Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Queerying Easter 3C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Acts reading.
ID: a continuous scaly pattern fills a rainbow blue green background.
Acts 9:1-6[7-20]
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lover, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, of any gender, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as Saul was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5Saul asked, “Who are you, Lover?”

The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are targeting. 6But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

[7The people who were traveling with Saul stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9For three days Saul was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lover said to Ananias in a vision, “Ananias.”

He answered, “Here I am, Lover.”

11The Lover said to Ananias, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision one named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”

13But Ananias answered, “Lover, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the community leaders to bind all who invoke your name.”

15But the Lover said to Ananias, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and rulers and before the people of Israel; 16I myself will show Saul how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

17So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lover Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18And immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and his sight was restored. Then Saul got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20and immediately Saul began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “They are the Descendant of God.”]

Queeries for the text:
How can light harm?
Why is Saul persecuting the followers of the Way?
How is Saul dependent on others? How are we interdependent?
Why would anyone want to go to the street called Straight?
How do harmful actions disconnect us?
What scales need to fall for us to proclaim Jesus?
How do conversions usually happen

-----

J. Pace Warfield-May queeries the reading from Revelation.
ID: an icon of the tetramorph (the four creatures), with a bird on the top, the human in the center, the bull on the left, and the lion on the right, each surrounded by wings against a starry field.
Revelation 5:11-14
11Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the ancestors; they numbered tens of thousands of tens of thousands and thousands of thousands, 12singing with full voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" 14And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the ancestors fell down and worshiped.

Queries for the text:
How does one hear by looking?
Who are the ancestors? What are the four creatures?
What comes from suffering?
What does an entire planet singing sound like?

-----

Find previous queeries for the John text.

-----

What are your queeries?




No comments: