Queerying Ascension C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Acts reading.

Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ²until the day when They were taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the Sent Ones whom They had chosen. ³After Jesus' suffering They presented Themself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to the Sent Ones during forty days and speaking about the reign of God. ⁴While staying with them, Jesus ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Caregiver.

“This,” Jesus said, “is what you have heard from me; ⁵for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

⁶So when they had come together, they asked Jesus, “Lover, is this the time when you will restore the empire to Israel?”

⁷Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Caregiver has set by Xyr own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹When Jesus had said this, as they were watching, They were lifted up, and a cloud took Them out of the Sent Ones' sight.

¹⁰While Jesus was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two beings in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, “People of Galilee, why do you stay looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Them go into heaven.”

Queeries for the text:
What first book?
What sort of proofs did Jesus present?
What is the promise of the Caregiver?
What happens when the oppressed become the empire?
How are we witnesses?
How did Jesus ascend?
Why do we stay looking?

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J. Pace Warfield-May queeries the Psalm.

Psalm 93
The Becoming One is Qween, Xe is wearing a majestic caftan;

the Becoming One is in drag; Xe is wearing a corset of strength.

Xe has established the world so that it cannot be moved.

Your stage is established from before the dawn of time;

you are from ancient times and beyond.

The floods have risen, O Becoming One,

the waters and floods have raised their voice;

the waters and floods raise a roar of waves.

More majestic and glittering than the thunders of these mighty waves,

more majestic and glittering than the waves of the sea,

the Becoming One is majestic and glittering on high!

Your witness is beyond reproach;

holiness overflows your house,

O Becoming One, from ancient times and beyond.

Queeries for the text:
How do you imagine the Becoming One as a drag queen?
What is a corset of strength?
What does the roar of waves sound like?
What does it mean to bear witness?


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?

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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 Pentecost B

River Needham, MA ThM queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Becoming One came upon me. She took me out by the spirit of the Becoming One and set me down in the valley. It was full of bones. She led me all around them; there were very many of them spread over the valley, and they were very dry. She said to me, “O mortal, can these bones live again?” 

I replied, “O Becoming God, only You know.” 

Then She said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Becoming One! Thus said the Becoming God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live again. I will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with flesh, and form skin over you. I will put breath into you, and you shall live again. You shall know that I am the Becoming One!” 

I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, suddenly there was a sound of rattling, and the bones came together, bone to matching bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had grown, and skin had formed over them; but there was no breath in them. 

Then She said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, O mortal! Say to the breath: Thus said the Becoming God: Come, O breath, from the four winds, and breathe into these slain, that they may live again.” 

I prophesied as She commanded me. The breath entered them, and they came to life and stood up on their feet, a vast multitude. 

Then, She said to me, “O mortal, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone; we are doomed.’ Prophesy, therefore, and say to them: Thus said the Becoming God: I am going to open your graves and lift you out of the graves, O My people, and bring you to the land of Israel. You shall know, O My people, that I am the Becoming One, when I have opened your graves and lifted you out of your graves. I will put My breath into you and you shall live again, and I will set you upon your own soil. Then you shall know that I the Becoming One have spoken and have acted”—declares the Becoming One. 

Queeries for the text:
When does life begin? 

Who has access to life?
Who gets breath when they can't breathe? 

Do the bones get to respond to the prophecy? 

What happens when bones get dry?

How can doom become hope?  

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Acts reading.

 

 

First Reading: Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, Jesus' Chosen Family were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as She gave them ability. ⁵Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.

⁷Amazed and astonished, the crowd asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jewish born and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

¹³But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “People of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your children of all genders shall prophesy, and your youth shall see visions, and your elders shall dream dreams. ¹⁸Even upon my slaves, of all genders, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. ¹⁹And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. ²⁰The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Becoming One’s great and glorious day. ²¹Then everyone who calls on the name of the Becoming One shall be saved.’” 

 

Queeries for the text:

Who were all gathered in one place?

When else do violent winds show up?

What all kinds of fire?

How many languages?

How many nations? Who's missing?

What's happening to Native languages?

Who do we sneer at today?

What has flesh?
 

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Guest queerier, Pace Warfield-May, queeries the Gospel reading.

 

Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Jesus said to the Chosen Family:
^15:26"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Caretaker, the Breath of truth who comes from the Caretaker, She will testify on my behalf. ²⁷You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

^16:4b"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵But now I am going to She who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. ⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Her to you. ⁸And when She comes, She will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹about sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰about righteousness, because I am going to the Caretaker and you will see me no longer; ¹¹about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

¹²"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.¹³When the Breath of truth comes, She will guide you into all the truth; for She will not speak on Her own, but will speak whatever She hears, and She will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴She will glorify me, because She will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Caretaker has is mine. For this reason I said that She will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Queeries for the text:
On whose behalf will the Advocate testify?

What is missing from this passage? 

What is the ruler of the world? 

What is the Breath of truth taking and declaring to us? 

What does the Breath of truth look like?

What are your queeries?

 

 

 

 

Queerying Lent 1A

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

Tanakh: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

The Becoming God took the human and placed them in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. Then the Becoming God commanded the human, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.” Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the Becoming God had made. The serpent said to the woman, “Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?” The woman replied to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the other trees of the garden. It is only about fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said: ‘You shall not eat of it or touch it, lest you die.’” And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.

Queeries for the text:
How big would the garden of Eden need to be to support two humans today?
What are your favorite dangerous plants?
What gets omitted in this pericope?
How does this text speak to human biases in picking and translating texts?
Can serpents talk or reason?
How is good and bad decided?
What is wrong with being naked?
How are fig leaves sewn together?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards was famished. ³The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Child of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

⁴But Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶saying to him, “If you are the Child of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘God will command Their angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

⁷Jesus said to the tempter, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Becoming One your God to the test.’”

⁸Again, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; ⁹and the devil said to Jesus, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Becoming One your God, and serve only Them.’” ¹¹Then the devil left Jesus, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Queeries for the text:
Why would the Spirit lead to temptation?
What comes from the mouth of God?
What is visible from the pinnacle today?
What would you trade for food?
What would you trade for proof?
What would you trade for power?

What are your queeries?

Queerying 12th after Pentecost C

Periodic queerier, River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Jeremiah 2:4-13

Hear the word of the Becoming One, O House of Jacob, Every clan of the House of Israel!

Thus said the Becoming One: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they abandoned me and went after delusion and were deluded?

They never asked themselves, “Where is the Becoming One, who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land no human had traversed, where no human being had dwelt?”

I brought you to this country of farmland to enjoy its fruit and its bounty; but you came and defiled my land, you made my possession abhorrent. The priests never asked themselves, “Where is the Becoming One?” The guardians of the teaching ignored me; the rulers rebelled against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and followed what can do no good.

Oh, I will go on accusing you —declares the Becoming One— And I will accuse your children’s children! Just cross over to the isles of the Kittim and look, send to Kedar and observe carefully; see if anything like this has ever happened: has any nation changed its gods even though they are not gods? But my people have exchanged their glory for what can do no good. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be horrified, utterly dazed! —says the Becoming One.

For my people have done a twofold wrong: they have forsaken me, the fount of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, which cannot even hold water.

Queeries for the text:
Why does God make this announcement?
Who is the voice of God?
How does the Becoming One deal with abandonment?
Where is the land no human had traversed and no human had dwelt?
How does land become defiled?
Who was Baal?
Why is the Becoming One accusing and commanding the heavens to be horrified?
How does the Becoming One justify Hir anger?
What is a cistern?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14
On one occasion
when Jesus was going to the house

of a leader of the Pharisees
to eat a meal on the sabbath,

they were watching him closely.

⁷When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor,

he told them a parable.
⁸“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,

do not sit down at the place of honor,

in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host;

⁹and the host who invited both of you

may come and say to you,

‘Give this person your place,’

and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.

¹⁰But when you are invited,

go and sit down at the lowest place,

so that when your host comes,

your host may say to you,

‘Friend, move up higher’;

then you will be honored

in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

¹¹For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,

and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

¹²Jesus said also to the one who had invited him,

“When you give a luncheon or a dinner,

do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors,

in case they may invite you in return,

and you would be repaid.

¹³But when you give a banquet,

invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

¹⁴And you will be blessed,

because they cannot repay you,

for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Queeries for the text:
What did we skip?  What's missing?
How often did Jesus eat with Pharisees?
Who were watching Jesus closely?
How was honor important?
How do we exalt ourselves?
How are relationships transactional?
Are the categories as simple as Jesus claims?  Is Jesus creating a false binary?
Is this a parable or advice?  How has Jesus' advice caused harm to poor and/or disabled people?
What about upward mobility?

What are your queeries?

Palm Sunday year C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40
²⁸Jesus went on ahead,

going up to Jerusalem.

²⁹When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany,

at the place called the Mount of Olives,

Jesus sent two of the disciples,

³⁰saying, “Go into the village ahead of you,

and as you enter it

you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden.

Untie it and bring it here.

³¹If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’

just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³²So those who were sent departed

and found it as he had told them.

³³As they were untying the colt,

its owners asked them,

“Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴They said, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵Then they brought the colt to Jesus;

and after throwing their cloaks on the colt,

they set Jesus on it.

³⁶As Jesus rode along,

people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.

