to NPR, when an announcer broke in to regular programming to say that a plane had reportedly crashed into one of World Trade Towers, but that details were sketchy. A little later, as I was visiting the member and his wife in his hospital room, we were watching the coverage of the events on the television in his room when the second plane hit the tower. At least that is the way I remember it now ten years later.

Nearly two weeks later, I wrote in my journal for the first time after the attacks. Here is an excerpt from what I wrote. Please keep in mind that the chronology might be a little off because I was writing from memory.

“Tuesday, September 11, is a day that will live long in my memory and in the memory of all Americans. Around 9:00 AM, a 747 or 757, hijacked out of Boston, flew into one of the Twin World Trade Towers. Less than 15 minutes later, another hijacked airliner crashed into the second tower, a crash watched my millions, if not during the live coverage of the first crash, then on taped replay. Within the hour, a third hijacked airliner, out of Dulles, crashed into the Pentagon. And a fourth jetliner, hijacked out of Newark, crashed into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew tried to retake the plane from the hijackers. Its intended target may have been Camp David, or the White House or Capitol.

Within an hour or two after being crashed into by the two planes, both Twin Towers collapsed in upon themselves to the ground. Two weeks later, debris is still being removed and any hope of finding survivors is nil. In total, over 5,000 people were killed or are missing from the result of the terrorist attacks.

The attacks are being linked to Saudi Arabian Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorist Osama Bin Laden, believed to be hiding out somewhere in Afghanistan.

President Bush has declared war on Terrorism and American Forces are being deployed to the Persian Gulf and Middle East for an expected retaliatory strike against terrorist camps and bases, an assault that will undoubtedly involve US ground troops and some US causalities.”

Ten years ago, we began a new chapter in America’s history. We are still looking back, still remembering, still asking questions, still wandering what it all means. The end of this chapter in America’s history has yet to be written, however. American troops are still in Afghanistan and still in Iraq in what is now the longest war in American history. As we live and breathe, and remember those who died on September 11, 2001, you and I, along with Government workers from the President of the United States to the Army Private serving in Afghanistan, along with Captains of Industry to the construction worker laboring to rebuild the World Trade Center, along with Bishops and Moderators and Church leaders to the average worshiper in the Synagogue, Church and Mosque, are still living in aftermath of 9-11 and wondering how to move forward, how to bring this chapter to an end.

This evening, in a small part of the great city of New York known as Whitestone, Protestants and Roman Catholics have broken down historical barriers that have divided us centuries and have come together to remember and pray for peace. We have gathered not just to look back and remember, but also to look forward and dream as we pray.

Yes, as Christians we do look back; back to God’s good creation broken by sin, back to God’s promises to Noah and to Abraham and Sarah, and back to the birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. We also look forward, however. Along with Isaiah, Joel, and Micah, we look forward to beating swords in plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Along with John on the Island of Patmos we dream of a new heaven and a new earth. We dream of the holy city, not New York but the new Jerusalem, and in that city God will wipe away every tear. Death will be no more. Mourning, crying, and pain will have ended. In the midst of the city will be the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. On either side of the river will be the tree of life. The leaves of the tree will for the healing of the nations.

As disciples of the Prince of Peace, we must not only dream of peace, and pray for peace, but be peacemakers, asking for and offering forgiveness, seeking and working for reconciliation not only between Roman Catholics and Protestants, but also among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, indeed, among peace loving people of all faiths, and even no faith.

We who lived through the events of September 11, 2001 can never forget the events of ten years ago tomorrow, nor fail to remember the people who lost their lives that day and the days soon after. However, let us dwell not on what once was but on what shall be, looking not to the past but to the future, a future that for Christians is filled with hope and the promise of peace. Let us not ask one another “Where were you and what where you doing ten years ago tomorrow?” Rather, let us ask one another “Where do you want to be and what do you want to be doing ten years from tomorrow?”

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, September 11, 2011, the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-09-08T00:05:00.022-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Exodus 14:19-31
v. 19 Are the “angel of God” and the “pillar of cloud” one and the same; or, are they different manifestations of the same reality?

v. 20 What is the meaning of “army”? How could fleeing slaves have an army in the military sense of the word? How could the cloud light up the night? What did not come near the other?

v. 21 How might we variously understand the action of Moses stretching his hand over the sea? What, if any, is the significance of the wind? Might the causeway at Lindisfarne, off the eastern coast of England, in any way help us envision how God might have been working here?

v. 22 How might we variously understand “wall”?

v. 24 Why did the Egyptian army panic?

v. 25 Why did Captain Kirk, in a damaged Enterprise, enter the Nebula when Kahn, in a perfectly functioning starship, sought to engage him in battle?

v. 26 What is it about the hand off Moses?

v. 27 When did the water’s part and when did the water’s return? How might we variously understand “tossed”?

v. 28 Does this verse conflict with the one before it?

v. 30 If it was the LORD that saved Israel, why did Israel “fear” the LORD and believe in Moses as well as in the LORD?

Psalm 114:1-8
v. 1 When did Israel go out from Egypt?

v. 2 Is the reference to “Judah” a reference to a, to a people, or both?

v. 3 Does this verse conflate two events?

v. 4 How do mountains and hills “skip”?

vs. 5-6 Why are bodies of waters being compared, or poetically paired, to mountains and hills?

v. 7 Is this a reference to the God of the earthquake?

v. 8 When did God turn rock into a pool of water and flint into a spring of water?

Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21
v. 1b Yes, there are other psalms, or songs, in the Bible, other than in the Book of Psalms. Who first sang this one? This is an alternative to Psalm 114. Which of the two, if either, will you use, and why? How are they different and how are they similar?

v. 3 Must we maintain this militaristic image of God, especially on a day such as 9-11-11?

v. 6 What is the significance of the LORD’s ”right hand”?

v. 8 God has nostrils? The parting of the waters was the result of God sneezing?

v. 11 And the answer to the questions asked in this verse is . . .

v. 20 Miriam was a prophet? Why is she identified as Aaron’s sister rather than as the sister of both Aaron and Moses? When was the last time you heard a tambourine played in a service of worship?

Romans 14:1-12
v. 1 What does it mean to be “weak in faith”?

v. 2 This verse sounds shockingly timely.

v. 4 “Servants of another”? Who is Paul talking about? “Their” own lord? How many “lords” are there?

v. 5 Is Paul talking about the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (Saturday and Sunday), or what?

v. 6 Do you know the meaning of the word “adiaphora”, especially as Calvin used it?

vs. 7-9 These verses are often used as part of the funeral liturgy. What do they have to do, however, with what precedes or follows?

v. 11 Where is this written?

Matthew 18:21-35
v. 21 Why might the word “church” seem out of place here? How might we account for it being used here? Is there anything special about the number “seven” in this context?

v. 22 Is there anything special about “seventy-seven”? Are there parallels to this passage in the other Gospels, and if so, how do they agree and disagree?

vs. 23-35 Does this qualify as a “Kingdom Parable”?

v. 35 Is this a threat? Does this verse suggest that forgiveness, even salvation, is revocable?

ADDENDUM
Asking the obvious, how do any of these Readings help us preach, and/or teach, ten years to the day, of the tragic events of 9-11-2001? Are you dumping the lectionary for other readings?
In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, September 4, 2011, the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-09-01T00:05:00.042-04:00

After Irene

2011-08-28T11:09:00.002-04:00

It was a somewhat quiet night in spite of Irene. We heard a loud bang late in the evening. Only later, when I walked the dog (in the rain), did I learn that a hit and run driver apparently slammed into a decorative metal fence at the corner. This morning, I learned that the driver plowed into fences at both corners.

This morning, when I walked the dog (in the rain) around 8:00 AM I saw many leaves and twigs, and a few small branches, but no apparent damage or debris. While walking around the block I saw only one other person who was out taking pictures, and maybe three cars, one of which was a NYPD patrol car.

Later this morning I climbed up on our flat roof to clear debris out of the only drain, as up to six inches of water can collect on the roof when the drain clogs and the roof started leaking last night. I cleared out the drain and the roof is now free of water. I hope that we will not experience any more leaks for a while. While I was up on the roof, I also took a couple pictures.

