Queerying Advent 2B

River Needham, MA queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Isaiah 40:1-11

God tells you to utterly comfort Her people. Speak to Jerusalem with tenderness and declare to her that her term is over and that her wrongdoing has been cleansed after the Becoming One charged her double for her sins.

A voice calls out: Clear a pathway for the Becoming One! Make flat and direct a highway for our God. Let every valley rise up and every hill and mountain bow down so that the rugged ground becomes level and the ridges are indistinguishable.
The presence of the Becoming One shall appear, and all humanity shall see it at once, for the Becoming One has declared it so.

Two voices dialogue:
"Proclaim!"

"What to Proclaim?"

"All flesh is grass and it's goodness fades like a field of flowers: grass withers, flower fade right at the breath of the Becoming One. Humanity is but grass: grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of the Becoming One is always with us."

Climb a high mountain to declare joy to Zion; raise your voice with power. Raise it fearlessly. Announce to the cities across Judah: Behold your God. Behold! The Becoming God comes in might, and Her arm wins his triumph. Her reward and recompense are with Her, and like a shepherd She pastures Her flock: She gathers the lambs in Her arms and carries them in Her bosom.

Queeries for the text:
Where is comfort today? What are we being comforted from?

How are punishments administered?
What paths are there for the Becoming One?

What shall all humanity see at once?

What does it mean to be grass and flowers?
Who is our God? Who can we announce Her to?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

 

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Child of God.

²As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
³the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Becoming One,
make Her paths straight,’”

⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by John in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷John proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of this one's sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but this one will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Queeries for the text:

What are other beginnings?

Who else's good news is proclaimed?

What does Isaiah actually say?

Why would anybody want anything straight?

Why are they gathering in crowds and not masking up?!

What do locusts and wild honey taste like?

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?

Queerying Reign of Christ A

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

Tanakh: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Then, the Becoming God said: Here am I! I am going to think about my flock, and go find them. As a shepherd seeks out her flock when some have gotten lost, so I will seek out my flock, I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered during the cloudy and gloomy day. I will take them out from the peoples and gather them from the nations, and I will bring them to their own land, and will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses and in all the settled portions of the land. I will feed them in good grazing land, and the lofty hills of Israel shall be their pasture. There, in the hills of Israel, they shall lie down in a good pasture and shall feed on rich grazing land. I Myself will graze My flock, and I Myself will let them lie down—declares the Becoming God. I will look for the lost, and I will bring back the strayed; I will bandage the injured, and I will sustain the weak;and the fat and healthy ones I will destroy. I will tend them rightly.

[...] 

Assuredly, thus said the Becoming God to them: Here am I, I am going to decide between the fat animals and the lean. Because you pushed with your whole being against the weaker ones and butted them with your horns until you scattered them abroad, I will rescue My flock and they shall no longer be a reward. I will decide between one animal and another. Then I will appoint a single shepherd over them to tend them—My servant David. He shall tend them, he shall be a shepherd to them. I the Becoming One will be their God, and My servant David shall be a ruler among them—I the Becoming One have spoken.

Queeries for the text:
Who is the Becoming God?
Where are the flocks? What are the flocks of?
What lies are we told about being fat? How can they be remedied?

Who are the people pushed away? Who pushes them away?
How will David be the ruler of the people? When will this happen?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus said:
31 ‘When the Human One comes in Their glory, and all the angels with Them, then They will sit on the throne of Their glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before Them, and They will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and the Human One will put the sheep at Their right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴Then the ruler will say to those at Their right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the dominion prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 

³⁷Then the righteous will answer Them, “Liege, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 

⁴⁰And the ruler will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” 

⁴¹Then They will say to those at Their left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 

⁴⁴Then they also will answer, “Liege, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?”  

⁴⁵Then They will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ⁴⁶And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.’

Queeries for the text:
What kind of ruler is this? Who might rule like this?
Why are sheep the preferred animal over goats?
What does it mean to be thirsty?
How many visits to Black, Indigenous, People of Color in prison will make you question the prison industrial complex?
How many people will you give food, water, and shelter to until you question the capitalist system of requisite poverty?

What are your queeries?

 

Queerying 24th after Pentecost A

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

Tanakh: Judges 4:1-7

Now that Ehud was dead, the Israelites did things that offended the Becoming One. So, the Becoming One offered them to King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera commanded the army based in The Heads of the Nations. 

The Israelites cried out to the Becoming One, because Sisera and his 900 chariots oppressed the Israelites harshly for two decades. Deborah, who had a husband, was a prophetess. She led Israel during this time. She sat under her palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in Ephraim's portion of the land. All of the Israelites could come to her for decisions. 

