Queerying Advent 3A

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 35:1-10
The dry desert shall be glad,
The wilderness shall rejoice
And shall blossom like a rose.
It shall blossom abundantly,
It shall also exult and shout.
It shall receive the glory of Lebanon,
The splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall behold the glory of the Becoming One,
The splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are slack;
Make firm the tottering knees!
Say to the anxious of heart,
“Be strong, fear not;
Behold your God!
Requital is coming,
The recompense of God—
She Herself is coming to give you triumph.”
Then the eyes of the one who refuses to see shall be opened,
And the ears that refuse to hear shall be unstopped.
Then those who cannot walk shall leap like a deer,
And the one who cannot talk shall shout aloud;
For waters shall burst forth in the desert,
Streams in the wilderness.
Torrid earth shall become a pool;
Parched land, fountains of water;
The home of jackals, a pasture;
The abode of ostriches, reeds and rushes.
And a highway shall appear there,
Which shall be called the Sacred Way.
No one unclean shall pass along it,
But it shall be for them.
No traveler, not even the directionally challenged, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
No ferocious beast shall set foot on it—
These shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk it;
And the ransomed of the Becoming One shall return,
And come with shouting to Zion,
Crowned with joy everlasting.
They shall attain joy and gladness,
While sorrow and sighing flee.

Queeries for the text:
What is the opposite of dry?
How do we make firm tottering knees?
Where is the Sacred Way?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11
²When John heard during his incarceration what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his chosen family ³and said to Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

⁴Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you witness: ⁵the blind receive guidance, places are made accessible for the lame who use assistive devices, healthcare is free as the lepers are cleansed, the Deaf are respected in language and culture, the dead are raised, and the poor have money, support, and opportunity brought to them. ⁶And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

⁷As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:
“What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?

A reed shaken by the wind?

⁸What then did you go out to see?

Someone dressed in soft robes?

Look, those who wear soft robes are in mansions and penthouses.

⁹What then did you go out to see?

A prophet?

Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ ¹¹Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the reign of heaven is greater than he.

Queeries for the text:
Why was John incarcerated?
Who are you waiting for?
How has Jesus' call to community and accessibility been used for harm?
At whom do you take offense?
Who wears soft robes today?
Who is soft?
How can a person be more than a prophet?
Where is it written?
Who is greater? Who desires greatness?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 2A

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptizer appeared in the wild sparseness of Judea, proclaiming, ²“Turn around, for the reign of heaven has come near.” ³This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when saying, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Becoming One, make Her paths queerly accessible.’” ⁴Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to John, and all the region along the Jordan, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins and separation. ⁷But when John saw many religious leaders of all political perspectives coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit showing you're changing your mind. ⁹Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. This one will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²The winnowing fork is in hand, and this one will clear the threshing floor and will gather the wheat into the granary; but the chaff will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Queeries for the text:
Who else appears in the wild sparseness?
What nourishment do locusts and wild honey provide?
What sins do we have to confess at rivers and waterways?
Who else is cussed at?
When else are stones anthropomorphized?
What does fire do?
Is it better to be eaten or burned?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Narative Lectionary 113

Pace Warfield-May queeries the Narrative Lectionary reading.

Habakkuk 1:1-7; 2:1-4; 3:[3b-6], 17-19
^1:1The message that the prophet Habakkuk saw.

Habakkuk's request to God:
²Hey Becoming One, how long shall I beg for help,

and you won't listen to me?

Or like cry out to you "Look at this violence!"

and you will not bring salvation?

³Why do you make me see all these awful things, all this suffering

and make me look at trouble?

Destruction, devastation, and violence are all before me;

turmoil, violent divisions, keep arising.

⁴So the laws meant to protect people are ignored

and justice never prevails.

The wicked, the oppressors, the evil surround the righteous–

therefore judgment, what little there is, comes forth broken and incomplete.

God's response to the prophet:
⁵Look at all of the nations and see what is happening!

Be astonished! Be astounded!

For a work is being done right now in your very lifetime

that you would not believe is happening even if you were told.

⁶For I am rousing the Chaldeans from their slumber,

that fierce and anxious nation,

who march through the entirety of the known earth

to seize and colonize lands that are not their own.

⁷Indeed, they bring dread and fear wherever they go;

they put the law into their own hands and bring honor only to themselves.

[…]

Habakkuk responded:
^2:1I will stand at my watch-post,

and keep watch on the ramparts;

I will keep watch to see what Shee will say to me,

and what She will answer concerning my complaint.

²Then the Becoming One answered me and said:
Write this vision down,

meme-ify it and post it to the socials

so that anyone even scrolling through their feeds will be able to read it.

