Month: June 2020
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Making History
St. Matthew’s [Episcopal Church] priest showed a small group of us the balcony, which was added to the church mid-nineteenth century to segregate its enslaved members from the landed gentry below. Those southern gentlemen imagined themselves as great fathers, writing often in their personal letters about “our family, black and white.” But they also understood […]
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Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that YHWH has truly sent the prophet. Jeremiah 28:8-9
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Shabbat shalom
Every controversy conducted for God’s sake will in the end prove fruitful; every controversy not conducted for God’s sake will in the end prove fruitless. From “Chapters of the Fathers,” in Gates of Prayer, Central Conference of American Rabbis, 1975, 26.
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Reflecting on Proverbs 9 1-6, 8-10, 13-18
We are studying Proverbs 9:1-6, 8-10, and 13-18, for Sunday, June 28 – the conclusion to the introductory section of the book of Proverbs, and of our study of this part of the Biblical wisdom literature. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are some questions we might want to consider as we study […]
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Studying Proverbs 9 1-6, 8-10, 13-18
We are studying Proverbs 9, focusing on verses 1-6, 8-10, and 13-18, for Sunday, June 28. The month of June has taken us through the introduction to the book of Proverbs, introduced us to Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly, and perhaps primed us for the rest of the wisdom studies this quarter, since by now […]
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“Fool”
I received a wonderful gift a few days ago, a volume in the Wisdom Commentary series, on Proverbs, by Alice Ogden Bellis, with sidebars by a collection of other authors. Just in time for our last week of reading Proverbs in class, with portions of chapter 9. It’s beautiful, and clearly erudite, and also accessible, […]
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All The Things
One thing that does not happen “at church” is grading. [This is one of the good things about church.] Grading happens, in my experience, not at church. Although technically, insofar as “the church is the people,” and people [some of us, anyway] periodically do this thing we call “grading,” then grading also happens “at church.” […]
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Shabbat shalom
Four types of minds sit before the wise: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, and a sieve. A sponge takes in all things. A funnel receives at one end and lets out at the other. A strainer lets out the wine and retains the dregs. A sieve lets out the course meal and retains the […]
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Reflecting on Proverbs 8 8-14, 17-21
We are studying, or focusing on, Proverbs 8:8-14 and 17-21 for Sunday, June 21. This is part of the long speech in praise of wisdom delivered by Woman Wisdom, the personification of wisdom, herself. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are some questions we might want to consider as we think about this […]
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Studying Proverbs 8 8-14, 17-21
We are studying, or focusing on, Proverbs 8:8-14 and 17-21 for Sunday, June 21 – continuing our exploration of wisdom, this time with part of this long speech by Woman Wisdom praising herself and her relation to God and creation. Here are some notes on the text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We are still in the […]
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Students
Every session, as the session proceeds, my level of annoyance with the students – some of the students, at least – rises. “Are we going to need that book?” [About one of two books listed as “required,” two weeks into the course.] “I have been really busy with work, so I couldn’t take the quizzes […]
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Slaves of Christ/ians
Southern clergy defended the morality of slavery through an elaborate scriptural defense built on the infallibility of the Bible, which they held up as the universal and objective standard for moral issues. Religious messages from pulpit and from a growing religious press accounted in large part for the extreme, uncompromising, ideological atmosphere of the time. […]
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Second Sunday After Pentecost
As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Matthew 10:7
Matters of Interpretation 