Queerying Narrative Lectionary 130

Pace Warfield-May queeries the Narrative Lectionary.

Matthew 18:1-9
Shortly after the transfiguration on the mountain top, the twelve chosen family members came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the G.O.A.T.–greatest of all time–in the kin-dom of heaven?" ²Jesus called out to a nearby child and brought the child among the chosen family ³ and said, "I tell you the truth: unless you transform and become like children, you will never enter the kin-dom of heaven. ⁴Whoever humbles themselves to be like this child is the G.O.A.T. in the kin-dom of heaven. ⁵Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name welcomes me.

⁶If any among you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to miss the mark, it would be better if you had a great stone chained to your neck and you were thrown into the depths of the sea to drown! ⁷Woe to the world for all the systems that create and cause sin! These things are always going to come, but woe to the one and the systems through whom they come! ⁸If your hand or your foot or any other appendage causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter enter life without that appendage than for you to have all your appendages and be thrown into the never ending fire. ⁹And if your eye causes you to sin, rip it out and throw it away; it is better for you to be missing that eye than for you to have both eyes and be thrown into the hell of never ending fire."

Queeries for the text:
What is this text building on?
What is the accompanying text?
Where is this going?
What is disability theology?
How can we help protect children?

What are your queeries?

Queerying 9th after Pentecost C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 12:32-40
Jesus said:
³²“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Caregiver’s good pleasure to give you the reign. ³³Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your wealth is, there your heart also will find itself.

³⁵“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; ³⁶be like those who are waiting for their enslaver to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. ³⁷Blessed are those people who are enslaved whom the enslaver finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸If the enslaver comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those people who are enslaved.

³⁹“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, they would not have let their house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, for the Human One is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Queeries for the text:
Who has a little flock?
When else does Jesus promise us influence over our hearts?
How do you dress for action?
What happens if we are not hypervigilant?
Who else has their lamps lit?
Do enslavers ever serve people who are enslaved?
Who stays out all night for weddings?
When do thieves come?

What are your queeries?

Queerying 22nd after Pentecost B

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Job said in reply to the Becoming One:
I know that You can do everything,
That nothing You propose is impossible for You.
Who is this who obscures counsel without knowledge?
Indeed, I spoke without understanding
Of things beyond me, which I did not know.
Hear now, and I will speak;
I will ask, and You will inform me.
I had heard You with my ears,
But now I see You with my eyes;
Therefore, I recant and relent,
Being but dust and ashes.

[...]

The Becoming One restored Job’s fortunes when he prayed on behalf of his friends, and the Becoming One gave Job twice what he had before. All his brothers and sisters and all his former friends came to him and had a meal with him in his house. They consoled and comforted him for all the misfortune that the Becoming One had brought upon him. Each gave him some money and each one gold ring. Thus the Becoming One blessed the latter years of Job’s life more than the former. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand she-asses. He also had seven sons and three daughters. The first he named Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. Nowhere in the land were women as beautiful as Job’s daughters to be found. Their father gave them estates together with their brothers. Afterward, Job lived one hundred and forty years to see four generations of children and grandchildren. So Job died old and contented.

Queeries for the text:
What is missing from this text?
If nothing is impossible, what is possible?
What does it mean to be dust and ashes?
How much money did they give? What does the book of Job say about suffering?
Why is Job's Daughter's appearances important?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
⁴⁶They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his chosen family and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Descendant of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸Many sternly ordered Bartimaeus to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Descendant of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹Jesus stood still and said, “Call that one here.”

And they called the blind one, saying to Bartimaeus, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”

⁵⁰So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

⁵¹Then Jesus said to Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind one said to Jesus, “My teacher, let me see again.”

⁵²Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

Queeries for the text:
What else happened in Jericho?
Why is Jesus named the Descendant of David?
Who do we order to be quiet?
What do we throw off to encounter Jesus?
Why did Jesus ask Bartimaeus what he wanted?
What makes us well?

What are your queeries?


 

Queerying Ash Wednesday

River Needham, MA queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17

“Blow a horn in Zion, sound an alarm on my holy mount! Let all dwellers on earth tremble, for the day of the Becoming One has come! It is close—a day of darkness and gloom, a day of densest cloud spread like soot over the hills. A vast, enormous horde — nothing like it has ever happened, and it shall never happen again through the years and ages. 

[...]

“Yet even now”—says the Becoming One— “Turn back to me with all your hearts, and with fasting, weeping, and lamenting.” Rend your hearts rather than your garments, and turn back to the Becoming One your God. For Ze is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment. Who knows but Ze may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind for meal offering and drink offering to the Becoming One your God? Blow a horn in Zion, solemnize a fast, proclaim an assembly! Gather the people, bid the congregation purify themselves. Bring together the old, gather the babes and breastfeeding children; let the bridegroom come out of his chamber, the bride from her canopied couch. Between the portico and the altar, let the priests, the Becoming One's ministers, weep and say: “Oh, spare Your people, Becoming One! Let not Your possession become a mockery, to be taunted by nations! Let not the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”

Queeries for the text:

What is missing from this text?
What is the day of the Becoming One?