One day, she summoned Barak, son of Abinoam, of Kadesh in Naphtali. She said: The Becoming One, Israel's God, has commanded: Get up, go to Mount Tabor. Take 10,000 humans from Naphtali and Zebulun.  I will attract Sisera and all his troops to Wadi Kishon, and hand them over to you.

Queeries for the text:
Who was Ehud?

Where was Hazor?

Why was the army based in The Heads of the Nations?

Where else are chariots used to liberate?

Who is unnamed in this passage? Why is that significant? Who remains nameless?

What are the consequences for participating in oppression?
How does the story end?

What are your queeries?

Queerying 23rd after Pentecost A

This week we queery in loving memory of the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Pero, who died this past week after a short illness.

After nearly three months away, and passing her Ph.D. qualifying examinations, River Needham M.A., returns and queeries the Tanakh reading this week. 

Tanakh: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Schechem. He summoned Israel’s elders and commanders, magistrates and officers; and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people, “Thus said the Becoming One, the God of Israel: In olden times, your ancestors—Terah, father of Abraham and father of Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through the whole land of Canaan and multiplied his offspring.
[...]
“Now, therefore, revere the Becoming One and serve Hir with undivided loyalty; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the Becoming One. Or, if you are loath to serve the Becoming One, choose this day which ones you are going to serve—the gods that your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates, or those of the Amorites in whose land you are settled; but I and my household will serve the Becoming One.” 

In reply, the people declared, “Far be it from us to forsake the Becoming One and serve other gods! For it was the Becoming One our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, and who wrought those wondrous signs before our very eyes, and guarded us all along the way that we traveled and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. And then the Becoming One drove out before us all the peoples—the Amorites—that inhabited the country. We too will serve the Becoming One, for Xe is our God.” 

Joshua, however, said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Becoming One, for Xe is a holy God. Xe is a jealous God; Xe will not forgive your transgressions and your sins. If you forsake the Becoming One and serve alien gods, Xe will turn and deal harshly with you and make an end of you, after having been gracious to you.” 

 

But the people replied to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Becoming One!” 

 

At which point, Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have by your own act chosen to serve the Becoming One.” 

 

“Yes, we are!” they responded. “Then put away the alien gods that you have among you and direct your hearts to the Becoming One, the God of Israel.” 

 

And the people declared to Joshua, “We will serve none but the Becoming One our God, and we will obey none but Hir.”

Queeries for the text:
What is missing from this text?
How might the ancestral gods be read differently?
How does this text read in an election year?

Why is jealousy portrayed as an acceptable reason for violence?
Where does God act violently?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel:  Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus said:

"Then the dominion of heaven will be like this. Ten attendants of the wedding party took their lamps and went to meet the betrothed. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 

⁵As the betrothed was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the betrothed! Come out to meet them.’ 

⁷Then all those attendants got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 

⁹But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 

¹⁰And while they went to buy it, the betrothed came, and those who were ready went with them into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 

¹¹Later the other attendants came also, saying, ‘Liege, liege, open to us.’ 

¹²But they replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 

¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Queeries for the text:

How might a collectivist culture read this text?

How might a capitalist culture read this text?

How might a single person read this text?

How might a polyamorous person read this text?

What other options do the attendants have?

What are we waiting for?

Who do we not know?

Who doesn't know us?

What are your queeries?

Queerying All Saints A

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²Then Jesus began to speak, and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are those with the spirit of the poor, for theirs is the dominion of heaven. 

⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for right relationship, for they will be filled. 

⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for right relationship’s sake, for theirs is the dominion of heaven. 

¹¹“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely in my name. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Queeries for the text:
When have we read this before?
Who has the spirit of the poor?
Who mourns?
Who will inherit the earth?
Who hunger and thirst for right relationship?
Who is merciful?
Who are pure in heart?
Who are the peacemakers?
Who are persecuted for the sake of right relationship?
Who are reviled and persecuted? Against whom is uttered all kinds of evil falsely in Jesus' name?
Who are you?

What are your queeries?

Queerying 21st after Pentecost A

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46

³⁴When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵and one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him. ³⁶“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 

³⁷Jesus said to him, “’You shall love the Becoming One your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

⁴¹Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ⁴²“What do you think of the Messiah? Whose child are they?” 

They said to Jesus, “The child of David.” 

⁴³Jesus said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls them Liege, saying, ⁴⁴‘The Becoming One said to my Liege, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? ⁴⁵If David thus calls them Liege, how can they be his child?” 

⁴⁶No one was able to give Jesus an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Queeries for the text:
How did Jesus silence the Sadducees?
How is silence good? How does silence harm?
What is Jesus quoting?
What are all the law and the prophets?
Who could be the Messiah?
How many questions does Jesus get asked in Matthew's gospel?

What are your queeries?