At 11:00 AM Sunday morning, the rain has stopped, the wind has diminished, and some sun is starting to shine, but some more wind and rain might still be coming. We have not lost power or personally experienced any problems. All is well around Ridgewood, Queens, NY, but other parts of New York City are without power and there is some flooding due to both rainfall and storm surge. The situation sounds worse over in New Jersey and out on parts of Long Island. My Brother-in-Law and his family live in Atlantic Highlands, NJ and lost power over the night.

First hand, eyewitness reports from the Sebago Canoe Club on Paerdegat Basin off Jamaica Bay are that our club dock has held, all boats are secure, and there is minimal water in the clubhouse, mostly from rain. I will not know about our 24-foot sailboat docked in Mill Basin until later today or tomorrow.

Preparing for Irene

2011-08-27T17:45:00.000-04:00

Unbeknownst to me at the time, my preparations for being in the path of Hurricane Irene began about thirty-five years ago with amy initial First Aid Course. Advanced First Aid, CPR, Water Safety Instructor, and Emergency Medical Technician courses followed that course. I would eventually serve as a volunteer EMT for a couple years in West Virginia and New Jersey, and work as a professional EMT Ambulance Attendant for nine months in Richmond, VA. This training and experience has helped me feel prepared for almost any type of emergency.

A few years after my initial First Aid Course, I took the Outdoor Educators Course of the National Outdoor Leadership School. While I do not think of NOLS as a survival school, the skills and philosophy I learned through NOLS has served me well not only while backpacking in the backcountry but also car camping along North Carolina’s Outer Banks and vacationing in the Bahamas. NOLS has taught me to be prepared, to make do with what you have, to improvise, and to assess risk to insure maximum safety.

Almost four years ago, my wife and I were vacationing on Eleuthera, one of the outer, and less developed, islands of the Bahamas. Near the end of our planned weeklong stay in a rented home, Tropical Storm Noel passed over the island, lashing us with tropical force winds and horrendous rain for at least two days and a night. Our newlywed neighbors and we were the only people within a mile. For three days and two nights, we survived without power, without running water, and without communications, except minimal cell phone service. Fortunately, we had some non-perishable food and were able to cook with propane.

When the wind and rain finally stopped, the four of us, already on the island two days longer than expected, drove as far as we could along the dirt road leading back toward the main road until we encountered water across the road, water too deep to drive through. With luggage held above our heads, we walked through water up to our calves on several occasions until we reached a small village. Parts of the village were flooded, including the road.

Inhabitants of the village invited us to climb into the large bucket of a front-end loader and ferried us, and our luggage, through floodwater that would have been too deep for us to walk though. Once on the other side of the flooding, a native who sometimes worked at the home rented by our newlywed neighbors drove us to the airport. We caught the first plane out since the storm passed, and upon arriving in Grand Bahamas, caught the last flight out that night heading for Florida. Once in Florida, we caught the last flight out that night heading for New York City.

When people ask us if we were ever scared while on Eleuthera, with Tropical Storm Noel passing nearby, we say no. We think we got more for our money than expected. We stayed on the Island an extra couple of days and ended up having an unexpected adventure vacation. It is one of the more memorable vacations we have had and we would not have traded it for two weeks anywhere else in the world.

Last night my wife and I joined nine other members of the Sebago Canoe Club to kayak on Jamaica Bay. The bay was nearly empty of boats, and birds. Along the eastern coast flyway, water birds generally fill the trees along the shore as well as the skies. Last night, however, it was eerily quiet and we saw only a few birds. The only other boat that came anywhere near us was a NYPC Patrol Boat. We had the bay to ourselves, less than 24-36 hours before the arrival of Irene.

Although a few clouds had already starting moving in, the Bay was nearly flat during our paddle. Just past the midpoint of our two-hour trip, we caught a stunning red sunset as we paddled out from behind one of the Bay’s larger islands, Canarsie Pol. The sunset rivaled any I have ever seen.

Back at the clubhouse, we rinsed off our boats and stowed our gear. Sitting on club’s dock in order to escape the mosquitoes, we enjoyed pizza, beer and wine as we shared stories and news related to the storm, talking of paddles past and present, and speculating what the scene might look like in 24-36 hours. I thought it was amazing that in 24-36 hours an 8-12 foot storm surge could very well inundate that dock and flood our clubhouse.

This morning my wife and I drove back down to Jamaica Bay. Our first stop was our sailboat, the Mischief, docked in Mill Basin. I added some shock cord to the lines, double checked the lines, added an extra line, and removed some valuables from the boat. As we left, I knew the rest was up to nature. We then returned to the Sebago Canoe Club on Paerdegat Basin to help with storm preparations but most precautions had already been taken, so we soon headed home.

With various camping gear, including freeze-dried food, backpacking stoves, and flashlights stored in the basement, I think we are prepared. We normally have various radios, flashlights, and batteries around the house, as well as candles, an oil lamp, and a kerosene lantern. We did buy a few gallons of fresh water, made some extra ice, and filled poly bottles with fresh tap water. We also moved some outdoor plants off steps to a lower level against the house and moved some backyard furniture and tools into the basement. We are keeping cell phones plugged in so their batteries will be fully charged when the power goes out.

All we can do is hunker down and wait. The preparations begun almost thirty-five years ago will have to be enough.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, August 28, 2011, the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-08-25T00:05:00.015-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Exodus 3:1-15
v. 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 shepherd? Is the fact that Moses’ father-in-law was a priest a foreshadowing of Moses future role? 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?

v. 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”?

v. 3 Turn aside? Where had Moses been looking before he looked at the bush.

v. 4 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.”

v. 5 Why do some people remove their shoes and socks when standing on holy ground? Why do Christians not worship barefooted?

v. 6 Who was Moses’ father? Abraham? Isaac? Jacob? Someone else? Why are only the men mentioned? Can we be faithful to Scripture and include Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel as well as Zilpah and Bilha? Why was Moses afraid to look at God?

v. 7 What took God so long to respond? How does God “know” their suffering?

v. 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?

v. 10 So, God comes down (v. 7), but sends Moses!

v. 11 A perfectly good question.

v. 12 It sounds like the confirmation will be after the fact? It is like me telling you that you are a 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 post a comment to this blog.

v. 13 Why does Moses refer to “your ancestors” rather than “our ancestors”? Why is knowing God’s name so important?

v. 14 “I AM WHO I AM”? Why, in NRSV, does this appear all in upper case letters?

v. 15 So, exactly what, is God’s name and title? Is God’s name and title the same?

Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c
v. 1 Why, in the NRSV, does “LORD” appear all in uppercase? What is God’s name? What are God’s deeds?

v. 2 This is beginning to read like a couplet.

v. 4 How does one seek God’s presence?

vs. 23-26 Is this merely a retelling of salvation history, or something more going on here?

v. 45c A budding psalmist can never go wrong ending a psalm this way.

Romans 12:9-21
v. 9 How can love not be genuine? Is “hating evil” the opposite of “holding fast to what is good”?

v. 14 What does Paul mean by “bless”and”curse”?

v. 16 What if we extended the admonition to “live in harmony with one another” to extend to other species? I think Socrates would have liked this verse.

v. 18 And what if by “all” we meant all living creation, not just other humans?

v. 19 What is the “wrath of God”? While Paul advises us to not avenge ourselves, what about state sanctioned punishment for crime? How many times is “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” quoted out of context and misapplied?

v. 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?

v. 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
v. 21 From what time on?

v. 22 Why did Peter take Jesus aside? Why did Peter rebuke Jesus?

v. 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?

v. 24 What does it mean to “deny” oneself? Is there a difference between taking up Jesus’ cross versus taking up our own cross?

v. 25 What is the meaning of this? Is this a paradox?

v. 27 Who is “the Son of Man”? Why this shift from moral admonition to apocalyptic language?

v. 28 How shall we interpret this passage nearly two 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
Many Christians along the east coast of the United States may be reading and hearing these passages following, or anticipating, the affects of hurricane Irene. Is there anything in any of these Readings to address this situation?

