Friday, November 29, 2019

Queerying Advent 1A



River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days to come, the Mount of the Becoming One's House shall stand firm above the mountains and tower above the hills;
All the nations will gaze on it with joy. And the many peoples shall go and say:
"Come, let us go up to the Mount of the Becoming One, to the House of the God of Jacob; that She may instruct us in Her ways, and that we may walk in Her paths."
For instruction shall come from Zion, the word of the Becoming One from Jerusalem.
Thus She will judge among the nations and arbitrate for the many peoples, they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war.
O House of Jacob! Come, let us walk by the light of the Becoming One.

Queeries for the text:
Where does this word start?
What images bring you joy?
How many words are present in this text?
Can land talk or teach?
What other people judge among the nations?
Where are tools of violence becoming tools of growth?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.
 
Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44

Jesus said:
36“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Child, but only the Parent. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Human One. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Human One.

40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Ruler is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, they would have stayed awake and would not have let their house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Human One is coming at an unexpected hour." 

Queeries for the text:
Who is no one?
What kind of day and hour?
What arrives unexpectedly?
How do we know who is taken and who is left?
What thieves are coming today?
Who is eating and drinking today?
What flood is coming?

What are your queeries?


Thursday, November 21, 2019

Queerying Reign of Christ the Queen C

River Needham queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Ah, shepherds who let the flock of my pasture stray and scatter!—declares the Becoming One. Assuredly, thus said the Becoming One, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who should tend my people: It is you who let my flock scatter and go astray.

You gave no thought to them, but I am going to give thought to you, for your wicked acts—declares the Becoming One, and I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will bring them back to their pasture, where they shall be fertile and increase.
I will appoint over them shepherds who will tend them; they shall no longer fear or be dismayed, and none of them shall be missing—declares the Becoming One.

See, a time is coming—declares the Becoming One—when I will raise up a true branch of David’s line. Ze shall reign as sovereign and shall prosper, and ze shall do what is just and right in the land. In hir days Judah shall be delivered and Israel shall dwell secure. And this is the name by which ze shall be called: “The Becoming One is our Vindicator.”

Queeries for the text:
Who are shepherds?
Who are sheep?
Where is God gathering hir sheep from?
What does it mean that none shall be missing?
Who is the true branch of David's line?
When did this line end? When might it start again?
Where else have nations dwelt secure?
Where is the land?
Where else do people serve as vindicators?
Who else has been scattered?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

tdor.co

Gospel: Luke 23:33-43

33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Queeries for the text:
Like Jesus, what other queens are lynched today?
Like Jesus, what other queens are lynched today?
Like Jesus, what other queens are lynched today?

What are your queeries?


Thursday, November 14, 2019

Queerying 23rd after Pentecost C - Isaiah

https://www.buzzfeed.com/meredithtalusan/stunning-posters-aim-to-transform


Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 65:17-25
17 For I am about to create new heavens
   and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
   or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice for ever
   in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
   and its people as a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
   and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
   or the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
   an infant that lives but a few days,
   or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
   and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
   they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
   they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
   and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labour in vain,
   or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Becoming One—
   and their descendants as well.
24 Before they call I will answer,
   while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
   the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
   but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain, says the Becoming One. 

Queeries for the text:
What former things will not come to mind?
What happens when people don't remember?
Which infants live but a few days?
Who doesn't live out a lifetime?
Who creates with their lives?
How must the powerful change to achieve the restoration of wolf and lamb?
How does the church hurt?

What are your queeries?


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The manuscript for the sermon I preached, rooted in these queeries, can be found on my other blog here.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Queerying 22nd after Pentecost C

http://www.bricktestament.com/exodus/the_burning_bush/ex03_06a.html

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 20:27-38
27Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus 28and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

34Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Becoming One as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now God is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to God all of them are alive.”

Queeries for the text:
What did we skip?
Why ask about what you don't believe?
Why ask theoretical questions?
What if she didn't want to marry any of the men?
Which ages are we talking about?
What does it mean to be alive?
What are angels like?

What are your queeries?