Queerying Easter 3C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Acts reading.

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? 

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J. Pace Warfield-May queeries the reading from Revelation.

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?

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Find previous queeries for the John text.

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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?