In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, August 21, 2011, the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-08-18T00:05:00.005-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, August 14, 2011, the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-08-11T00:01:00.057-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, August 7, 2011, the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-08-04T00:01:00.008-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
v. 1 What about Jacob’s grandfather? Were not both his father and grandfather aliens?

v. 2 The beginning of the Joseph narrative. Is there anything significant about Joseph being seventeen years old? Why are Bilhah and Zilpah referred to a “His father’s wives”?

v. 3 Note in verse 1 that Joseph’s father is referred to as “Jacob” but in this verse he is referred to a “Israel”. This is beginning to read like the story of yet another dysfunctional family.

v. 13 What usually happens when people respond “Here I am”?

v. 15 Do you think this was an ordinary “man”?

v. 18 Note: Play ominous music here!

v. 19 Why do his brothers refer to Joseph as “this dreamer”?

v. 20 A conspiracy is hatched.

v. 21 What might have been Reuben’s motive for saving his brother?

v. 24 Why is this important information?

v. 25 Who are “Ishmaelites” and is their presence her at allsignificant?

vs. 26-27 Might as well make some money from our bother’s demise!

v. 28 Who drew Joseph up out of the pit, his brother’s or the Midianite traders? What is the difference between Midianites and Ishmaelites? I recommend you read up on both.

Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b
v. 1 In the NRSV, “LORD” is ”all upper case. Thereefore, what would be the “name” to call on? What are the LORD’s deeds?

v. 2 Are Hymns in worship sung “about” God or “to” God?

v. 4 How can we continuously seek God’s presence?

v. 5 So both “miracles” and “judgements” are among God’s deeds?

v. 6 Why is Isaac omitted?

v. 17 Now we learn why this psalm is paired with the First Reading.

Romans 10:5-15
v.5 From what does Paul quote?

vs.6-7 Is Paul quoting or composing?

v.9 So public confession as well as an interior faith are essential?

v. 10 What us the relationship between justification and salvation?

v. 11 What is being quoted?

vs. 14-15 The old “Can someone who has never heard of Christ be saved?” question?

v. 15 So all candidates for the ministry of proclamation should have their feet examined? It is no wonder Paul was once confused with Hermes.

Matthew 14:22-33
v. 22 I am always surprised when read “Immediately” in a Gospel other than According to Mark. Why might Jesus have sent the disciples off without him?

vs. 23-25 A “Summit to Shore” narrative! Thanks, Matt.

v. 23 Yes, this is why some of us go to the Mountains, not because they are there, but to find peace and solitude.

v. 24 meanwhile, back on the boat . . .

v. 25 So the disciples spent the entire night on a boat battered about by winds on the open water?

v. 26 Exactly what were the disciples afraid of?

v. 17 Another “immediately”. Is this the heart of the passage?

v.25 If? Peter did not know or was not sure? Why did Peter need to be commanded?

v. 31 Jesus should have remembered “Throw, Row, Tow, Then Go!” Was Peter’s faith really “little” None of the other disciples set out to walk on the water. What was it Peter doubted?

v. 32 Why might the wind have ceased when Jesus and Peter got into the boat?

v. 33 What convinced these disciples that Jesus was the Son of God, that he walked on water? That he “saved” Peter? That the wind stopped when Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat?

ADDENDUM
In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links. Beginning August 8, 2011, I will begin working three hours a day, five days a week, also teaching a GED preparation class to young adults. How the increased workload will affect my writing Lectionary Ruminations remains to be seen.

About the August 2011 (and September 2011) Header Photo

2011-08-01T23:30:00.001-04:00

I shot this month’s header photo from Mount Mitchell Scenic Overlook, Atlantic Highlands, NJ. According to the brochure I picked up at the park, “At 266 feet, this overlook sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic coastal plain, providing beautiful views of Sandy Hook, Raritan Bay and the New York skyline. On a clear day, Mount Mitchell provides a panoramic view across Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay to the landscape of 4 of New York’s City’s 5 boroughs. Visitors can see the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the WTC Site, the Empire State Building and, more immediately, the historical structures and topography of Gateway National Recreation Area (Sandy Hook) including the lighthouse.
Because I shot this photo from a Summit (the 266 foot “summit” of Mount Mitchell), but the view looks out over the shore, this photo will serve double duty as the Summit header photo for August 2011 as well as the Shore header photo for September 2011.

A Sebago Day to Remember

2011-07-31T16:27:00.002-04:00

Joe Glickman coaching Laurie Pea on her forward stroke

Yesterday afternoon, Sebago Canoe Club Commodore Tony Pignatello posted this comment on facebook: “Coming back on the Open Paddle I saw about 50 kayaks on the water. Open Paddle, Stroke Clinic, Level 2 classes plus individual paddlers. That's what makes us one of the best in the city. Thanks to all who gave their time.”

I was one of those paddlers Tony saw. My wife was another. She and I were not participating in the same activity but happened to be on the water at the same time.

Yesterday was indeed a day at the Sebago Canoe Club to remember, a day that rivaled our annual open house in terms of people and activities. Vicki and I pulled into a nearly full parking lot a few minutes before 9:30 AM. Vicki came to the club to participate in the second half of the ACA Level 2 class. I came to participate in a Forward Stroke Clinic led by Joe Glickman, one of the premier paddlers in North America.

As the stroke clinic and ACA Level 2 class were gathering and preparing for the day, the open Paddle was finishing outfitting. A few minutes later, they were all standing in a circle, paddles in the air, Stonehenge like, making introductions and receiving a safety briefing and short paddling instruction. I estimate that about thirteen to fifteen paddlers were among the group.

While the open paddle carried kayaks down to the water and began to paddle, five students and three instructors as well as a dozen or more participants in the Forward Stroke Clinic stood around Joe Glickman as he demonstrated the forward Stoke. After half an hour or more of instruction on terra firma, the two groups broke apart and the ACA Level 2 class hit the water, paddling out into Jamaica Bay while the Forward Stroke Clinic finished outfitting.

By the time the Forward Stoke Clinic put their kayaks into Paerdegat basin and headed out toward Jamaica Bay, the ACA class was already out of sight. As those of us in the Stroke Clinic paddled, Joe observed our forward stroke. Once in the bay, we caught up with the ACA Class, passed it by, and paddled into some shallow water where Joe offered each Stroke Clinic participant some one on one instruction.

Sitting on the bow of each participant’s kayak and facing the paddler, but with his feet on the bottom of the bay, Joe prevented the paddler’s kayak from making forward progress while observing the paddlers’ forward stroke. From Joe observing me while paddling out toward the bay, and from the one on one session, I learned that I need to keep my paddle shaft and shoulders more parallel, follow-through from 11 O’clock to 12 O’clock, and focus on not allowing my right hand to drop during the follow-through.

While were receiving our individual instruction, the nearby ACA Level 2 Class paddled away toward Ruffle Bar and were eventually out of our sight. Those of us in the Stroke Clinic eventually paddled to the concrete ramp at Floyd Bennet Field, each paddler focusing on their forward stoke as we paddled.

At Floyd Benet Field, most of us beached to stretch our legs. As we were standing on the beach, we watched two large NYPD Boats circle nearby to the south. Eventually, a helicopter took off from Floyd Bennet Field, hovered about 15 yards above the bay between the two police boats, and three scuba gear clad swimmers jumped out of the helicopter into the water. The swimmers eventually climbed into a motored raft and headed toward shore while the helicopter flew away. Apparently the NYPD was doing the same thing we were doing, capitalizing on a beautiful day on the bay to practice and refine their skills.

Already having been out on the water several more hours than we had expected, and having paddled farther than we expected, we climbed back into our boats, paddled toward Sebago, again focusing on our forward stroke while paddling, even though Joe was no longer observing us.

Back at the clubhouse, the open paddle had long been back and there was no evidence of their even having been there. With our boats on the wash racks, washed but not put away, we sat around a picnic table and pulled our collective lunch resources to enjoy a late lunch. As we were finishing eating, the ACA Level 2 class began pulling in to the dock, so we hastily put our boats away to make room on the wash racks for their boats.

After the ACA Level 2 Class had washed and put away all their gear, instructors and students gathered around cold beers in the Sebago Club house for some post class debriefing. Those few of us still around from the Forward Stroke Clinic were permitted to listen in. Hearing both students and instructors debrief the day as well as the entire two-day class was itself instructive.