³For there is still a vision for the time to come that I have appointed

it speaks of the end of all things and it does not lie.

Even if it seems like the appointed time is forever away, wait for it anyway;

it will surely come, I promise. It will not be delayed.

⁴Look at the proud!

Their spirit is not right within them,

but the righteous live by their faith.

[…]

[^3:3bGod's glory covered the cosmos,

and the ground beneath us was full of Her praise.

⁴The brightness was so bright, it was like the surface of the sun;

rays of sunlight came forth from the Becoming One's hand,

where Her power lay hidden behind the light.

⁵Before the Becoming One went out a plague,

and in Her footsteps was left a pandemic.

⁶She stopped and Her stopping shook the entire earth;

with one look all the peoples of all the nations trembled in fear.

The tallest mountains were shattered;

along the ancient pathways,

the everlasting hills sank to the ground.]

[…]

¹⁷Though the fig tree is not in bloom,

and there are no fruit on the vines;

though the olive trees aren't bringing forth olives

and the fields aren't giving forth food;

though the flock appears lost and cut off from the herd

and there are no animals in the stalls,

¹⁸I will still rejoice in the Becoming one;

I will find joy in the God/ess of my salvation.

¹⁹God/ess, the Becoming One, is my strength;

She makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

and allows me to tread upon the cliffs with no fear of falling.

To the leader: with stringed instruments.

Queeries for the text: What is this building on?
What is missing from this passage?
What is the companion text?
Where is this headed?
What does it mean to put the law into your own hands?
How does one watch and wait for the divine?
Why does a pandemic follow in the footsteps of the divine?
How bright is the light of the sun?

What are your queeries?

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 Advent 3C

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Shout for joy, fair Zion,
cry aloud, O Israel!
Rejoice and be glad with all your heart,
fair Jerusalem!
The Becoming One has annulled the judgment against you,
She has swept away your foes.
Israel’s Sovereign, the Becoming One, is within you;
you need fear misfortune no more.
In that day,
this shall be said to Jerusalem:
Have no fear, O Zion;
let not your hands droop!
Your God the Becoming One is in your midst,
a warrior who brings triumph.
She will rejoice over you and be glad,
She will shout over you with jubilation.
She will soothe with Her love
those long disconsolate.
I will take away from you the woe
over which you endured mockery.
At that time I will make an end
of all who afflicted you.
And I will rescue the crippled sheep
and gather the strayed;
and I will exchange their disgrace
for fame and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will gather you,
and at that time I will bring you home;
for I will make you renowned and famous
among all the peoples on earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before their very eyes
—said the Becoming One.

Queeries for the text:
What is crip?
What about crip joy?
How does God love?
How can fame end?
Why must fortunes be restored?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 3:7-18
⁷John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Hagar and Sarah. ⁹Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰And the crowds asked John, “What then should we do?”

¹¹In reply John said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”

¹²Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

¹³John said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”

¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?”

John said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

¹⁵As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, ¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of that one's sandals. The one who is coming will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷The winnowing fork is in hand, to clear the threshing floor and to gather the wheat into the granary; but the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸So, with many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people.

Queeries for the text:
What's a brood of vipers?
What else comes from stones?
What happens to trees in fire?
Who has two coats? Who has none? How many coats do you have?
Who takes economic advantage today?
What other questions make their home in the heart?
What kind of sandals?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 2C

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Malachi 3:1-4
Behold, I am sending My messenger to clear the way before Me, and the Becoming One whom you seek shall come to Her Temple suddenly. As for the angel of the covenant that you desire, they are already coming. But who can endure the day of Her coming, and who can hold out when She appears? For She is like a smelter’s fire and like fuller’s lye. She shall act like a smelter and purger of silver; and she shall purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they shall present offerings in righteousness. Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to the Becoming One as in the days of yore and in the years of old.

Queeries for the text:
What is in the way?
How will she come to her temple?
Which angel came?
What is lye?
What sacrifices are available?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Elizabeth and Zechariah in the wilderness.

³John went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Becoming One, make Her paths straight. ⁵Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; ⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

Queeries for the text:
Where are these places?
How do we situate faith in its historical context?
Who are Elizabeth and Zechariah?
What region is around the Jordan?
Where is it written in Isaiah?
Why should anything be made straight?
How is God invested in accessibility?
What is salvation for flesh?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 1C

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Jeremiah 33:14-16
See, days are coming—declares the Becoming One—when I will fulfill the promise that I made concerning the House of Israel and the House of Judah. In those days and at that time, I will raise up a true branch of David’s line, and he shall do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah shall be delivered and Jerusalem shall dwell secure. And this is what she shall be called: “The Becoming One is our Vindicator.”

