Tag: wisdom
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Seventh Sunday of Easter (B)
Call to Worship [Based on Psalm 1] There is Instruction here, that calls us. Instruction like a river, and like a tree planted by a river. Let us delight in it; Let us drink deep from it; Let us be transformed by it; Let us worship God! 1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice…
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Reflecting on Isaiah 29 13-24
We are studying Isaiah 29:13-24 for Sunday, May 9. This is a portion of the book of the prophet Isaiah that declares both the guilt, and the prospective deliverance, of Jerusalem. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are some questions we might want to consider, or discuss, in our study of this text:…
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Studying Nehemiah 2 11-20
We are studying Nehemiah 2:11-20 for Sunday, April 18. This is the part of the “Nehemiah memoir” that deals with Nehemiah’s initial first-hand survey of the damaged walls of Jerusalem, and his initiation of the project of rebuilding the walls. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND…
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Studying James 3 13-18 & 5 7-12
We are studying James 3:13-18 and James 5:7-12 as the conclusion to our study of the book of James as a wisdom text, and also as the conclusion to our “summer of wisdom.” [However, James will be coming up again in the Fall, as the conclusion to 13 weeks of studies on love! Those start…
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Studying James 1 1-11
What does the book of James have to do with wisdom? We are studying James 1:1-11 for Sunday, August 2, as the first of five lessons on James in this quarter devoted to Biblical wisdom literature, so it looks like we will be finding out. [Here are some questions on the text.] Here are some…
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Reflecting on Luke 2 39-52
We are studying Luke 2:39-52 for Sunday, July 12, the story of tween Jesus finally being found by his worried parents at a Second Temple Torah study group. (Whew! It could have been SO much worse.) [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are a few questions we might want to reflect on or…
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Studying Luke 2 39-52
We are studying Luke 2:39-52 for Sunday, July 12. This is a text often depicted in western art in the scene known as “Christ among the doctors.” This week, it continues our focus on wisdom themes in the gospels. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are some notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND…
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Reflecting on Matthew 11 7-19
We are studying Matthew 11:7-19 for Sunday, July 5. This is the first in a series of lessons on Jesus as a wisdom figure in the gospels. This one really just gives us a hint of that, in the final line of our focus text. [Some unfortunately long notes on the text are here.] Here…
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Studying Matthew 11 7-19
We are studying Matthew 11:7-19 for Sunday, July 5. This is the first in a series of four lessons that look at the way the gospels present Jesus as a wisdom figure. This week, we’re looking at a short, cryptic discourse on John the Baptist and his role in the kingdom of the heavens that…
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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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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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Reflecting on Proverbs 2 1-11
We are studying Proverbs 2:1-11 for Sunday, June 14 (Flag Day, in the secular world), taking the next step in our exploration of the Biblical wisdom literature by reading part of the next long speech in praise of wisdom in Proverbs. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are a few questions we might…
Matters of Interpretation 