About seven and a half hours after we arrived at Sebago, Vicki and were a slightly tired, a slightly bit more tanned, and slightly improved paddlers. Throughout the day and as we headed toward home, we were both amazed at the level of activity at the club that day, three major events, but a few individual paddlers and sailors doing their own thing. We were also impressed with the level of expertise possessed by so many of our club members, expertise they were willing to share with others as trip leaders, assistant trip leaders, and instructors.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, July 31, 2011, the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-07-28T00:01:00.049-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Genesis 32:22-31
v. 22 Much has transpired with Jacob since last week’s Reading. How can we help people keep up and catch up between lectio-continua Lectionary Readings when so much transpires between Readings? Is there any significance to the fact that we all told it was night?

vs. 22-24 Why would Jacob send everyone else, along with his possessions, across the Jabbok, but stay behind and alone?

v. 24. Who,or what, might this “man” be?

v. 25 Is this the first Biblical documentation of a sports injury?

v. 26 What might be the significance of daybreak? What sort of blessing might Jacob be asking for?

v. 27 Why might the “man” want to know Jacob’s name. Is it all surprising that Jacob divulges his name?

v. 28 What is going on here? How can this “man” change Jacob’s name? What does it mean that Jacob has “striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.”?

v. 29 Why might Jacob want to know the “man’s” name and why does the “man” not divulge it?

v. 30 I thought Jacob was wrestling with a “man”. Was this “man” God?

v. 31 Did the preceding events occur in normal time and space or in a dream/vision? As Dumbeldore says to Harry Potter in the most recent Harry Potter Movie, “Just because something takes place in your head doe not men it is not real”. I cannot help but read this account from a Jungian perspective, reading this as a mythopoeic account meant to explain more than we might know about Jacob and his descendants’ special place in salvation history.

Psalm 17:1-7, 15
v. 1 This Psalmist sounds like a lawyer. Lips free of deceit? Really?

v. 3 Does the “if you visit me by night” phrase justify pairing this Psalm with the First reading?

v. 6 This reads like a call to prayer.

v. 15 When I awake? Another reason to pair this Psalm with the First Reading. This Psalm, paired with the First Reading, could easily provide the textual basis for a sermon on Biblical dreams and the spiritual discipline of keeping a dream journal and interpreting one’s dreams.

Romans 9:1-5
v. 1 I think thou doth protest too much? Who would have accused Paul of lying?

v. 2 Why such strong emotional language?

v.3 Could there be a pun in this passage?

vs. 4-5 What a list! Adoption, glory, covenants, giving of the law, worship, promises, patriarchs, Messiah.

Matthew 14:13-21
v. 13 Hear what? What can we learn from Jesus withdrawing in a boat to a deserted place? Excuse me while I either go kayaking or sailing in Jamaica Bay, NY. Note that “crowds” and “towns” are both plural.

v. 14 Does Christ like compassion always lead to curing the sick?

v. 15 Do the disciples express a totally utilitarian concern?

v. 16 What is the meaning of this?

v. 17 What do you make of the numbers “five” and “two” not to mention “five loaves” and “two fish”?

v. 18 Evangelism?

v. 19 “He ordered” sounds like strong language. I would much prefer “He invited”. But we get the language we get. What does the “blessed and broke” language remind you of?

v. 20 What do you make of there being twelve baskets of leftovers after the crowds shared fiveloves of bread and two fish?

v. 21 As usual, only the men count. Women and children are just accoutrements.

ADDENDUM
In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

We have some GREAT Readings this week. Is there any way to tie them all together?

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, July 24, 2011, the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-07-21T00:01:00.009-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Genesis 29:15-28
v. 15 It must be nice to be able to set your own wages.

v. 16 A story involving two daughters (not twins) in the midst of a story about two twin brothers!

v. 17 I think “lovely” is the preferable translation. Could the description of Leah and Rachel be seen at all as sexist or demeaning of women?

v. 18 Loved of lusted after? Is there any significance to the number seven?

v. 19 Is this the meaning of the question “Who gives this women to be married”?

v. 21 Biblical euphemisms for sexual intercourse can sound so . . . . biologically crude.

vs. 22-25 It is ironic that the trickster has been tricked. What goes around comes around?

v. 28 In the end, Jacob got what he wanted, and more so.

Psalm 105:1-11, 45b
vs. 1-3 Is this the song Jacob sang on his wedding night(s)?

v. 6 Is this why this Psalm was chosen to be paired with the First Reading?

v.8 The pairing of Jacob and Rachel can be seen as partial fulfillment of God’s Covenant.

v. 9 Why are the women/mothers hardly ever mentioned? Can the reader supply their names and still be faithful to the text?

Psalm 128:1-6 (Alternate Psalm)
v. 1 What is the meaning of “fear”? What does it mean to “walk in God’s ways”?

v. 3 Is this why this Alternate Psalm was chosen to be paired with the First Reading?

v. 5 A nice blessing/benediction for a citizen or inhabitant of Jerusalem

Romans 8:26-39
v. 26 We do not know how to pray as we ought. That is why the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. That is why Teaching Elders and Educators ought to be educated in the school of prayer and prepared to teach others how to pray. Yes, that was me standing on my soap box. My D. Min. project at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (2004) was GUIDANCE IN AND EXPERIENCE OF LITURGICAL PRAYER AS AN ELEMENT OF PERSONAL AND COMMUNAL WORSHIP IN THE REFORMED TRADITION. If you are within commuting distance of NYC and would like me to lead a workshop or retreat on prayer, please let me know.

v. 27 How does the Spirit intercede for us?

v. 28 Do we really know this?

v. 29 There is that Presbyterian word “Predestined”! What do you make of that?

v. 30 And there is that other good Presbyterian word “called”! What do you make of this progression: Predestined → called → justified → glorified.

v. 31 One of my favorite verses. Does the second question answer the first? Is the second question rhetorical or does it assume the answer “No one.”

v. 33-34 Interesting verses to someday juxtapose with the Rules of Discipline in the Bookof Order.

v. 34 In verse 26,Paul writes that the Spirit intercedes for us. Now he writes that Christ Jesus intercedes for us. Can Paul not make up his mind, or was he just not being careful? Why would he intentionally say both?

v. 35 Paul asks “Who” but answers with a list of “whats”. This reads like a “Vince Lombardy before the big game in the locker room” sort of speech.

v. 36 Oh well, there goes the momentum of v. 35

v. 37 Wait, may not! Maybe Paul will pull out a great one liner.

vs. 38-39 Paul, can I quote you on that? Is there any thing missing from this list? I wish Paul had said “. . . nor things past, nor thingspresent, nor things to come”.

vs. 39 Is there anything not in creation?

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
v. 31 Yet another parable. Sometimes I wonder why we do not employ the parabola as a Christian symbol.

v. 32 Mustard seeds are small, but they are not the smallest of all seeds. This parable is tending to hyperbole.

v. 33 Remember that ratio, 1:3.

v. 44 If the person is honest and ethical they will buy the field.

vs. 45-46 Would this be a shrewd investment?

vs. 47-50 Something is smelling fishy. We have moved from “kingdom parables” to apocalyptic prognostications.

v. 50 Where have we seen this imagery before?

v. 51 Good question. I would love to ask this question after every sermon. Bad answer. These people need a lesson wisdom from Socrates.

v. 52 An entire sermon could probably be preached and an entire hour of education could probably be developed around this single verse. What is our treasure? What among our treasure is new? What among our treasure is old? What among our treasure is valuable and what is junk? Is anyone else thinking of Phyllis Tickle’s The Great Emergence?

ADDENDUM
In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, July 17, 2011, the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-07-14T00:01:00.005-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Genesis 28:10-19a
v. 10 Is there anything special or significant about these travel plans?

v. 11 Using a stone as a pillow? What do you know about “The Stone of Destiny” or “Stone of Scone”? Could this be an example of “dream incubation”?

v. 12 Is there any symbolic relationship between the Tower of Babel and Jacob ’s ladder? Do Angels really need a ladder to travel between earth and heaven?

v. 13 If Angels were ascending and descending via the ladder, how did the LORD end up standing beside Jacob? What about Sarah and Rebekah?

v. 14 Why does this sound familiar?

v. 15 Where have we heard this before? What if the Lord does not keep this promise?

v. 16 How could Jacob not have known God was in that place? Is it not true that God is in every place? What do you know about the Celtic concept of a “Thin Place”?

v. 17 When was the last time you, or anyone, walked into your church, or any church, and exclaimed “How awesome is this place”?

v. 18 What is the meaning and significance of this action? Is this an example of raising an Ebenezer?