Queeries for the text:
What is the context of this passage?
For what do we wait?
What prevents Jerusalem dwelling secure?
What other questions might we ask?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 21:25-36
Jesus said:
²⁵“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see ‘the Human One coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

²⁹Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; ³⁰as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. ³¹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the reign of God is near. ³²Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³⁴“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Human One.”

Queeries for the text:
What signs are in the sun, moon, and stars?
What powers are the heavens shaking?
Who comes with power and great glory in a cloud?
How near is the reign of God? Can we help it?
Who has passed away?
What weighs down your heart?
How do you stay alert?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 4B

River Needham, MA queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

When the king was settled in his palace and the Becoming One had granted him safety from all the enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan: “Here I am dwelling in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the Becoming One abides in a tent!”

Nathan said to the king, “Go and do whatever you have in mind, for the Becoming One is with you.” 

 

But that same night the Becoming one came and said to Nathan: “Go and say to My servant David: The Becoming One told me: Are you the one to build a house for Me to dwell in? From the day that I brought the people of Israel out of Egypt to this day I have not lived in a house, but have moved about in tent and tabernacle. As I moved about wherever the Israelites went, did I ever reproach any of the tribal leaders whom I appointed to care for My people Israel: Why have you not built Me a house of cedar? 

 

“Further, say to My servant David: The Becoming God of Angel Armies said: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be ruler of My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut down all your enemies before you. Moreover, I will give you great renown like that of the greatest people on earth. I will establish a home for My people Israel and will plant them firm, so that they shall dwell secure and shall tremble no more. Evil people shall not oppress them any more as in the past, ever since I appointed chieftains over My people Israel. I will give you safety from all your enemies. 

 

“The Becoming One declares to you that She, the Becoming One, will establish a house for you.”

Queeries for the text:
Is safety ongoing? Why or why not?
What does it mean to be live in a tent?
Why choose to live in a tent? Who suffers when living in a tent?

What do angel armies have to do with the situation?
What is missing?
What has become of David's House?

 

-----

 

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

 

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And Gabriel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Becoming One is with you.” 

 

²⁹But Mary was much perplexed by Gabriel's words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 

 

³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a child, and you will name the child Jesus. ³²The child will be great, and will be called the Child of the Most High, and the Becoming God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³The child will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his reign there will be no end.” 

 

³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 

 

³⁵The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Child of God. ³⁶And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a child; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

 

³⁸Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Becoming One; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

 

Queeries for the text:

When is God perplexing?

What is there to be afraid of?

When do we question God?

What is virginity?

How is gender at play in this text?

Who else conceived in old age? What happened with Elizabeth and Zechariah?

Where is consent?

Who believes Mary?

 

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?

-----

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?

Queerying Advent 2B

River Needham, MA queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 40:1-11

God tells you to utterly comfort Her people. Speak to Jerusalem with tenderness and declare to her that her term is over and that her wrongdoing has been cleansed after the Becoming One charged her double for her sins.

A voice calls out: Clear a pathway for the Becoming One! Make flat and direct a highway for our God. Let every valley rise up and every hill and mountain bow down so that the rugged ground becomes level and the ridges are indistinguishable.
The presence of the Becoming One shall appear, and all humanity shall see it at once, for the Becoming One has declared it so.

Two voices dialogue:
"Proclaim!"

"What to Proclaim?"

"All flesh is grass and it's goodness fades like a field of flowers: grass withers, flower fade right at the breath of the Becoming One. Humanity is but grass: grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of the Becoming One is always with us."

Climb a high mountain to declare joy to Zion; raise your voice with power. Raise it fearlessly. Announce to the cities across Judah: Behold your God. Behold! The Becoming God comes in might, and Her arm wins his triumph. Her reward and recompense are with Her, and like a shepherd She pastures Her flock: She gathers the lambs in Her arms and carries them in Her bosom.

Queeries for the text:
Where is comfort today? What are we being comforted from?

How are punishments administered?
What paths are there for the Becoming One?

What shall all humanity see at once?

What does it mean to be grass and flowers?
Who is our God? Who can we announce Her to?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

 

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Child of God.

²As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
³the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Becoming One,
make Her paths straight,’”

⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by John in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷John proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of this one's sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but this one will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Queeries for the text:

What are other beginnings?

Who else's good news is proclaimed?

What does Isaiah actually say?

Why would anybody want anything straight?

Why are they gathering in crowds and not masking up?!

