Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Queerying Reign of Christ the Queen B

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.
a silver Magen David
Tanakh: 2 Samuel 23:1-7

These are the last words of David:

The utterance of David son of Jesse,
The utterance of the man set on high,
The anointed of the God of Jacob,
The favorite of the songs of Israel:

The spirit of the Becoming One has spoken through me,
Femmes message is on my tongue;
The God of Israel has spoken,
The Rock of Israel said concerning me:
“He who rules justly,
He who rules in awe of God
Is like the light of morning at sunrise,
A morning without clouds—
Through sunshine and rain
Bringing vegetation out of the earth.”
Is not my House established before God?
For Femme has granted me an eternal pact,
Drawn up in full and secured.
Will Femme not cause all my success
And my every desire to blossom?
But the wicked shall all
Be raked aside like thorns;
For no one will take them in their hand.
Whoever touches them
Must arm themself with iron
And the shaft of a spear;
And they must be burned up on the spot.

Queeries for the text:
What narratives from this year brought out David's complicatedness?
How does this narrative fit with God choosing David?
What are songs of Israel?
How is God Just?
Who was David's successor?
How was David's reign remembered?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.
Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, transgender icons, are visible side-by-side in a color photo. Marsha has flowers in her hair while Sylvia holds her left hand up in a peace sign.
Gospel: John 18:33-37
33Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the Ruler of the Jews?”

34Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”

35Pilate replied, “I am not Jewish, am I? Your own nation and its elites have handed you over to me. What have you done?”

36Jesus answered, “My reign is not from this world. If my reign were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over. But as it is, my reign is not from here.”

37Pilate asked Jesus, “So you are a ruler?”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a ruler. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Queeries for the text:
When did Pilate enter the headquarters before?
Who is Ruler of the Jewish people?
When is gossip good?
Who else is handed over by their own government and elites?
Who is responsible for harm? 
What is the relationship between truth and power?

What are your queeries?



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