Month: September 2021
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Happy Birthday, Baby Brother
You’re a hero. Image: United States Treasury Building, by Rchuon24, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Studying Psalm 100
We will get to “make a joyful noise unto the HOLY ONE,” or at least think about what that might include, as we are studying Psalm 100 for Sunday, October 3. It’s World Communion Sunday, too, so the Psalmist’s invitation to “all ye lands” seems particularly timely. This will be the first in a series […]
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Teachers Day
The Duke of Sheh asked Tsze-lu about Confucius, and Tsze-lu did not answer him. The Master said, “Why did you not say to him, ‘He is simply a man, who in his eager pursuit of knowledge forgets his food, who in the joy of its attainment forgets his sorrows, and who does not perceive that […]
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Hospitality and Hostility and Wondering About That
Most of us – people, I’m thinking, human beings – are not good at welcoming and condemning at the same time. That sounds obvious, but it was a hard sentence to come up with. Most of us – people, I’m thinking, human beings – don’t think of ourselves as “condemning.” We more often think of […]
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Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Call to Worship [Based on Psalm 124] Praise God, who made heaven and earth;who makes life and a place for life,who is on the side of life.Rejoice in God, who rescues life from death;who is on the side of righteousness and renewal;who restores hope.Thank God, who liberates life for love and service,who is on the […]
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Shabbat shalom
Creation happens to us … Martin Buber, I and Thou, translated by Ronald Gregor Smith, Scribner Classics, 2000 (1958), 83. Image: “Kedumim Synagogues Nechamat Rachel Givat Shalem,” (an image of “the four kinds” in stained glass window of synagogue), photographed by Daniel Ventura CC BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons
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Reflecting on Acts 2 32-33, 37-47
We may want to ask ourselves how “the proclamation of the word” works in Acts 2:32-33, 37-47, and how the listeners’ response to that proclamation constitutes worship. And then, what kind of further worship that first worship leads to. That is: what counts as worship in this story? Because we seem to be looking at […]
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Studying Acts 2 32-33, 37-47
We will be thinking about what kind of church we have been, and are, and would like to be, as we are studying Acts 2:32-33, 37-47 for Sunday, September 26. [September 26-October 1 is the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Banned Books Week. We’re celebrating by reading the Bible, which showed up on […]
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Russell Moore on “Integrity and the Future of the Church”
Here. Aside from the fact that I agree with him, what struck me in particular was that it was in Plough. And that it was Russell Moore. There are all kinds of ways to strike a Constantinian bargain. Images: “Antiquariat saint pierre de clages valais,” (book shop), An image by Lysippos, CC by SA 3.0, […]
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Learning How to Be Small and Unimpressive
In the “society of the spectacle,” according to Guy Debord, whatever appears is real, and whatever is real appears. He didn’t mean it literally, in the sense that mere appearance determines actual reality. He meant it culturally, in the sense that people come to value what is represented, and only what is represented. People ignore […]
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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Call to Worship [Based on Psalm 1] Happy are those who listen listen for the counsel of the godly;who share the way, who walk the pathwho seek the way that is right;who gather together,gather and sit together, seeking wisdom.Come to wisdom,Come to joy,Come, let us worship God together! Happy are those who do not follow […]
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Shabbat shalom
There is divine meaning in the life of the world, of man, of human persons, of you and me. Martin Buber, I and Thou, translated by Ronald Gregor Smith, Scribner Classics, 2000 (1958), 83. Image: “Sabbath,” Max Weber, from Wikipedia Loves Art participant “shooting_brooklyn”, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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Reflecting on Mark 10 46-52
Does Blind Bartimaeus model for us how we ourselves ought to respond to Jesus? We could ask ourselves this, as we’re studying the story of his healing in Mark 10:46-52 for Sunday, September 19. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are a couple more questions we might want to think about or discuss […]
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Studying Mark 10 46-52
Jesus heals Blind Bartimaeus in the story we are studying for Sunday, September 19 as told in Mark 10:46-52. The story exemplifies Christ’s call and the ideal human response. [Here are some questions on this text.] Here are a few notes on that text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We are reading this story in Mark’s gospel. […]
Matters of Interpretation 