Queerying Lent 5C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²There they gave a dinner for Jesus. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. ³Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' chosen family (the one who was about to betray him), said, ⁵“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” ⁶(Judas said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)

⁷Jesus said, “Leave Mary alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

Queeries for the text:
What is Passover?
Who is Jesus' chosen family? How does Jesus love them?
What does nard smell like?
What happens when fragrance fills a space?
When do we care about the poor? When don't we?
Who steals from the common purse?
How do we always have the poor with us? Why?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Lent 4C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³So Jesus told them this parable:

[...]

^11b“There was a man who had two children. ¹²The younger of them said to their father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger gathered all they had and traveled to a distant country, and there they squandered their property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When they had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and they began to be in need. ¹⁵So they went and hired themself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent them to hir fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶They would gladly have filled themself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave them anything. ¹⁷But when they came to themself they said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ ²⁰So they set off and went to their father. But while they were still far off, their father saw them and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around them and kissed them. ²¹Then the child said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your child.’ ²²But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on them; put a ring on their finger and sandals on their feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this child of mine was dead and is alive again; they were lost and are found!’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵“Now his elder was in the field; and when they came and approached the house, they heard music and dancing. ²⁶The elder called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.

²⁷She replied, ‘Your sibling has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got them back safe and sound.’ ²⁸Then they became angry and refused to go in. Their father came out and began to plead with them.

²⁹But they answered their father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this child of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for them!’

³¹Then the father said to them, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this sibling of yours was dead and has come to life; they were lost and have been found.’”

Queeries for the text:
What's missing?
What does the rest of the family think? The slaves? How do they feel?
How is property inherited?
Why did no one give the younger child anything?
Why was the younger child dead to the father?
How can a child work like a slave?
What does the elder actually know about the younger's activities? What is assumed?
What do sex workers do?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Lent 3C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9
At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ²Jesus asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? ³No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. ⁴Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

⁶Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. ⁷So he said to the overseer, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’

⁸She replied, ‘Master, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. ⁹If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Queeries for the text:
At what very time?
Why do bad things happen?
Who needs what kinds of repentance?
What tower of Siloam?
How long do fig trees usually take to bear fruit?
What wastes soil?
Who is (dis)connected to the soil?
Who has patience?

What are your queeries?


 

Queerying Lent 2C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
³¹At that very hour some religious authorities came and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”

³²Jesus said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. ³³Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ ³⁴Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁵See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Becoming One.’”

Queeries for the text:
At what very hour and where?
Why did Herod want to kill Jesus?
Why tell a fox? How do foxes respond?
What is impossible?
Who is killing today?
How does a hen gather her brood?
When do we say "blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Becoming One"?

What are your queeries?


 

Queerying Lent 1C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Jesus ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.

³The devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Divine Child, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”

⁴Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”

⁵Then the devil led Jesus up and showed him in an instant all the nations of the world. ⁶And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁷If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”

⁸Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Becoming One your God, and serve only Them.’”

⁹Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Divine Child, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰for it is written, ‘They will command Their angels concerning you, to protect you,’ ¹¹and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

¹²Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Becoming One your God to the test.’”

¹³When the devil had finished every test, he departed from Jesus until an opportune time.

Queeries for the text:
What happened at the Jordan?
How long is 40 days? 
Where is it written?
Who wants to rule?
Where is it written?
Where are these written?
Where is it written?
When is an opportune time?
Why test? 

What are your queeries?