What do locusts and wild honey taste like?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 1B

River Needham, M.A. queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 64:1-9

As when fire kindles brushwood, and fire makes water boil—make Your name known to Your adversaries so that nations will tremble at Your Presence, when You did wonders we dared not hope for, You came down and mountains quaked before You. Such things had never been heard or noted. No eye has seen them, O God, but You, who act for those who trust in You. Yet you have struck them who would gladly do justice and remember You in Your ways. It is because You are angry that we have sinned; we have been steeped in them from of old, and can we be saved? We have all become like an unclean thing and all our virtues like a filthy rag. We are all withering like leaves, our iniquities, like a wind, carry us off. Yet no one invokes Your name, rouses themself to cling to You. For You have hidden Your face from us and made us melt because of our iniquities. But now, O Becoming One, You are our Beloved Parent; we are the clay, and You are the Potter, we are all the work of Your hands. Be not implacably angry, O Becoming One, do not remember iniquity forever. Oh, look down to Your people, to us all! Your holy cities have become a desert: Zion has become a desert, Jerusalem a desolation.

Queeries for the text:
How does God influence the world?
When was this written? How had climate changed around it?
Are God's ways justice? Why or why not?
What are the cycles of relationships? Where is God and Israel's relationship?
What ways have angered God? How can we complicate the traditions? How can we set the traditions right?
What are the climate cycles? Where are we now on the climate cycle? Who is going to feel the upcoming climate changes the most? 

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Mark 13:24-37

Jesus said:

²⁴“But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

²⁶Then they will see ‘the Human One coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. ²⁷Then the Human One will send out the angels, and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the Human One is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³²“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Holy Child, but only the Beloved Parent. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a person going on a journey, when ze leaves home and puts hir slaves in charge, each with hir work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the owner of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else ze may find you asleep when ze comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Queeries for the text:
What does it look like when the sun is darkened? 
What gifts does darkness bring?
Where does earth end?
What has passed away? What is passing away?
Who has not passed away?
How can signs indicate a time no one knows?
Who keeps awake at night?
How can we keep awake today?

What are your queeries?

Queerying 23rd after Pentecost A

This week we queery in loving memory of the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Pero, who died this past week after a short illness.

After nearly three months away, and passing her Ph.D. qualifying examinations, River Needham M.A., returns and queeries the Tanakh reading this week. 

Tanakh: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Schechem. He summoned Israel’s elders and commanders, magistrates and officers; and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people, “Thus said the Becoming One, the God of Israel: In olden times, your ancestors—Terah, father of Abraham and father of Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through the whole land of Canaan and multiplied his offspring.
[...]
“Now, therefore, revere the Becoming One and serve Hir with undivided loyalty; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the Becoming One. Or, if you are loath to serve the Becoming One, choose this day which ones you are going to serve—the gods that your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates, or those of the Amorites in whose land you are settled; but I and my household will serve the Becoming One.” 

In reply, the people declared, “Far be it from us to forsake the Becoming One and serve other gods! For it was the Becoming One our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, and who wrought those wondrous signs before our very eyes, and guarded us all along the way that we traveled and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. And then the Becoming One drove out before us all the peoples—the Amorites—that inhabited the country. We too will serve the Becoming One, for Xe is our God.” 

Joshua, however, said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Becoming One, for Xe is a holy God. Xe is a jealous God; Xe will not forgive your transgressions and your sins. If you forsake the Becoming One and serve alien gods, Xe will turn and deal harshly with you and make an end of you, after having been gracious to you.” 

 

But the people replied to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Becoming One!” 

 

At which point, Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have by your own act chosen to serve the Becoming One.” 

 

“Yes, we are!” they responded. “Then put away the alien gods that you have among you and direct your hearts to the Becoming One, the God of Israel.” 

 

And the people declared to Joshua, “We will serve none but the Becoming One our God, and we will obey none but Hir.”

Queeries for the text:
What is missing from this text?
How might the ancestral gods be read differently?
How does this text read in an election year?

Why is jealousy portrayed as an acceptable reason for violence?
Where does God act violently?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel:  Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus said:

"Then the dominion of heaven will be like this. Ten attendants of the wedding party took their lamps and went to meet the betrothed. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 

⁵As the betrothed was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the betrothed! Come out to meet them.’ 

⁷Then all those attendants got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 

⁹But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 

¹⁰And while they went to buy it, the betrothed came, and those who were ready went with them into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 

¹¹Later the other attendants came also, saying, ‘Liege, liege, open to us.’ 

¹²But they replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 

¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Queeries for the text:

How might a collectivist culture read this text?

