Queerying Advent 4C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45[46-55]
³⁹In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her uterus. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among those who create life, and blessed is the fruit of your creating. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Leader comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by Becoming One.”

[⁴⁶And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Becoming One, ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for She has looked with favor on the lowliness of Her servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is Her name. ⁵⁰God's mercy is for those who fear Her from generation to generation. ⁵¹She has shown strength with Her arm; She has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²She has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³She has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴She has helped Her servant Israel, in remembrance of Her mercy, ⁵⁵according to the promise She made to our ancestors, to Hagar, Sarah, and Abraham and to their descendants forever.”]

Queeries for the text:
In which days?
How often does a fetus leap in utero? 
How does that blessing continue? 
Which child is which?
What is God's favor like?
Who receives mercy?
What scatters the arrogant?
Whose thrones need brought down? 
Who is filled? Who is hungry?
What promise to the descendants?

What are your queeries?


 

Queerying Reformation B

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Jeremiah 30:31-34
See, a time is coming—declares the Becoming One—when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors, when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, a covenant which they broke, though I espoused them—declares the Becoming One. But such is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel after these days—declares the Becoming One: I will put My teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts. Then I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, “Heed the Becoming One”; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me—declares the Becoming One.

Queeries for the text:
What possibilities for new covenants exist in the text?
What does it mean to inscribe on the heart?
Who are My people?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: John 8:31-36
³¹Then Jesus said to the Jewish people who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

³³They answered Jesus, “We are descendants of Abraham and Sarah and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is enslaved to sin. ³⁵The enslaved person does not have a permanent place in the household; the child has a place there forever. ³⁶So if the Child makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Queeries for the text:
What is Jesus' word?
How is history selective?
Who is enslaved today?
Which children don't have a permanent place in the household?
What could freedom look like?

What are your queeries?

 

Queerying Easter 2B

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Acts reading.

Inclusion does not = equity.

Diversity does not = justice.

Tolerance does not = love.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 6, 2021

First Reading: Acts 4:32-35

³²Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ³³With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Leader Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. ³⁵They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

 

Queeries for the text:

How is a whole group of one heart and soul? Were they really?

What happens without private ownership?

What do we hold in common?  What don't we?

What else happens with great power and great grace?

What do Jesus' words mean without needy?

What happens when lands and houses are sold?

 

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

Gospel: John 20:19-31
¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where Jesus’ chosen family had met were locked for fear of the authorities, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace and wholeness be with you." ²⁰After They said this, They showed them Their hands and Their side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Leader. ₂₁Jesus said to them again, "Peace and wholeness be with you. As the Caretaker has sent me, so I am sending you." ²²When They had said this, They breathed on the chosen family and said to them, "Receive the Holy Breath. ²³If you let go of the sins of any, they are let go; if you hold on to the sins of any, they are held on to."

²⁴But Thomas (who was nicknamed the Twin), one of the twelve, was notpwith them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other chosen family members told him, "We have seen the Leader." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

²⁶A week later Jesus’ chosen family was gathered again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace and wholeness be with you." ²⁷Then They said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my wounded side. Do not doubt but believe." ²⁸Thomas answered Them, "My Leader and my God!" ²⁹Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of Their chosen family, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Child of God, and that through believing you may have life in Their name.

Queries for the Text:
What is the role of skepticism? What is the value in questioning?
Doubting Thomas or conditional Thomas?
Why did Jesus say “Peace and wholeness be with you?”
How do we address antisemitism in passages like this?
How is disability present in this story?

What are your queeries?

 

 

Queerying Advent 3B

River Needham, MA queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

The spirit of Becoming itself rests on me because the Becoming One has annointed me. She has sent me as a herald of good news to the humble, first aid to the injured, release to those in prison, liberation to those oppressed. To proclaim a year of the Becoming One's favor, and of God's vindication. Comfort for those who mourn, provisions for them, turbans instead of ashes and festive ointments instead of ashes. Clothing full of color and joy instead of sadness. They shall be trees of victory for the Becoming One. The ancient cities will be restored, so will the desolate villages. The renewed city and desolations will teem with life.

[....]

For I, The Becoming One, love justice and fair wages. I hate robbery with burnt offerings, so I pay wages regularly and fairly. I make a timeless covenant with them. Their offspring will be known among the nations, their children among many people. All those who see these children will know that the Becoming One has blessed them. 

I rejoice in the Becoming One, my whole essence celebrates my God because she clothed me with triumphant clothes and put a victor's robe on me. Like a groom wearing a turban or a bride wearing her finest things. As the earth fosters plant growth and a garden of seeds shoot up, so will Becoming itself make victory and renown emerge in the presence of all the nations.

Queeries for the text:

Who or What is Becoming itself?

What is first aid to the injured?
How do we release those in prison?

Where is the liberation in our world?
What text was left out?
What areas in Israel long for restoration? What are possible resolutions?
Where are fair wages lacking in the US?

How are plants and growth becoming signs of victory?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷John came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through the light. ⁸John himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 

...

¹⁹This is the testimony given by John when the Judeans sent clergy and leaders from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 

²⁰John confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 

²¹And they asked John, “What then? Are you Elijah?” 

John said, “I am not.” 

“Are you the prophet?” 

John answered, “No.” 

²²Then they said to John, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 

²³John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Becoming One,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. 

²⁴Now they had been sent from the clergy. ²⁵They asked John, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 

²⁶John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of their sandal.” 

²⁸This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Queeries for the text:

What happens to witnesses?

What's missing?

Who questions prophets?

Who is not the Messiah?

To whom do you owe an answer?

What is John misquoting?

Who would want anything to be made straight?

Why do people baptize?

What else happens in Bethany?

What are your queeries?