Who's getting married now?

How do we turn back our hearts?

What do we turn back our hearts from?

What methods are less helpful today?

What is the portico, and what does it do?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

 

 

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Jesus said:

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Parent in heaven. 

 

²“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

¹⁶“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Queeries for the text:

What's missing?

What does it look like to practice piety

Who prays at street corners? What is their reward?

How is fasting helpful? Harmful?

What treasures are stored up?

Where do you want your heart to go?

 

What are your queeries?

 

 

Ash Wednesday year C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Jesus said:
“Beware of practicing your piety before others

in order to be seen by them;

for then you have no reward from your Loving Creator in heaven.

²“So whenever you give alms,

do not sound a trumpet before you,

as the hypocrites do in the synagogues

and in the streets,

so that they may be praised by others.

Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

³But when you give alms,

do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

⁴so that your alms may be done in secret;

and your Loving Creator who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵“And whenever you pray,

do not be like the hypocrites;

for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues

and at the street corners,

so that they may be seen by others.

Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

⁶But whenever you pray,

go into your room and shut the door

and pray to your Loving Creator who is in secret;

and your Loving Creator who sees in secret will reward you.

¹⁶“And whenever you fast,

do not look dismal,

like the hypocrites,

for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.

Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

¹⁷But when you fast,

put oil on your head and wash your face,

¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others

but by your Loving Creator who is in secret;

and your Loving Creator who sees in secret will reward you.

¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust consume

and where thieves break in and steal;

²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust consumes

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

²¹For where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also.

Queeries for the text:
Which verses are missing?
How do you practice piety?
Why does intent matter?  Does it?
If my left hand doesn't know what my right is doing, how do I know what to report for taxes?
How do hypocrites pray today?
How is secrecy good?  How is secrecy bad?
When else is fasting harmful?
What does Jesus' promise mean for us?
What consumes earth these days?  What does resistance look like?

What are your queeries?

Ash Wednesday blessing

Blessed gift of God's good creation, it is true:

You are dust, made from the rich, dark matter of the earth, a human from Earth's hummus.

You are from this life-giving ground and one day you also will return to the earth. 

     Nourishing it as it has nourished you. 

     Nourishing others as they have nourished you.

But, beloved one of God, it is not just dust and soil that make you up. 

You are made of stardust, scattered like infinite glitter, sparking and sparkling throughout the universe.

As you journey through Lent this year, return to who you are.

May the Creator bless the dust in you and around you.

May the Word made flesh, who crossed boundaries and borders, affirm your humanity.

May the Spirit spark imagination and wonder in the stardust that lives in you.

You are dust and stardust, and to the cosmos you will return.

Amen.

ash wednesday year b - matthew

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Jesus said:

“Beware of practicing your piety before others

     in order to be seen by them;

          for then you have no reward from your Parent in heaven. 

²“So whenever you give alms,

     do not sound a trumpet before you,

          as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,

               so that they may be praised by others.

                    Truly I tell you,

                         they have received their reward. 

     ³But when you give alms,

          do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

               ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret;

               and your Mother who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵“And whenever you pray,

     do not be like the hypocrites;

          for they love to stand and pray 

               in the synagogues and at the street corners,

                    so that they may be seen by others.

                         Truly I tell you,

                              they have received their reward.

     ⁶But whenever you pray,

          go into your room

          and shut the door

          and pray to your Parent who is in secret;

               and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 

¹⁶“And whenever you fast,

     do not look dismal, like the hypocrites,

          for they disfigure their faces

               so as to show others that they are fasting.

                    Truly I tell you,

                         they have received their reward. 

     ¹⁷But when you fast,

          put oil on your head and wash your face, 

               ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others

                    but by your Parent who is in secret;

                         and your Mother who sees in secret will reward you.

¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

     where moth and rust consume

     and where thieves break in and steal;

          ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

               where neither moth nor rust consumes

               and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

                    ²¹For where your treasure is,

                         there your heart will be also."

Queeries for the text:
Is reading this same text every year on Ash Wednesday doing more harm than good?
Is Jesus doing psychological behavior modification?
Is Jesus just giving us alternative behaviors because we only do things for rewards?Why do we hear so much about hypocrisy on Ash Wednesday?
How do we evangelize if we're so good at not telling people what we're doing?
How can we care for each other's spiritual well-being if we can't talk about money and giving?
Is there any more awesome promise than verse 21?
What does my checkbook say about the location of my heart?
Where is my heart?  Where do I want my heart to be?


What are your queeries?