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
v. 1 It sounds like God works for the TSA.

vs. 1-6 It also sounds like God knows us better than we know ourselves.

v. 5 What is the meaning of this verse? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

v. 6 From a Socratic perspective, this Psalmist was very wise.

v. 7 Are these rhetorical questions? What is the expected answer?

v. 8 What and where is “Sheol”?

v. 10 Proof positive that God is right handed and therefore all right handed people are created in the image of God and all left-handed people are evil. Or maybe not.

v. 12 So whether it is day or night makes no difference to God?

vs. 23-24 If we invite God to search us and know us in this way, if God knows our sins better than we do, then why do we confess our sins?

Romans 8:12-25
v. 12 If we are debtors, but not debtors to the flesh, what are we debtors to?

v. 13 What does it mean to “put to death the deed sof the body”?

v. 14 What is Paul contrasting when he contrasts “a spirit of slavery” with “a spirit of adoption”? Do Americans read and hear this differently due of our own nation’s sordid history of involuntary servitude? When do we cry “Abba! Father!”?

v. 18 But the sufferings of the present time are still sufferings. What would Marx say about this passage?

vs. 19-22 For the creation, not just humans, BUT THE CREATION, waits. From a theological and ecological perspective, can Global Climate Change be viewed not only as a result of sin, but a symptom of sin? If so, would there be a temptation to throw up our hands and say “There is nothing we can do about Global Climate Change. It is up to God to redeem the situation?”

v. 25 I hope for many things I can see. I can see them, but they are realistically out of my reach.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
v. 24 Another kingdom parable involving seeds, good seeds.

v. 25 Weeds, or Agent Orange? What does Just War theory say about such a practice?

vs. 25-26 So know you know how all those weeds ended up in your garden. It is no coincidence that species of plants that are not native to an area are referred to as “invasive species”?

v. 27 Oh no, more slavery language. Gag!

v. 30 I am hearing overtones of the hymn “Harvest Home” and we are still months away from Thanksgiving.

v. 36 Which house? Whose house?

v. 37-43 Jesus explains another parable.

v. 38 The field is the world, not the church. Does that mean there are no weeds growing in any churches? With all this talk about weeds, is anyone getting the munchies?

vs. 37-42How do these apocalyptic verses inform the popular image of hell?

v. 43 A truly Semitic rather than a classical Greek metaphor.

ADDENDUM
In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens www.northchurchqueens.org and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

About the July 2011 Header

2011-07-09T09:58:00.001-04:00

This month’s header photo, posted nine days late, features a view looking across Rockaway Inlet. I took this shot about two years ago while on a kayaking trip. I was one of three or four paddlers from the Sebago Canoe Club who paddled from Paerdegat Basin, through Jamaica Bay, to Rockaway Point at the western tip of the Rockaways. The shot is from the northern shore of Rockaway Point, looking north across Rockaway inlet toward Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, July 10, 2011, the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-07-07T00:01:00.019-04:00

v. 3 How was the law weakened by the flesh? What is the meaning of “likeness”? Does “likeness” suggest anything less than full humanity?

v. 4 What is the “just requirement of the Law”?

vs. 3-11 In our day and age, how do we deal with all this “flesh” and “spirit” language?

v. 11 This sounds like life now, not everlasting life later. Is it also true that those whom the Spirit does not dwell in are already “dead”?

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
v. 1 What same day?

v. 2 Why did Jesus get into a boat?

v. 3 If Jesus told the crowds many things, why is this parable, and not some other parable or parables, included in the Gospel? Is this parable about a sower, about the seeds, or about something else all together?

v. 9 Maybe the sower was sowing seed corn.

v. 18 does the fact that we have this verse mean that Jesus knew or assumed we do not have ear>

v.19 OK.

vs. 20-21 Alright, I know some people who were like that.

v. 22 Makes sense.

v. 23 So not all seed, even if it falls on good soil, bear the same quantity? What about quality?

In retrospect, was this parable about a sower, about the seed that was sown, or about the soil where the seed was sown, or something else all together? Why did Jesus tell this particular parable? What was he trying to tell the crowd that he could tell them only through this parable?

ADDENDUM

In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

A 360-Degree Firework Spectacular

2011-07-05T12:15:00.001-04:00

Paddlers receiving a safety briefing before the trip

Two dozen paddlers, some in traditional decked sea kayaks and others in single and tandem sit-on-tops, enjoyed a 360-degree firework spectacular last night from the vantage point of Jamaica Bay between the two islands known as Canarsie Pol and Ruffle Bar.
When my wife and I arrived at the Sebago Club House a little before 5:00 PM, some paddlers already had their boats ready for the paddle, even though it was still hours a pot-luck barbecue picnic away. As more and more members and guests arrived, so did more food. There were several choices of chips, salads, grilled vegetables, burgers and beverages to enjoy, and enjoy we did. No one went away hungry and a lot of leftover food went into the clubhouse refrigerator afterward.

Around 7:30 PM, after cleaning up from the social, we put butts in boats, and boats and paddles in the water. The shore to sea breeze blowing through Paerdegat Basin suggested we mind enjoy an easy paddle out into the bay but have to paddle against a head wind on the way back. As soon as we cleared all the docks and were in the wider part of the Basin, however, the breeze calmed, but we still enjoyed an easy paddle out into the open waters of Jamaica Bay.

Once in the Bay, we tightened our formation at buoy 13and then crossed the channel toward the western end of Canarsie Pol. As we crossed the channel, a spectacular sunset illuminated the distant buildings of the Rockaways, painting their drab concrete grays with a luminous reddish orange luminescent glow. The setting sun also showed us that the scattered clouds were clearing, suggesting we might enjoy a fine view of fireworks.

Once clear of the channel, we turned west, and past the Pol. After clearing Canarsie Pol, we headed toward Ruffle Bar. As we paddled toward the Bar, we started seeing fireworks in the darkening sky over the Rockaway’s. Midway between Ruffle Bar and Canarsie Pol, with the highpoints of the Manhattan skyline visible over the tops of the trees on Canarsie Pol, stopped to wait for the NYC Fireworks. As we waited, however, we continued enjoying pyrotechnics over the Rockaways, as well as from many other distant sites, some from perhaps as far away as Long Island. With a clear 360 degree horizon, we could see so many fireworks around us that I lost count of how many sites we could see.

Finally, with the darkening sky in the west, we started seeing the fireworks set off from barges in the Hudson. Thanks, Macy’s! I have watched the New York City Fireworks from the banks of the Hudson. While being closer to fireworks and enjoying the display as part of a large crown has its advantages, one cannot see the fireworks from all the barges when that close. Our vantage point from the waters of Jamaica Bay not only allowed us to view the display from all the barges, but afterwards, rather than moving with the throngs toward an overcrowded subway, we paddled past a variety of birds in the city’s largest Wildlife Refuge while enjoying the wide-open expanse of the glassy smooth Bay.

Once the New York City show was over, occasional displays of random fireworks continued to entertain us as we paddled back to Paerdegat Basin. The eerie reflections of terrestrial lights off the glass-like Bay almost lulled us into a hypnotic dream-like paddling cadence as we crossed the main channel, but as we approached the construction area near the Belt Parkway bridge over the basin, realty once again claimed us as we carefully negotiated the narrow channel under the bridge and into the basin.

Once back at the club, we carried boats and gear up to the wash racks where we rinsed it free of saltwater. After we put it all safely away back into lockers and on top of cars, we settled around tables in the clubhouse were we enjoyed a post paddle desert of Italian pastries, beer, wine, conversation and fellowship. About fifteen minutes before midnight, we said good-bye to friends old and new and headed home. It was a spectacular Sebago Canoe Club Fourth of July to remember.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, July 3, 2011, the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-06-30T00:01:00.058-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Even after skipping some verses in this chapter, this is still the longest of the day’s Readings.

v. 24 Who is speaking?

vs. 35-40 Is sounds like things have turned out pretty well for Abraham and Sarah. Almost sacrificed, Isaac is now of marrying age. What to do? He cannot marry one of the locals, can he?

v. 42 What is it about springs?

v. 42-44 Do these verses remind you of any verses in the NT? What about John 4:1-42?

v. 45 What does it mean to speak in one’s heart?

v. 47 Who are these people and why are they being named? What is the significance of the ring and bracelets?

v. 58 Can we consider this “The call of Rebekah”? Why does Rebekah have a nurse?

v. 60 Can we read this as the blessing of Rebekah?

v. 65 Why was Rebekah not veiled until she was about to meet Isaac?

v. 67 His mother’s tent?

