Queerying 7th after Pentecost C

Periodic queerier, River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Hosea 1:2-10

When the Becoming One first spoke to Hosea, the Becoming One said to Hosea, “Go, get yourself a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom; for the land will stray from following the Becoming One.”
So Hosea went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim. She conceived and bore him a son, and the Becoming One instructed him, “Name him Jezreel; for, I will soon punish the House of Jehu for the bloody deeds at Jezreel and put an end to the monarchy of the House of Israel. In that day, I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
She conceived again and bore a daughter; and Ze said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah; for I will no longer accept the House of Israel or pardon them. (But I will accept the House of Judah. And I will give them victory through the Becoming One their God; I will not give them victory with bow and sword and battle and horses and riders.)”
After weaning Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. Then Ze said, “Name him Lo-ammi; for you are not My people, and I will not be your God.” The number of the people of Israel shall be like that of the sands of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted; and instead of being told, “You are Not-My-People,” they shall be called Children-of-the-Living-God.

Queeries for the text:
How has whoredom been misappropriated?
Where else does whoredom show up in the Tanakh?
How does the land move?
Where does whoredom exist today?
What is whoredom?
What does it mean to not recieve mercy (lo-ruhamah)?
What does this passage say about the status of women?
Would you change this passage, if you were able to write it today? How would you change it?
What do we need mercy for today?
Who am I not asking about?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”  

²Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say: Zaza, hallowed be your name. Let your reign come. ³Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”  

⁵And Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to that friend at midnight and say to zir, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before them.’ ⁷And ze answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸I tell you, even though ze will not get up and give you anything because you are zir friend, at least because of your persistence ze will get up and give you whatever you need.

⁹“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹²Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Zaza give the Holy Spirit to those who ask!”

Queeries for the text:
What's with all the certain places?
How are these words different from the versions of the Jesus' Prayer used today?  How else could we pray with this model?
What time of trial?
What quality of friends do you have to not lend bread?
What is asked for and not given?
What do we search for and not find?
What doors are still locked closed?
Would Slytherins give snakes instead of fish?
How are the disciples evil?

What are your queeries?

Queerying 3rd after Pentecost C

Periodic queerier, River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 3-5, 6-14

When the Becoming One was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
Elijah and Elisha had set out from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Becoming One has sent me on to Bethel.”
“As the Becoming One lives and as you live,” said Elisha, “I will not leave you.”
So they went down to Bethel. 

Disciples of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Becoming One will take your master away from you today?” 
Elisha replied, “I know it, too; be silent.” 
Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the Becoming One has sent me on to Jericho.” 
“As the Becoming One lives and as you live,” said Elisha, “I will not leave you.” 
So they went on to Jericho. The disciples of the prophets who were at Jericho came over to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Becoming One will take your master away from you today?” 
He replied, “I know it, too; be silent.” 

Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the Becoming One has sent me on to the Jordan.”
“As the Becoming One lives and as you live, I will not leave you,” he said, and the two of them went on.
Fifty men of the disciples of the prophets followed and stood by at a distance from them as the two of them stopped at the Jordan. Thereupon Elijah took his mantle and, rolling it up, he struck the water; it divided to the right and left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry land. As they were crossing, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
Elisha answered, “Let a double portion of your spirit pass on to me.”
“You have asked a difficult thing,” he said. “If you see me as I am being taken from you, this will be granted to you; if not, it will not.”
As they kept on walking and talking, a fiery chariot with fiery horses suddenly appeared and separated one from the other; and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “Oh, father, father! Israel’s chariots and horsemen!” When he could no longer see him, he grasped his garments and rent them in two. He picked up Elijah’s mantle, which had dropped from him; and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Taking the mantle which had dropped from Elijah, he struck the water and said, “Where is the Becoming One, the God of Elijah?” As he too struck the water, it parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.