³⁷As Jesus was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives,

the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully

with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen,

³⁸saying,

“Blessed is the ruler who comes in the name of the Sovereign!

Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”

³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus,

“Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”

⁴⁰Jesus answered,

“I tell you, if these were silent,

the stones would shout out.”

Queeries for the text:
Of whom did Jesus go on ahead?
What else happens at the Mount of Olives?
Which two disciples?  What does it mean to be sent?
Why would the colt's owner let anybody walk away with it?
What condition was the road in?  What condition were the cloaks in?
Where are the palms?  Why cloaks?
For what do we praise God joyfully and with a loud voice?
What else was going on in Jerusalem?
What are stones shouting out today?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 2 Year C

This week all three Advent queeries are gathered in one spot!

Today's text from the Tanakh was queeried by periodic queerier River Needham.

 

 
Tanakh - Malachi 3:1-4
Behold, I am sending my messenger to clear the way before me, and the ruler whom you seek shall come to faer Temple suddenly. As for the angel of the covenant that you desire, they are already coming. But who can endure the day of faer coming, and who can hold out when fae appears? For fae is like a smelter’s fire and like fuller’s lye. Fae shall act like a smelter and purger of silver; and fae 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:
Who is the ruler this text seeks?
What is an angel of the covenant?
What covenant? Who desires it?
Where else is silver in the Minor Prophets?
Why just Levi's descendants?
Why are Judah and Jerusalem placed in opposition?
Why is it important to separate Jesus from this text?

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Today's special guest queery of Philippians is brought to you by Katy Wallace with collaboration from Rev. Emily Ewing.

Philippians 1:3-11
³I thank my God every time I remember you, ⁴constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, ⁵because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
⁷It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.

⁹And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight ¹⁰to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, ¹¹having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Queeries for the text:
What does sharing in the gospel look like?
What is the good work brought to completion and who began it?
How does imprisonment impact grace?
What is God witnessing in Paul's longing?  What does God witness in us?
How does God's compassion show up throughout the bible?
What does it mean to share in the defense and confirmation of the gospel?  How does it relate to love and longing?
How does love overflow with knowledge?
What does it mean to be pure and blameless?
What does a harvest of righteousness look like?

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Today's queery from the Gospel is brought to you by Rev. Emily E. Ewing.

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 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 straight the paths of God.

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:
Why does Luke care so much about the people in power?
Who else was John son of?
What did Zechariah have to say about his son?
What was John already doing in the wilderness?
Why is the Jordan so important?
What public testimonies of repentance like John's baptism are happening now?
How is Isaiah calling us to increase accessibility in communities?
What if God doesn't want to be straight?  What if God is crooked?
What is the salvation of God like?
Where is Peace?

What are your queeries?

Queerying Advent 1 Year C - Jeremiah

This text was queeried by periodic queerier, River Needham

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, who shall do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah shall be delivered and Israel 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?
Where is the house of Israel/house of Judah?
What are we waiting for in this passage?
How do these promises come to be?
What does this text refer to in its original context?
What about modern day controversies?
What kind of tree is David's branch from?
What looks just and right in the land?
What is the Becoming One vindicating? What does it look or feel like?

What are your queeries?



If you want to check out the sermon that came in part from this queery, you can find it here!

21st after pentecost year b - mark

This was queeried by me with collaboration from River Needham.

Mark 10:17-31
¹⁷As Jesus was setting out on a journey,

a man ran up and knelt before him,

and asked him,

“Good Teacher,

what must I do to inherit everlasting life?”

¹⁸Jesus said to him,

“Why do you call me good?

No one is good but God alone.

¹⁹You know the commandments:

‘You shall not murder;

You shall not commit adultery;

You shall not steal;

You shall not bear false witness;

You shall not defraud;

Honor your parents and caregivers.’”

²⁰He said to Jesus,

“Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.”

²¹Jesus,

looking at him,

loved him and said,

“You lack one thing;

go,

sell what you own,

and give the money to the poor,

and you will have treasure in heaven;

then come,

follow me.”

²²When the man heard this,

he was shocked

and went away grieving,

for he had many possessions.

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,

“How hard it will be for those who have wealth

to enter the reign of God!”

²⁴And the disciples were perplexed at these words.

But Jesus said to them again,

“Children,

how hard it is to enter the reign of God!

²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle

than for someone who is rich to enter the reign of God.”

²⁶They were greatly astounded and said to one another,

“Then who can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus looked at them and said,

“For mortals it is impossible,

but not for God;

for God all things are possible.”

²⁸Peter began to say to Jesus,

“Look,

we have left everything

and followed you.”

