Queerying Easter 5B

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Acts reading.

 

 

First Reading: Acts 8:26-40

²⁶Then an angel of the Becoming One said to Philip, “Get up and go up toward the south to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) ²⁷So Philip got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. Ey had come to Jerusalem to worship ²⁸and was returning home; seated in eir chariot, ey was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” ³⁰So Philip ran up to it and heard the Ethiopian reading the prophet Isaiah. 

 

Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 

 

³¹Ey replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And ey invited Philip to get in and sit beside em. ³²Now the passage of the scripture that ey was reading was this: “Like a sheep they were led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so they do not open their mouth. ³³In their humiliation justice was denied them. Who can describe their generation? For their life is taken away from the earth.” ³⁴The Ethiopian treasurer asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about themself or about someone else?” 

 

³⁵Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to em the good news about Jesus. ³⁶As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the Ethiopian eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” ³⁸Ey commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the Ethiopian, went down into the water, and Philip baptized em. 

 

³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Becoming One snatched Philip away; ey saw him no more, and went on eir way rejoicing. ⁴⁰But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

 

Queeries for the text:

What had Philip been up to?

What is the role of education in faith?

Where in Isaiah is that passage?

From whom is justice denied? 

What else does Isaiah say? Who are they talking about?

What prevents people from being baptized?

Where all did Philip go?

 

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Guest queerier, Pace Warfield-May, queeries the Gospel reading.

 

Gospel: John 15:1-8
Jesus continued:
“I am the true vine, and my Caretaker is the gardener. ²Ze removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit Ze prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been pruned by the word that I have spoken to you.

⁴“Remain and dwell in me as I remain and dwell in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains and dwells in the vine, neither can you unless you remain and dwell in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not remain and dwell in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you remain and dwell in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Caretaker is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Queeries for the text:
How do you bear fruit?
Why do branches stop bearing fruit?
How does pruning help things grow?
How does climate change affect vineyards and farming?
What do you wish for?

 

What are your queeries?