How might a capitalist culture read this text?

How might a single person read this text?

How might a polyamorous person read this text?

What other options do the attendants have?

What are we waiting for?

Who do we not know?

Who doesn't know us?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 4A

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeried the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When Jesus' mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a child, whom you are to name Jesus, for this one will save the people from their sins.”

²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by God through the prophet: ²³“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a child, whom they shall name Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” ²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of God commanded him; Joseph took Mary as his wife, ²⁵but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a child; and Joseph named the child Jesus.

Queeries for the text:
What does it mean to be righteous?
What would have happened if Joseph had dismissed Mary?
Why does verb tense matter?
What kind of name is Jesus?
What does virgin actually mean?
What did the prophet actually say?
How did Joseph take Mary?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 3A

River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 35:1-10

The arid desert shall be glad, the wilderness shall rejoice and shall blossom like a rose.

It shall blossom abundantly, It shall also exult and shout.

It shall receive the glory of Lebanon, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall behold the glory of the Becoming One, the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the hands that are slack; make firm the tottering knees!
Say to the anxious of heart,

“Be strong, fear not; Behold your God! Requital is coming, The recompense of God—
She herself is coming to give you triumph.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall shout aloud;

For waters shall burst forth in the desert, streams in the wilderness.

Torrid earth shall become a pool; Parched land, fountains of water;
The home of jackals, a pasture; The abode of ostriches, reeds and rushes.

And a highway shall appear there, which shall be called the Sacred Way.

No one unclean shall pass along it, but it shall be for them.
No traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.

No lion shall be there, no ferocious beast shall set foot on it— these shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk it; and the ransomed of the Becoming One shall return, and come with shouting to Zion,
Crowned with joy everlasting. They shall attain joy and gladness, while sorrow and sighing flee.

Queeries for the text:
Can land be glad?
What does it look like for wilderness to rejoice?
What is the splendor of God?
How might a blind person receive this text?
How might a D/deaf person receive this text?
How might a disabled person hear this text?
What is the Sacred Way?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeried the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11

²When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples ³and said to Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”  

⁴Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. ⁶And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

⁷As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. ⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ ¹¹Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the realm of heaven is greater than John.

Queeries for the text:
Why was John in prison?
Who takes offense at Jesus?  How?
How is ableism embedded in the text?  How can we challenge it?
What assumption is everyone making?
What assumptions do we make about who Jesus and John are?
What does greatest mean?  What about least?
What about those not born of women?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 2A

River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 11:1-10

But a shoot shall grow out of the stump of Jesse, a twig shall sprout from his stock.
The spirit of the Becoming One shall alight upon her:

a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and valor, a spirit of devotion and reverence for the Becoming One.

She shall sense the truth by her reverence for the Becoming One: she shall not judge by what her eyes behold, nor decide by what her ears perceive.

Thus she shall judge the poor with equity and decide with justice for the lowly of the land. She shall strike down a land with the rod of her mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of her lips.

Justice shall be the girdle of her loins, and faithfulness the girdle of her waist. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard lie down with the kid; the calf, the beast of prey, and the fatling together, with a little one to herd them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion, like the ox, shall eat straw. A babe shall play over a viper’s hole, and an infant pass their hand over an adder’s den.

In all of my sacred mount nothing evil or vile shall be done; for the land shall be filled with devotion to the Becoming One as water covers the sea. In that day, the stock of Jesse that has remained standing shall become a standard to peoples— nations shall seek her counsel and her abode shall be honored.

Queeries for the text:
How do twigs sprout from stock?
How is the spirit of the Becoming One separate from or a part of the Becoming One? Does her spirit have devotion and reverence for her? Does this make her narcissistic?
Who are the lowly of the land?
What might the breath of her lips tell us about the Becoming One?
How might biology change in this vision of reality?
How is devotion to the Becoming One quantified?
 
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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming,

²“Repent, for the reign of heaven has come near.” ³This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Becoming One, make their paths straight.’”

⁴Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism,
he said to them,

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
¹¹“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry this one's sandals. They will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²Their winnowing fork is in their hand, and they will clear their threshing floor and will gather their wheat into the granary; but the chaff they will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Queeries for the text:
Did John apparate into the wilderness? If not, how did John just appear?
Why would the Becoming One want anything straight?
Why locust and wild honey?
What kind of fruit is worthy of repentance?
Can stones become children?
Is good fruit worthy of repentance? Why would good fruit need repentance?
Who is what? Fruit? Wheat? Chaff?  Are we even meant to be in the symbolism?
What sort of baptism happens by fire?

What are your queeries?