²⁹Jesus said,

“Truly I tell you,

there is no one

who has left house or siblings or parents or children or fields,

for my sake

and for the sake of the good news,

³⁰who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—

houses, siblings, caregivers and children,

and fields with persecutions—

and in the age to come eternal life.

³¹But many who are first will be last,

and the last will be first.”

Queeries for the text:
Why does Jesus question his own goodness?
What does it mean for Jesus to love the man?
What does the young rich man lack?
What was the man grieving? What did he decide to do?
What does it mean for Jesus to call the disciples children?
Was Jesus really talking about a dromedary and sewing?
Who has left house, family, and fields today?
Which fields come with persecutions?
Who is last?  Who is first?  Why are they trading places?

What are your queeries?



I preached on this text this past weekend, so if you'd like to see a bit of the sermon that came from this queerying, check it out!

11th after pentecost year b - john

Special thanks once again this week to River Needham for their collaboration!
 
John 6:24-35
²⁴So when the crowd saw
     that neither Jesus nor his disciples were beside the sea,
          they themselves got into the boats 
          and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
               ²⁵When they found Jesus on the other side of the sea, 
                    they said to him, 
                         “Rabbi, when did you come here?”  
²⁶Jesus answered them, 
     “Very truly, I tell you, 
          you are looking for me, 
               not because you saw signs, 
                    but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
          ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, 
               but for the food that endures for everlasting life, 
                    which the Human One will give you. 
                         For it is on the Human One 
                              that God, the Father, has set the seal.” 
²⁸Then they said to Jesus, 
     “What must we do to perform the works of God?”  
²⁹Jesus answered them, 
     “This is the work of God, 
          that you believe in the one whom God has sent.”  
³⁰So they said to Jesus, 
     “What sign are you going to give us then, 
          so that we may see it and believe you? 
               What work are you performing?
          ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; 
               as it is written, 
                    ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 
³²Then Jesus said to them, 
     “Very truly, I tell you, 
          it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, 
               but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
                    ³³For the bread of God is 
                         that which comes down from heaven 
                         and gives life to the world.”  
³⁴They said to Jesus, 
     “Ruler, give us this bread always.”  
³⁵Jesus said to them, 
     “I AM the bread of life. 
          Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, 
               and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Queeries for the text:
What did we skip from last week to this week?
What kind of seal did "God the Father" set on Jesus?  Can this seal be broken?  Are these seals set on other creatures also?
Is Jesus making faith into a work?
Does Jesus want them to care about the sign or not?
Do they still want to make Jesus king?  Or do they just think that Jesus is a wizard? 
Is manna true bread or elven bread?  Is Jesus manna?
Will the Human One give the bread of life or does God?  Or is the Human One the bread of life?
What am I hungering for?
How does bread quench thirst?
How does Jesus feel about low-carb diet fads? 

What are your queeries?



Sermon: 
Last night's sermon drew on my experience of queerying this text along with the first reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15.  As with other sermons, I understand clearly how they connect, but if you don't or you want to know more, please ask!

The visual for today's sermon.

 

9th after pentecost year b - mark

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

30The apostles gathered around Jesus,

    and told him all that they had done and taught.

31Jesus said to them,

    “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves

         and rest a while.”

    For many were coming and going,

         and they had no leisure even to eat.

32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.

    33Now many saw them going and recognized them,

         and they hurried there on foot from all the towns

              and arrived ahead of them.

34As Jesus went ashore,

    he saw a great crowd;

         and he had compassion for them,

              because they were like sheep without a shepherd;

         and Jesus began to teach them many things.
  
53When Jesus and the disciples had crossed over,

    they came to land at Gennesaret

    and moored the boat.

         54When they got out of the boat,

              people at once recognized Jesus,

              55and rushed about that whole region

              and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

                   56And wherever Jesus went,

                        into villages or cities or farms,

                             they laid the sick in the marketplaces,

                             and begged him that they might touch 
                                  even the fringe of his cloak;

                                  and all who touched it were healed.

Queeries for the text:

What is missing?
Does Jesus ever actually succeed at resting?
How much unpaid labor is unquestioningly expected from others?
Where does Jesus' compassion lead us now?
Who are the sheep without a shepherd, living aimlessly, in our time?
Which many things did Jesus teach them?
How long does it take to "rush about that whole region"?
How fast could word spread about the woman who touched Jesus' cloak?
What is the power of the fringe?
What artificial boundaries does Jesus continue to cross?

What are your queeries?



Sermon:

Today's sermon drew on both the queeries in this text and today's second reading: Ephesians 2:11-22.  I understand the connections between the queerying my sermon and am happy to share if you have any questions or queeries of your own, just let me know!

This is the visual for my sermon.

If you'd like to listen to the sermon, the second reading begins at 17:10, the gospel reading begins at 19:35, and the sermon itself begins at 21:27.