Psalm 45:10-17
Is it ironic or symbolic, or just an example of synchronicity, that this reading, and its alternate, would appear in the Lectionary just a little over a week after the New York Senate passed, and the Governor signed, same sex marriage legislation?

vs. 10-15 While these words were not originally addressed to Rebekah, they do seem to fit. This reads like a liturgy from a royal wedding.

vs. 16-17 The psalm seemed to have been speaking to and of the Bride. Now it seems to speaking to the Bridegroom/King.

Song of Solomon 2:8-13
This alternate reading is suggested by the love mentioned in Genesis 24:67.

vs. 8-13 Can you hear these words coming from, perhaps, Rebekah’s mouth? These are some of the most sensual passages in Scripture. I think we do them disservice to spiritualize them and see them as anything less than biblical erotica.

Romans 7:15-25a
v. 15 Finally ,some Pauline verses I can identify with!

v. 18 Yep!

v.19 Ditto.

v.20 I doubt if the “sin” defense would stand up in a court of law.

vs. 22-23 What is the contrast being made between “inmost self” and “members”?

v. 24 Could we ever use this liturgically as part of a Confession of Sin?

v. 25 A catch all phrase. How does it add to, or end, Paul’s argument?

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
v. 16 Why might I read this differently in my 50’s than I would have in my 30’s?

v. 17 Is this a quote? From what or where?

vs. 18-19 Damned if you don’t and damned if you do? Son of Man? “Her” deeds?

v. 25 What “things” have been hidden from some and revealed to others? Who are the “wise and intelligent” and who are the “infants”? Does the mention that the Lord of heaven and earth has “hidden” these things place this in the genre of apocalyptic literature?

vs. 28-30 These verses seem to stand on their own. Are they out of context? Do they naturally and logically follow from what precedes them? How might they add to our understanding of the previous verses? I think a whole sermon could be preached, a whole lesson developed, around these three verses.

ADDENDUM
Does the fact that Churches in the United States will be encountering these readings the day before Independence Day influence at all how we might interpret and apply them?

In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

My 4th Calculator

2011-06-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

My parents bought me my first calculator in 1974. I was in 10th grade and taking Algebra 2/Trigonometry. Some of my classmates were getting expensive Texas Instruments calculators to help them with their homework. Mom and Dad bought me an early version of the little square plastic case Commodore Minuteman for $40. It added, subtracted, divided, multiplied and might have had a percent key and a memory key.

Several months later I saw an advertisement for a more advanced Commodore Minuteman that had a square root key, for the same price as my original; $40.00. I convinced my parents that the square root key was worth it. That little rechargeable, LED screen, Commodore Minuteman served me well through the rest of High School, including Chemistry, Physics and Pre-Calculus. I even used it in a high school class on how to use the slide rule where all the students used their calculators to check slide rule calculations. Yea, slide rules were still in use back then and calculators were novel and expensive. I continued to use that second Commodore Minuteman all through college, including Calculus and Statistics and never used a slide rule after the slide rule class.

Well into 1980 or early 1981, my second Commodore Minuteman finally died. I replaced it with a Sharp, ELSI MATE EL-211, primarily to balance my checkbook, calculate my taxes, and keep track of the average miles per gallon our cars were getting. That Sharp is still working and I think I have replaced the batteries only once in thirty years. Along with cockroaches, my Sharp could probably survive a nuclear war.

Now that I am tutoring high school students in Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry, however, my thirty-year-old Sharp does not offer me all the functions I would like at my disposal. I have occasionally been using the calculator application on my Verizon HTC Imagio smart phone, but after a heavy two Algebra 2/Trigonometry tutoring session in the evening, without having recharged since morning, the battery comes close to draining.

I have had my eye on the TI-83 Plus but cannot justify the cost, at least not until I start a long time tutoring relationship with an Algebra 2/Trigonometry student. Therefore, I recently bought a less expensive Casio fx-260 SOLAR, “the official calculator for use on the GED Series Mathematics Test”. Since I have lately been tutoring a couple GED students, one long term, this seemed to be the calculator to buy.

Short of the graphing capabilities of the TI-83 Plus, the Casio fx-260 SOLAR offers me all the computational power I will probably ever need, and more than I will ever use. With tax, it cost me $10.33 at Staples, a lot less than a TI-83 Plus, and nearly a fourth of the price of my first Commodore Minuteman that did nothing but add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Although I will carry and use the Casio fx-260 SOLAR when I tutor, I will keep that thirty-year old indestructible Sharp next to my checkbook for occasional balancing. Sometimes, though, I wish I still had that original Commodore Minuteman to use as a paperweight and to remind me of what used to be.

The Magdalene

2011-06-24T16:04:00.000-04:00

Was Mary Magdalene possessed by evil spirits, or was she a mystic with awareness of, and access to, spiritual power? Was Mary one of the first disciples of Jesus, and more than any of the other apostles a nearly equal co-participant in Jesus’ ministry of preaching, and, in the final days of his ministry, his wife? Was she to blame for his death? Did she write her own Gospel before sailing for France, where she would bare Jesus’ daughter?

These are just some of the provocative theories explored, and perhaps faith challenging questions asked, in The Magdalene: A Musical Play, now in previews at the The Theater at St. Clements, 423 West 46th Street, NYC. I find it both ironic and symbolic that a play such as The Magdalene would be running in a building still serving as an active church. Perhaps there is hope for the Church, after all.

Shad Olsen not only plays one on the lead characters, Yeshua, he is also the playwright. Shad calims to have been influenced and inspired by his teacher, James Olm, who wrote the music. He also credits the writings of Margaret Starbird. As I experienced this musical, I heard what I thought were echoes of both Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. I saw scenes which reminded me of scenes from Martin Scorsese’s film adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ Last Temptation of Christ. The sparse set and costumes were enough to transport me back two-thousand years ago to Palestine without detracting from, or adding to, the both spoken and sung script.

Olsen offered not a meek and mild saintly Yeshua, but rather a peace loving man, or rather a loving peaceful man, who sought nothing but to accept people as they were and to share with them God’s love. For this Yeshua, that is all God is, love, and love is also God.

The title character, Mary Magdalene, played by Lindsie Vanwinkle, seemed to alternate between a whimpering but self-righteous victim and a brash self-confident religious and spiritual rebel whom never seemed to be at peace with herself. The strength of VanWinkle’s craft was evident during an after performance talkback between the cast and audience when she appeared nothing like her character.

Faith Annette Engine ably portrayed the little girl that I was never sure was all angel or a mixture of little angel and a little demon, or perhaps an outward manifestation of Mary’s unconscious with just a little of the collective unconscious added in as well.

Evangelia Kingsley embodied the Rivkah roll, an older, blind midwife who subtly guides the birth of her assistant as Mary is transformed from abused daughter to a religious and spiritual leader, and then later becomes one of the followers of Yeshua and Mary.

I was most pleased, however, with the performance of supporting actor Eugene Barry-Hill, who boldly and confidently filled the Pilatus character with hints of modern street pimp, Wall Street tycoon, and the manipulative and opportunistic politician seeking re-election.

While some less informed in the audience might find their religious sensibilities and sensitivities, if they have any, challenged, there is nothing new here, at least not for anyone familiar with Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, or the writings of Margaret Starbird, or who are familiar with the Gnostic Gospels. I was first exposed to the theory that Mary Magdalene and Jesus may have been married in the mid 1970’s when I was an undergraduate studying under the tutelage of the late William E. Phipps, Ph.D., who decades ago explored topics such as The Sexuality of Jesus, Was Jesus Married?, and Recovering Biblical Sensuousness.

