Queerying 15th after Pentecost A

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

Tanakh: Exodus 14:19-31

The angel of God, who had been going ahead of the Israelite army, now moved and followed behind them; and the pillar of cloud shifted from in front of them and took up a place behind them, it came between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel. Thus there was the cloud with the darkness, and it cast a spell upon the night so that the armies could not come near the other all through the night.

Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and the Becoming One drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split, and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians came in pursuit after them into the sea, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsepeople. At the morning watch, the Becoming One looked down upon the Egyptian army from a pillar of fire and cloud, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. They locked the wheels of their chariots so that they moved forward with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Becoming One is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Then the Becoming One said to Moses, “Hold out your arm over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians and upon their chariots and upon their horsepeople.” Moses held out his arm over the sea, and at daybreak, the sea returned to its normal state, and the Egyptians fled at its approach. But the Becoming One hurled the Egyptians into the sea.

The waters turned back and covered the chariots and the horsepeople—Pharaoh’s entire army that followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites had marched through the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

Thus the Becoming One delivered Israel that day from the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea. When Israel saw the wondrous power which the Becoming One had wielded against the Egyptians, the people feared the Becoming One; they had faith in the Becoming One and their servant Moses.

Queeries for the text:
What do we need freedom from?  Who is setting us free?
How do we shift the leaders around us?
How does God work in the world?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

²¹Then Peter came and said to Jesus, “Guide, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 

²²Jesus said to Peter, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 

²³“For this reason the reign of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴When the king began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; ²⁵and, as the slave could not pay, her lord ordered her to be sold, together with her spouse and children and all their possessions, and payment to be made. 

²⁶So the slave fell on her knees before the king, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷And out of pity for her, the lord of that slave released her and forgave her the debt. 

²⁸But that same slave, as she went out, came upon one of her fellow slaves who owed her a hundred denarii; and seizing them by the throat, she said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 

²⁹Then her fellow slave fell down and pleaded with her, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰But she refused; then she went and threw them into prison until they would pay the debt. 

³¹When her fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 

³²Then her lord summoned her and said to her, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴And in anger her lord handed her over to be tortured until she would pay her entire debt. 

³⁵So my heavenly Parent will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your sibling from your heart.”

Queeries for the text:

What's so special about 77?
How does a person rack up a debt of 10,000 talents?
How can debts be paid when the debtor is imprisoned? When they are tortured?
Who is master in this story?
What is mercy?

What are your queeries?

7th after Epiphany year C

Periodic queerier, River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Genesis 45:3-11, [12-14], 15
Joseph said to eir brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?”

But eir brothers could not answer em, so dumbfounded were they on account of em.

Then Joseph said to eir brothers, “Come forward to me.”
Then, when they came forward, ey said:

“I am your brother Joseph, ey whom you sold into Egypt.

Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me to them;

it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.

It is now two years that there has been famine in the land,

and there are still five years to come in which there shall be no yield from tilling.

God has sent me ahead of you to ensure your survival on earth,

and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance.

So, it was not you who sent me here, but God;

and She has made me a parent to Pharaoh, sovereign of all his household,

and ruler over the whole land of Egypt.

“Now, hurry back to my father and say to him:

Thus says your son Joseph, ‘God has made me lord of all Egypt;

come down to me without delay.

You will dwell in the region of Goshen, where you will be near me—

you and your children and your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that is yours.

There I will provide for you—for there are yet five years of famine to come—

that you and your household and all that is yours may not suffer want.’

[You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin for himself, 

that it is indeed I who am speaking to you. 

Then, you must tell my father everything about my high station in Egypt and all that you have seen;

and bring my father here with all speed.

With that ey embraced eir brother Benjamin around the neck and wept, 

and Benjamin wept on eir neck.]

Ey kissed all eir brothers and wept upon them; only then were eir brothers able to talk to em.

Queeries for the text:
What does Joseph's first question point to?
Who else in Torah is dumbfounded?
Why does this famine get extensive Biblical coverage? Where are there famines today? What causes the famine?
Is God condoning or partaking in human trafficking?
Why is it important for Joseph's father to come to em?
Where is Goshen?
What happens to all of the people who live in Goshen?
What do Benjamin's tears portray?
What might Joseph's brothers say to em?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said:
²⁷“But I say to you that listen,

Love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you,

²⁸bless those who curse you,

pray for those who abuse you.

²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek,

offer the other also;

and from anyone who takes away your coat

do not withhold even your shirt.

³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you;

and if anyone takes away your goods,

do not ask for them again.

³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

³²“If you love those who love you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners love those who love them.

³³If you do good to those who do good to you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same.

³⁴If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive,

what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,

to receive as much again.

³⁵But love your enemies,

do good,

and lend,

expecting nothing in return.

Your reward will be great,

and you will be children of the Most High;

who is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

³⁶Be merciful,

just as the One who made you and loves you is merciful.

³⁷“Do not judge,

and you will not be judged;

do not condemn,

and you will not be condemned.

Forgive,

and you will be forgiven;

³⁸give,

and it will be given to you.

A good measure,

pressed down,
shaken together,
running over,

will be put into your lap;

for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Queeries for the text:
What does it mean to love your enemy?
How do you pray for those who abuse you?
Why would you offer the other cheek?
Why would you strip naked for someone?
How is our relationship with money life-giving?  How is it life-taking?
When is it not good to do to others as you would have them do to you?
How has this text been harmful?
A good measure of what?

What are your queeries?