Queeries for the text:
Which other stories is this reminiscent of?
Does God play hide and seek?
Why is the trip from Bethel to Jericho omitted from the pericope?
How does God speak in this passage? What does God look like?
What is a mantle?
Is God's existence dependent on each person? How is Elisha's experience of God different from Elijah's? What are the theological implications?
Who could the false prophets be today?
Where else do prophets strike water?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Luke 9:51-62
⁵¹When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up,

he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
⁵²And he sent messengers ahead of him.

On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans

to make ready for Jesus;

⁵³but they did not receive him,

because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

⁵⁴When the disciples James and John saw it,

they said, “Master, do you want us to command fire

to come down from heaven and consume them?”

⁵⁵But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

⁵⁶Then they went on to another village.

⁵⁷As they were going along the road,

someone said to Jesus,

“I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸And Jesus said to them,

“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests;

but the Human One has nowhere to lay their head.”

⁵⁹To another Jesus said,

“Follow me.”

But they said,

“Master, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰But Jesus said to them,

“Let the dead bury their own dead;

but as for you,

go and proclaim the reign of God.”

⁶¹Another said,

“I will follow you, Master;

but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”

⁶²Jesus said to them,

“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back

is fit for the reign of God.”

Queeries for the text:
How do you set your face?
Which messengers did Jesus send?
Why do James and John want to command terrible weather?
Why are we so inclined towards increased vengeance?
Did the "someone" know what they were proposing?
What is it like for Jesus to be without home
How does Jesus feel about family?
What happens when you look back while plowing?  What if you want to plow in a curve?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Epiphany

Periodic queerier, River Needham, queeries today's reading from the Tanakh.

Tanakh - Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine, for your light has dawned;

The Presence of the Becoming One has shone upon you!

Behold! Darkness shall cover the earth, And thick clouds the peoples;

But upon you the Becoming One will shine, and
Their presence be seen over you.

And nations shall walk by your light, Kings, by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about: the nations have all gathered and come to you.

Some of your children shall be brought from afar,

Other children like babes on shoulders.

As you behold, you will glow; your heart will throb and thrill— for the wealth of the sea shall pass on to you, the riches of nations shall flow to you.
Dust clouds of camels shall cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah.
They all shall come from Sheba; They shall bear gold and frankincense, and shall herald the glories of the Becoming One.

Queeries for the text:
What light has dawned?
What is the Presence of the Becoming One?
What is darkness?
Where else does The Becoming One shine?
What is this Shining Radiance?
Can you be brought from afar on shoulders? What does this imply about those traveling?
Where else do hearts throb and thrill?

-----

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries today's gospel reading.

Gospel - Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod,

after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

magi from the East came to Jerusalem,

²asking, “Where is the child who has been born ruler of the Jews?

For we observed their star at its rising,

and have come to pay them homage.”

³When King Herod heard this,

he was frightened,

and all Jerusalem with him;

⁴and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people,

he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

⁵They told him,

“In Bethlehem of Judea;

for so it has been written by the prophet:

⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

⁷Then Herod secretly called for the magi

and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.

⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem,

saying, “Go and search diligently for the child;

and when you have found him,

bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

⁹When they had heard the king,

the magi set out;

and there, ahead of them,

went the star that they had seen at its rising,

until it stopped over the place where the child was.

¹⁰When they saw that the star had stopped,

the magi were overwhelmed with joy.

¹¹On entering the house,

they saw the child with Mary his mother;

and they knelt down and paid him homage.

Then, opening their treasure chests,

they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

they left for their own country by another road.

Queeries for the text:
What are magi and which one is Jesus' star?
Why was all Jerusalem frightened with King Herod?
Why didn't Herod know where the Messiah was to be born?  Which prophet wrote that?
Why did Herod call the magi back secretly?
Why does Herod assume the baby will be a boy?
What does it feel like to be overwhelmed with joy?
When did the Holy Family get a house?
How many magi were there?  How did they make it across so many lands?  Why gold, frankincense, and myrrh?
What warnings are dreams bringing today?
How can we take another road?

What are your queeries?