I enjoyed The Magdalene sitting front and center, flanked by two other Mainline Ordained Ministers, both female, who, while seeing and hearing a few things slightly differently than I did, both liked the play. The Magdalene runs about ninety minutes without any intermission.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, June 26, 2011, the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

2011-06-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, June 19, 2011, Trinity Sunday (Year A)

2011-06-16T00:01:00.036-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Genesis 1:1-2:4a
For once, the lectionary prescribes that the First Reading of the Day begins where the Bible begins, “In the beginning” at Genesis 1:1. This is also, perhaps, one of the longest Readings in the lectionary outside of Lent and the Passion narrative. Am I stating the obvious when I note that this is the “first” creation account? I take the Bible too seriously to take it literally. Thus, I read Genesis 1:1-2:4a as a mythopoeic reflection on human origins rather than a scientific explanation of them. Can we read and interpret this passage without reference to Genesis 2:4bandfollowing? How does reading this on Trinity Sunday influence our understanding and interpretation of the passage and how does this passage inform our understanding of the Trinity?

v. 1 What is the better translation, “when God created” or “when God began to create”?

v. 2 What is a “wind from God”? How else might we translate the Hebrew word sometimes translated “wind”?

v. 3 Creation ex nihilo! Can we read this without also thinking of the prologue of John?

v. 4 What would have happened if God saw that the light was NOT good?

v. 5 Are you familiar with this three tiered cosmology?

v. 15 The roots of both astrology and astronomy.

v. 16 So where did the light come from in day one if God did not create the Sun until day four?

v. 22 Who, or what, are told to be fruitful and multiply?

v. 24 Note that sea creatures and birds are told to be fruitful and multiply in verse 22, but here, animals of the earth are NOT told that.

v. 25 Us? There is that “dominion” word that has caused us so many environmental problems and which we will encounter again in Psalm 8:6.

v. 28 Note that we are not told that God blessed any other creatures or parts of creation. In light of how we have historically interpreted and applied the admonition to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion,” I think this has been more of a curse than a blessing as far as we “exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.”

vs. 29-30 It sounds like we have been given plants to eat, but not animals.

v. 3 Another blessing. So what did God do on the eighth day?

Psalm 8:1-9
v. 1 “O LORD” = Tetragrammaton. Are Christians bound by the Hebrew tradition of not pronouncing the majestic name of God?

v. 2 What do babes and infants speak other than gibberish?

v.3 Is there a difference between “creating” and “establishing?

vs. 3-4 I will never forget my sense of awe and wonder the first time I looked through a telescope and saw for myself the rings of Saturn. I think I have heard it said that the Hubble telescope enables us to look back through time to the first moments after creation.

v. 6 Need I say anything about “dominion” other than that an ecological awareness forces us to abandon outdated understandings?

2 Corinthians 13:11-13
This short Second Reading and the short Gospel Reading compensates for the long First Reading.

v. 11 Final words.

v. 12 What is a “holy kiss”?

v. 13 Is this verse, a Trinitarian blessing, the only reason this Reading appears on this day, Trinity Sunday?

Matthew 28:16-20
v.16 Which mountain would that be?

v. 17 Some of the eleven doubted? Doubted what? Doubted whom?

v. 19 Is this Trinitarian baptismal formula the only verse that commends this reading as appropriate for Trinity Sunday?

v. 20 What and when is the end of the age? What is an age? When did the age begin?

ADDENDUM
How much does this being Trinity Sunday influence our interpretation and application of these Readings? In other words, would we read these passages any differently if we were reading them on any other Sunday than Trinity Sunday?

In addition to serving as the half time Designated Pastor of North Church Queens and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also tutor part time. If you or someone you know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check our my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.

Throwaway Religion

2011-06-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

In spite of overflowing landfills and a growing emphasis on the need to recycle, we still tend to live in a disposable, throwaway culture. If something no longer works, we do not fix it. We throw it away and buy a new one. In fact, it is often less expensive to replace a broken item than to pay the cost of repairing it. Even worse is when something still performs the function for which it was designed, but when a newer version offers upgrades and features the older model did not have, we buy the latest model and toss out the old one, even though the old one worked perfectly fine.

Are faith, religion and spirituality any different? Do we invest in repairing what is broken or simply toss it out and start over? Do we throw away what seems old and outdated so that we can replace it with the latest fashion trends in faith traditions?

I realize I am ruminating of existential things, ethereal ideas and concepts rather than physical consumer items, but ponder I must. Recently seeing a faded and dusty framed copy of DaVinci’s Last Supper thrown out with the trash is what has ignited my brooding. The sight caused me to reflect upon the disposable nature of our contemporary religious convictions, or lack of. While there is certainly nothing sacrilegious about throwing away something like a reproduction of DaVinci’s Last Supper, the sight of this framed print next to trashcan on the street seemed like a metaphor of contemporary devotion, or lack of, to mystery.

I wondered if the former owner of this DaVinci print grew tired of the faith it represented and dumped it along with their beliefs. On the other hand, perhaps they disposed of it and replaced it with a print of Dali’s Last Supper, or a framed photo of the Dali Lama or Mecca. Maybe they simply moved out of the apartment, left the print behind, and the property owner was the one to trash the print when the cleaned up the mess left behind. There is a story behind that print that I do not know and will never know. There are also stories associated with aging, declining, decaying, dying, churches that begging to be told and to teach us their lessons.

Back to the Bay

2011-06-13T09:34:00.001-04:00

Vicki in her Sirocco exploring the salt marsh

It was a long, snowy, cold winter. The snow and cold, combined with some minor health issues as well as an increased workload, prevented me from kayaking or sailing. That all ended last weekend when my wife and I enjoyed a short paddle on Jamaica Bay. It was our first Jamaica Bay paddle in over six months.

We put in at the Sebago Canoe Club New York Water Trail Access on Paerdegat Basin, paddled through the construction under the Belt Parkway bridge, and once in the bay, headed toward a salt marsh near the entrance to Mill Basin. Paddling near high tide, we were able to explore more of the salt marsh than usual. Except for the occasional jet landing at JFK, we would not have thought we were kayaking in a New York City salt marsh, as the only other sounds we heard were birdcalls and the croaks of bullfrogs.

Vicki paddled her teal Current Designs Sirocco. I paddled my favorite club boat, a blue 17ft Necky Chatham. While we have paddled these boats before, we were always in a larger group. This was the first time, however, when we both paddled traditional closed cockpit kayaks as a couple alone.

On the way out into the bay, one paddler passed us on his way in, and another kayaker passed by us as he raced out. Once in the bay, we saw a few powerboats, but none came close. It was as if we had the blue sky, warm temperatures, mild breeze and gently rolling bay to ourselves.

My return to Jamaica Bay after a six month hiatus also means I will probably be blogging more about kayaking (and sailing once the outboard is working again) than I recently have been, adding some variety to a perhaps overwhelming preponderance of Lectionary Ruminations.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, June 12, 2011, the Day of Pentecost (Year A)

2011-06-09T08:48:00.001-04:00

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

The Day of Pentecost offers a variety of readings with several possible permutations. Here are the options.

First Reading: Acts 2:1-21
Or alternate First Reading: Numbers 11:24-30
Psalm: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
Or alternate Second Reading: Acts 2:2-21
Gospel: John 20:19-23
Or alternate Gospel: John 7:37-39

I will ruminate only on the four passages I will be using.

Numbers 11:24-30
v. 24 Is there anything special about the number 70? Is there any story like this in the New Testament?

v. 25 In the NRSV the “Lord”, not LORD, comes down. Does this make any difference? Why did the Lord take some of the spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders? Was there not enough Spirit to go around, so it had to be rationed? What does it mean to prophesy?

vs. 26-29 OK, PC(USA) Presbyterians, this would have been an argument for the the passage of 10-A, but now that it has already been approved, I will not go there. Why are these two men named when the seventy are not named? Why might they have remained in the camp? Registered?

v.27 A young filer of complaints.

v. 28 And this be Moses’ successor?

v. 29 Indeed, would that all. We can only hope and pray that it be so.

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
v. 24 How could this verse serve as an interpretive lens for Numbers 11:26-29?

v. 25 The sea kayaker and sailor in me is nodding his head.

v. 26 Was this verse Thomas Hobbes’ inspiration for the title of his political treatise?

v. 29 What does it mean for God to hide God’s face?

v. 29-30 I love the juxtaposition of these two verse, especially the imagery of breath/death and spirit/creation.

v. 32 Storm God imagery.

vs.33-39 Even these are the concluding verses of today’s Psalm, they could easily be adapted to function as a Call to Worship.

