Tanakh: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
So David slept with his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem, then Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.
[...]
Then, Solomon, though he loved the Becoming One and followed the practices of his father David, also sacrificed and offered at the shrines. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the largest shrine; on that altar Solomon presented a thousand burnt offerings. At Gibeon the Becoming One appeared to Solomon in a dream by night.
God said, “Ask, what shall I grant you?”
Solomon said, “You dealt most graciously with Your servant my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and in integrity of heart. You have continued this great kindness to him by giving him a son to occupy his throne, as is now the case. So now, O Becoming One, my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David; but I am a young lad, with no experience in leadership. Your servant finds himself in the midst of the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. Grant, then, Your servant an understanding mind to judge Your people, to distinguish between good and bad; for who can judge this vast people of Yours?”
The Becoming One was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
God said to him, “Because you asked for this—you did not ask for long life, you did not ask for riches, you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for discernment in dispensing justice— I now do as you have spoken. I grant you a wise and discerning mind; there has never been anyone like you before, nor will anyone like you arise again. And I also grant you what you did not ask for—both riches and glory all your life—the like of which no king has ever had. And I will further grant you long life, if you will walk in My ways and observe My laws and commandments, as did your father David.”
Queeries for the text:
What's missing from this reading?
Who was worshipped at the shrines?
Was she God's spouse?
Is God monogamous?
Did God care about the shrine?
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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.
Gospel: John 6:51-58
Jesus continued:
51“I am the living bread that came down
from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread
that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52The Judeans then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this person give us his flesh to eat?”
53So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I
tell you, unless you gnaw on the flesh of the One Born of Woman and drink Their
blood, you have no life in you.
54Those who gnaw on my flesh and drink my blood have everlasting life, and I will raise them up on the last day;
55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
56Those who gnaw on my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.
57Just as the living Caregiver sent me, and I live because of the Caregiver, so whoever gnaws on me will live because of me.
58This is the bread that came down from
heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the
one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Queeries for the text:
What is given for the life of the world?
Who eats flesh?
Where is life?
When did Jesus become a vampire?
Why do we live? How?
What bread comes down from heaven?
What are your queeries?
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