queerying ascending pentecost music

Ascension and Pentecost are almost upon us and I've cultivated another playlist! 

As with past playlists, the music comes from a variety of styles, queerying the boundaries that we have set up between what is deemed "religious," "secular," and even "profane."  This is definitely a labor of love for me as I am not very musically oriented and I am very grateful to friends and colleagues who have suggested songs for this list.

Ascension and Pentecost are unique days in the church year.  On Ascension we remember after Jesus' resurrection when they promised the coming of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) to the apostles and then ascended into heaven, as told in Acts 1:1-11.  You'll probably notice this most clearly in the titles of the songs.  On Pentecost, we celebrate the birthday of the church, when the Holy Spirit blew into the locked and fearful room of the disciples like wind and fire and blessed them with the gift to preach the Good News in many languages (inspiring others to think they were drunk), as told in Acts 2:1-21.  Many of my favorite themes for Pentecost are made clear in the titles of the songs, though not exclusively there! 

While this playlist is quite intentional, it is also always a work in progress.  So, similar to Holy Week, but unlike Lent, it would probably be better if not set to shuffle, so that you can move with the playlist from Ascension into Pentecost.  If you want to listen to the songs associated with each day separately, check out this Ascension playlist and this Pentecost playlist, which you are welcome to put on shuffle or leave in order!  Because it is an ongoing work in progress, I am always open to more suggestions, so let me know if you have any songs that I should add to the list or questions about what is on the list or why!

In case you missed the other links, check out the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/22zoaq4yqbmnlyw5dfzp4mfty/playlist/1n7a7MsnTqmrdAaFfGfjMX

ascension day year b - acts

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 apostles whom Jesus had chosen. 
     ³After Jesus' suffering  
          They presented Themself alive to the apostles 
               by many convincing proofs, 
                    appearing to them during forty days 
                    and speaking about the reign of God. 
          ⁴While staying with them, 
               Jesus ordered the apostles not to leave Jerusalem, 
                    but to wait there for the promise of Abba. 
               “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, 
     “Teacher, is this the time when you will restore the reign to Israel?”
⁷Jesus replied, 
     “It is not for you to know the times or periods 
          that Abba has set by Their 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, 
          Jesus was lifted up, 
          and a cloud took Them out of their sight. 
     ¹⁰While Jesus was going 
          and they were gazing up toward heaven, 
               suddenly two people in white robes stood by them.
     ¹¹They said, 
          “You Galileans, 
               why do you stand 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's the first book?
Who is Theophilus?
Why do we always need so much proof?
Why are they talking about timing when Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit?
Why are we so concerned about knowing all the details and exact timing?
What's it like when the Holy Spirit comes upon you?
Why does Jesus specify Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria?
Did the two people apparate?  
Why do we look to heaven for Jesus when Christ is present all around us?
Does "the same way" mean pressing rewind, head first, or something else?   

What are your queeries?

easter 6 year b - acts

Acts 10:44-48

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking,

     the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.

     ⁴⁵The circumcised believers

          who had come with Peter

               were astounded

                    that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out

                         even on the Gentiles,

                    ⁴⁶for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter said,

     ⁴⁷“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people

          who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

               ⁴⁸So he ordered them to be baptized

                    in the name of Jesus Christ.

                         Then they invited him to stay for several days. 

Queeries for the text:
Where is Peter?
What was Peter saying?
Did the Holy Spirit trip?
Which word was it that they heard?
Why are we so astounded that God gives the Holy Spirit to people who aren't like us?
Did Philip tell Peter about Dawit, the Ethiopian eunuch?
Who are "these people"?
Who did Peter order to do the baptizing?

What are your queeries?

easter 5 year b - john

John 15:1-8

Jesus said:

”I am the true vine,

     and my Abba is the vinegrower.

          ²My Abba removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.

          Every branch that bears fruit my Abba prunes

               to make it bear more fruit.

     ³You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.

          ⁴Abide in me as I abide in you.

               Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself

                    unless it abides in the vine,

                         neither can you unless you abide in me.

⁵I am the vine,

     you are the branches.

          Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,

               because apart from me you can do nothing.

          ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch

          and withers;

               such branches are gathered,

               thrown into the fire,

               and burned.

     ⁷If you abide in me,

          and my words abide in you,

               ask for whatever you wish,

                    and it will be done for you.

                         ⁸My Abba is glorified by this,

                              that you bear much fruit

                              and become my disciples.”

Queeries for the text:
What type of vine is Jesus?  Raspberry?  Grape?  Tomato?  Pumpkin?
Do all the branches end up getting cut either through pruning or removal?
Is pruning the same as cleansing?
If we, as branches, abide in Jesus, as a vine, how does Jesus abide in us?
Do all branches get thrown away when the growing season is done anyway?
What exactly does Jesus mean by "whatever you wish"?  Does abiding in Jesus mean that I will only wish for what is in line with Jesus?
Are bearing fruit and becoming disciples a joint action or could we do only one of them?

What are your queeries?

easter 5 year b - acts

Acts 8:26-40

²⁶Then an angel of God said to Philip,

     “Get up and go toward the south

          to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

               (This is a wilderness road.)

²⁷So Philip got up and went.

Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,

     a court official of the Candace,

          queen of the Ethiopians,

     in charge of her entire treasury.

          They had come to Jerusalem to worship

               ²⁸and were returning home;

                    seated in their chariot,

                         they were reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹Then the Spirit said to Philip,

     “Go over to this chariot and join it.”

          ³⁰So Philip ran up to it

          and heard them reading the prophet Isaiah.

Philip asked,

     “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹They replied,

     “How can I,

          unless someone guides me?”

     And invited Philip to get in and sit beside them.

          ³²Now the passage of the scripture that they were reading was this:

               “Like a sheep led to the slaughter,

               and like a lamb silent before its shearer,

                    so the one does not open their mouth.

               ³³In humiliation justice was denied them.

                   Who can describe that generation?

                         For that life is taken away from the earth.”

³⁴The eunuch asked Philip,

     “About whom, may I ask you,

          does the prophet say this,

               about themself or about someone else?”

³⁵Then Philip began to speak,

     and starting with this scripture,

          he proclaimed to them the good news about Jesus.

     ³⁶As they were going along the road,

          they came to some water;

               and the eunuch said,

                    “Look, here is water!

                         What is to prevent me from being baptized?” 

                    ³⁸They commanded the chariot to stop,

               and both of them, Philip and the eunuch,

                    went down into the water,

                         and Philip baptized them.

                    ³⁹When they came up out of the water,

                         the Spirit of God snatched Philip away;

                    the eunuch saw him no more,

                         and went on their way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip found himself at Azotus,

     and as he was passing through the region,

          he proclaimed the good news to all the towns

               until he came to Caesarea.

Queeries for the text:
What is the road from Jerusalem to Gaza like now?
Is the Ethiopian eunuch nonbinary?
Are there more genderqueer people in the bible than we acknowledge?
What does a powerful, Black, queer/trans person in the bible mean for us today? 
What is a Candace?
Is the Ethiopian Eunuch one of the first missionaries?
Do we ever really understand what we are reading?
What prevents people from knowing God's love? How do we prevent people from experiencing God's grace?
Would Philip have suggested baptism if the Ethiopian eunuch had not?
How far is it from Azotus to Caesarea?

What are your queeries?


Updated to add: This is the visual I used for my reflection on Simeon/Dawit/Kia, the Ethiopian eunuch: