Month: December 2018
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First Sunday after Christmas
Every infant I have ever known has been demanding. Incessantly, relentlessly demanding. Hold me. Feed me. Carry me. Change me. Put me in the car seat. Remember me. Think about me. Here I am. It’s a good thing they are so lovable, so awe-inspiring even, when we get the chance to notice it. Because when […]
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Matthew 25 31-46
The text we (and others) are studying for Sunday, December 30 is Matthew 25:31-46, “the judgment of the nations” or “the sheep and the goats.” Here are some questions around that text that we might want to consider before or in class: The story begins with the arrival of the “Son of Man in his […]
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Study Notes – Matthew 25 31-46
The text for Sunday, December 30 is Matthew 25:31-46 – a story we often refer to as “the judgment of the nations,” and the main referent of the phrase “the sheep and the goats.” Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: This is a story in Matthew’s gospel. We might recall that […]
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Boxing Day
The regularly scheduled notes on the upcoming Sunday school text (Matthew 25:31-46, the “judgment of the nations,”) will be slightly delayed due to the recent holiday. They should be online by Friday. In the meantime, Happy Christmas!
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Fourth Sunday in Advent
In the Advent foursome of Peace, Joy, Love, and Hope, this year’s fourth Sunday at our church was Hope. Our pastor’s children’s message started out with a plain brown paper bag. “What’s in the bag?” We don’t know. “What do we hope is in the bag?” A present! Which makes a lot of sense, actually, […]
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Luke 1 26-38 and 2 21-35
Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 2:21-35 are our texts for Sunday, December 23. Here are a few questions that we might want to consider before or in class: Luke 1:26-38 is a miracle text; the virgin birth is one of the five fundamentals of 1920s American Protestant fundamentalism. What in this text seems most important for […]
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Study Notes – Luke 2 21-35
We are studying Luke 2:22-35, together with Luke 1:26-31, for Sunday, December 23, along with everyone else using the Uniform Series texts. Luke 2:21-35 is most of the account of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple in Jerusalem, up through the end of Simeon’s speech. Just for the sake of length, notes on Luke 1:26-38 appeared […]
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Study Notes – Luke 1 26-38
We are studying Luke 1:26-31 and also Luke 2:22-35 for Sunday, December 23, along with everyone else using the Uniform Series texts. Luke 1:26-31 is embedded in the longer narrative that runs through verse 38, the Annunciation to Mary. Luke 2:21-35 is most of the account of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple in Jerusalem. Just […]
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Third Sunday in Advent
The question of the day was whether we could imagine ourselves, just being with one another, as … having something to do with love. It’s almost cliché these days to say things like “Christmas … it’s about presence, not presents.” But what if we take that “presence” idea seriously, recognize that being there with another […]
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Psalm 103
For those of us studying Psalm 103 for Sunday, December 16, here are a few questions we might want to think about before or in class: The Psalmist begins by saying “Bless YHWH, O my soul …” (v1). What mood do we hear in the Psalmist’s words? (e.g., Exuberant? Happy? Grateful, as if having just […]
Matters of Interpretation 