Acts 2:1-21
v. 1 What was the day of Pentecost before the coming of the Holy Spirit?

v. 2 This verse might be especially poignant in light of recent devastating tornados.

v. 3 What is a divided tongue? How does a tongue, even a tongue, as of fire, rest on someone?

v. 4 What does it mean to be “filled with the Holy Spirit”. Rosetta Stone, eat your heart out!

v. 5 So?

v. 6 Have you ever been bewildered? What bewilders you?

v. 7 Similarly, amazed and astonished?

vs. 9-11 Lay readers, and even some clergy, hate reading these verses. I think, however, that this list serves a very important theological purpose.

v.11 What are God’s deeds of power?

v. 12 Earlier it was bewildered, amazed and astonished. Now it is amazed and perplexed. What does this mean?

v. 13 Thus most PCUSA Presbyterians shun offering fermented wine at communion, for fear of appearing to be filled with new wine. Instead, we are filled with Welches grape juice, a nice, safe alternative void of all power and warmth, like the spirit in most of our congregations (note to self: get off your soap box).

v. 14 Peter, always the first to open his mouth.

v. 15 Like people are not drunk at 9:00 AM? Some people are just coming home from all night parties at that time.

v. 16 You cannot go wrong by quoting from Jewish prophets when your audience is filled with devout Jews.

vs. 17-21 Is this a case where a prophecy in the Hebrew Scriptures prefigures a later event, or where a prophecy is used as an apology for a later event?

John 7:37-39
v. 37 And what festival would that be?

vs. 37-38 Is it at all problematic that today’s readings are mixing fire, wind and water metaphors?

v. 38 What Scripture passage does Jesus quote and what is the original historical and literary context of that passage?

v.39 Did the author of the Gospel know this at the time Jesus quoted scripture, or does this comment make sense only in hind sight?

thumbtack: Tutoring

2011-06-07T10:32:00.001-04:00

This morning I discovered thumbtack, a marketplace for local services where I have listed my tutoring services. As I gain more experience tutoring, I am discovering how enjoyable and fulfilling it is. One of the few problems with tutoring is finding students in the greater Ridgewood, NY area who need and want tutoring, and I am hoping that thumbtack will helpdraw more students to my services. Because I want to be able to travel to my students by walking or public transportation, I prefer students in the Ridgewood neighborhood or within a short commute by either subway or bus. I do have a car and can drive to students, but only if there is available free parking near the student’s home.

Passing 20: More Ruminations on Tutoring

2011-06-06T10:38:00.001-04:00

I recently passed the milestone of having had tutored twenty hours or more through WyzAnt. Not only do I now earn an additional 5% from tutoring fees and have a green 20+ hours medallion next to my name on my profile, I have gained the satisfaction of knowing that I have helped students improve their grades and prepare for standardized tests. I passed the twenty hours of tutoring milestone by tutoring three students. I am still tutoring one of these students, a ninth grader, in Geometry, helping him increase his Geometry grade as well as prepare for the New York State Regents. I tutored an eighth grader in Math, English and Chess, up until the time he was to take his state Math and English Language Arts Test. Relying on email rather than tutoring face-to-face, I also helped a seminary student write her first Theology paper.

Combined with tutoring through other services and on my own, I have now tutored over eight students ranging in age from seventh grade through graduate school, and have tutored well over 100 hours. Most of my students have been in the Ridgewood and Glendale neighborhoods of Queens and the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. I am willing to travel into Manhattan or anywhere in the five boroughs of New York City as long as the location is near a subway station.

I look forward to helping other students improve their grades and prepare for standardized, and earning a green 50+ hours medallion next to my name on my profile. I am well over half way to that 50+ milestone.

If you are interested in learning how you can tutor through WyzAnt, or if you want me or another WyzAnt tutor to help you improve your grades and prepare for standardized, just click on the WyzAnt hotlink.

Lectionary Ruminations for Sunday, June 5, 2011, the Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year A)

2011-06-02T00:01:00.006-04:00

Acts 1:6-14
Will you handle this verse differently depending on whether or not your community observed and celebrated Ascension Day last Thursday?

v. 6 Who has come together?

v. 7 Take that, prognosticators of May 21being the end of the world!

v. 8 Do you have the power? Note the progression from the local to the global.

v. 9 In the NRSV, the action is in the passive. Must we read “lifted up” as a physical reference? In English, we occasionally say we “lift up” things without physically touching them or physically moving them. What might the cloud symbolize?

v. 10 Were the two wearing white robes really men?

v. 11 A good question. Is this a reference to the coming of the power and Holy Spirit mentioned in verse 8, or the second coming?

v. 12 Is the mount of Olives really a sabbath’s day’s journey from Jerusalem? What is a Sabbath day’s journey?

v. 13 What is the significance of the naming?

v. 14 Constantly? Who might the other women have been in addition to Mary? His brothers?

vs. 13-14 That eleven men are named, but only one woman, in my mind makes this a sexist and patriarchal passage. What would your reaction be if the passage read, “When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs were they were staying. All of them were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, Martha, and Salome, as well as his brothers.”?

Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35

v. 1 Is this Psalm paired with the First Reading only because of the “Let God rise up” language?

v. 4 Now we have “cloud” imagery to pair with the First Reading.

v. 8 When was the last time you heard someone begin a prayer with the address “God of Sinai” or “God of Israel” rather than “Father”?

v. 32 Not only Israel but “kingdoms of the earth” are called to sing praises to God.

vs. 33-24 Here we have “rider in the heavens” and “skies” language to add to the “rise up”language of verse 1 and the “cloud” imagery of verse 4.

v 35. My God is “awesome”! How do you understand this affirmation? What does it mean to be “awesome”?

1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
v. 12 What is meant by ‘the fiery ordeal”? Shall we read this any differently in light of the Holocaust/Shoah? Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

v. 13 “Rejoice”? Really? Is this supposed to a pep talk?

v. 14 I find this verse easier to take than the one before it.

v. 7 What would a Psychiatrist say about this verse?

v. 8 In other words, “Pay attention. There be Lions” and tigers, and bears.

v. 9 “all the world”? Really?

v. 10 Now I hear a word of hope rather than resignation.

John 17:1-11
v. 1 What “words”? Ah Jesus, can you not just once in a while pray using more inclusive language when you address God? What “hour”? Quid pro quo?

v. 2 Jesus referring to himself in the third person?

v. 3 I like this image of eternal life more than eternal habitation on clouds playing harps.

v. 5 Jesus had glory in God’s presence before the world existed? Oh, that is right. I forgot. This is the Gospel According to John.

vs. 7-8 I think Jesus is attributing more knowledge and understanding to his followers than they really possessed at the time, or now.

v. 10 How has Jesus been glorified in others?

v. 11 God has given a holy name to Jesus? What was that name? How can those for whom Jesus pray in any sense of the word be “one” as Jesus and “his Father” are one?

About the June 2011 Header

2011-06-01T21:24:00.000-04:00

Yep! That is yours truly, in the deep, deep past, the fall of 1976 to be exact. The photo is from my first climbing trip to Seneca Rocks, WV. OK, I know my gear and apparel were not the best, especially the construction style hard hat, but I was a poor freshman in college. CAMS had not yet invented. Goldline was still available as a climbing rope. Ah, those were the days.

Prayer for Memorial Day

2011-05-29T17:45:00.002-04:00

Veterans Memorial
Atlantic City, NJ

Almighty God, strong to save,
     we remember the brave men and women
          who have given their lives on the land, in the air, and upon the sea
          in defense of our freedom and liberty,
     from the minutemen killed at Lexington or Concord,
     to the brothers killed from both the North and South in the Civil War,
      from the greatest generation who gave their lives during World War II,
     to the Active Duty troops and National Guard men and women
          killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
Tomorrow, as we remember and memorialize those who have died,
     may the day serve to memorialize them not through words engraved into stone
     but gratitude burned into our hearts and minds.

God of earth, sea, and sky,
     we also pray that you will guard the brave women and men
     who are this very moment risking their lives for our country
     as they serve in foreign lands.
Give them compassion for enemies who also fight for patriotic causes.
And keep our sons and daughters,
     our husbands and wives,
     and our brothers and sisters
     from hate that hardens,
     or from scorekeeping with human lives.
Though they must be at war, let them live for peace,
     as eager for agreement as for victory.
Encourage them as they encourage one another,
     and never let hard duty separate them
     from loyalty to your Son, our Lord, Jesus the Christ.
Amen.

Note: I have been using this prayer for some time, slightly redacted every year. I have been using it so long that I have perhaps lost touch with some its original sources. There are obvious allusions to the Navy Hymn, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”, #562 in The Presbyterian Hymnal, as well as phrasing drawn from a prayer “For Those in the Military” #65 page 818 in the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship.