Readings for October 4, 2009

This week`s study is provided by Steve Clifton. Your thoughts and comments are most welcome.

Take a moment to center yourself in prayer:

Eternal One, whose thoughts and ways are not ours,
you alone are God, awesome, holy, and most high.
School us in the ways of faith and wisdom,
that we, like Job,
may learn to truly see and hear,
and in seeing and hearing may find find blessing. Amen.

Our gospel this week includes the story of Jesus and the children. Take a moment to consider the artist`s depiction of the scene.This painting "JESUS MAFA" is a response to the Gospel reading by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa.



This weeks readings are Job 1:1, 2:1-10 • Psalm 26 or Psalm 8 • Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 • Mark 10:2-16







Job 1:1, 2:1-10:
The book of Job is about suffering. It seeks to answer the question: why does God allow the faithful to suffer? Or, as Rabbi Harold Kushner asks in his book “When bad things happen to good people.”, which is a reflection on the Book of Job, "why do bad things happen to those who have done nothing to deserve it? Why do the innocent suffer?"
The first two chapters of Job tell the story of a man called Job. In this story (which may be extremely ancient), a very righteous man is tested: is he as godly as he seems? Or is his faithfulness to God only an appearance, a result of his having lived a very blessed life?
“Job” is a foreigner; he lives in “Uz”, south-east of Palestine. As such, he is drawn to God by faith, not ethnic origin. He is “blameless” (perfect in integrity, consistent in character) and “upright”. He has a right relationship with God. He shows God reverence and obedience. He deliberately and consistently chooses to do good. But worthy as he is, Satan suggests to God that his faith be tested. Satan contends that Job’s faithfulness will fade away if his blessings are taken from him.

• Satan, in the book of Job, isn't a creature of hell, but part of the heavenly council, "the devil's advocate" in a way. He is the “Tester”. How does this differ from our typical conception of Satan?

• "He will curse you to your face." Satan is trying to figure out what will push Job to curse God. What would make you curse God? Falling short of curses, how mad have you ever gotten at God? Is it okay to get angry with God?

• "In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job does not curse God when bad things start to happen to him. Of course, we're only on chapter two. But, still, sometimes people can handle a remarkable amount of pain and still remain hopeful. Do you know people who “have the patience of Job”, who keep going and keep positive in spite of numerous challenges and hardships? How do you think people do this? Where does their strength come from?

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
The letter to the Hebrews is addressed to the Christian community in Jerusalem. Its first audience lived in the shadow of Jerusalem’s Temple. The letter uses language and images that were familiar to Jerusalem Jews who worshipped in the Temple with its High Priest and its animal sacrifices. Basing his argument on the Old Testament, the author argues for the superiority of Christ to the prophets, angels and Moses. Christ offers a superior priesthood, and his sacrifice is much more significant than that of Levite priests. Jesus is the "heavenly" High Priest, making the true sacrifice for the sins of the people, but he is also of the same flesh and blood as those he makes holy.

• Our passage from Hebrews talks of Jesus as the reflection of God's glory. We are made in the image of God. Are we not also reflections of God's glory, if we let ourselves be? This is what it means to be created in God's image, isn't it? Have you ever caught a glimpse of God in another person? Do you think you have reflected God’s glory and love to another?

• Quoting Psalm 8 the writer records:"What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?” In this grand and great universe, God cares for you. Jesus said that God numbers the hairs on our heads, meaning that God cares for each person in an intimate way. How does that make you feel?

• We are brothers and sisters with Christ, children of the same Parent. How intimate is that? We are called many things in the modern world: “consumers”, “citizens “and things less pleasant. Sometimes we are made to feel nameless and insignificant. What difference does it make that you are a “child of God”? What difference doe it make that others a re also children of God, your sisters and brothers?

• With that intimacy comes responsibility; we are part of God's family so we have to help wash the dishes…What responsibilities do you have as a member of God’s household?

Mark 10:2-16:
This reading has two sections. The first is concerned with divorce and the second is concerned with welcoming children.
The Pharisees were divided ...” While all Pharisees in Jesus day would agree that divorce was legal, the school of Shammai permitted it only if the wife were guilty of unchastity or gross immodesty, while the school of Hillel held that a man might divorce his wife even if she spoiled the food. Jewish marriage was not a contract between equals: a woman was given in marriage, she did not marry. Further, while a wife could not divorce her husband, she could go before the court and force him to divorce her if he engaged in certain occupations (such as tanning), had certain diseases, took vows to her detriment, or forced her to take such vows. Furthermore, the rabbis bitterly condemned indiscriminate divorce, even if it was legal.
In that women in Jesus day were seen to be little more than property that could be exchanged and discarded with ease, Jesus call to faithfulness in marriage can be seen as call for women to be honored and not devalued.
The Pharisees’ question may have been designed to bring Jesus into conflict with the much-divorced Herod family.
"Some Pharisees came, and to test [Jesus] they asked… “These teachings from Jesus are hard for modern-day congregations to hear, because so many have experienced the pain of divorce themselves, or in their families. When preaching on these texts, it is important to be clear that Jesus is not saying that people belong in abusive, harmful relationships at all costs. (Surely Jesus would condemn the violence and not condemn the victim!)

• What are your reflections and thoughts on the teachings of Jesus around divorce?

Then Jesus welcomes children. What does it mean to welcome a child? This is the third week in a row that the gospel lesson mentions children and the importance of welcoming them to really understand the kingdom. The repeated emphasis tells us Jesus thinks this is REALLY important.
In the writings of Jesus day, children are portrayed as examples of unreasonable behavior or as objects to be trained, but here with Jesus they are persons who enjoy a relationship with Jesus and they are part of the Kingdom of God.

• The world might discard women in divorce or ignore children, but Jesus sees value in these… Who are those in our time who are devalued or avoided? Who would Jesus have us welcome today?

Readings for September 27 2009

The study notes this week are provided by Elizabeth Bryce, a newcomer to on-line blogging, who would appreciate your feedback on the study!

Take a moment to centre yourself in prayer:

Strengthen us, O God. When we are afraid to step forward and live with faith, strengthen us with stories of courage. When we are desperate to know all the answers, strengthen us with the patience to understand. When we are feeling the effects of illness or fatigue or broken hearts, strengthen us with the courage to continue. Help us to be wise and bold, persistent and compassionate, learners and leaders in your name, Amen

Throughout the fall, our readings from the Old Testament/Hebrew scriptures have focused on “wisdom” – asking: where does wisdom come from?

Question for reflection: What does the word wisdom mean for you?

Specifically, the bible explores what “wisdom” means for people of faith.
When we apply God’s wisdom to real life situations, sometimes that faith-full wisdom seems like foolishness according to human knowledge and culture.

Today we explore the story of Queen Esther, and see how her courageous but foolhardy wisdom helped to save the people of God from destruction.

BACKGROUND:

In 586 BC, the kingdom of Judea, the southern part of Israel, and its capitol at Jerusalem, were destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. A large part of the population were taken back to Babylon as slaves. The Jewish community were forced to live “in exile”at Babylon and had to struggle to maintain their identity as a distinct people, first under Babylonian rule, then under Persian rule. After generations of identifying themselves as the people of the promised land, what did it mean to be God’s people in a foreign land?

In spite of the real hardship of life in exile, this was a time when the writings and rituals of the Jewish people flourished. Threatened with extinction, they became stronger in their symbols and practice of faith. Many wonderful songs and stories developed during this time – the tale of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the prophecy of Daniel, and Psalm 137, for example.

Question for reflection: Are there times in your life when hardship has produced creativity in you or in others? How did it impact your sense of identity?

Esther was a member of that exiled Jewish community and her relative Mordecai was one of its leaders. The Persian king, Ahasuerus (sometimes called Xerxes), disposed of his first wife Queen Vashti for refusing to entertain his drunken guests after a military victory. Ahasuerus was not a fan of equal marriage! Then he went looking for a beautiful woman to be his new wife. Unaware that Esther was Jewish, he made her his Queen.

Meanwhile, Mordecai annoyed the King’s official, Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jewish community because they would only bow in worship to Yahweh, and not to the King or, more specifically, his advisor Haman.

READ Esther’s Story: (3:12-13, 4:1-4, 8-17, 5:1-3, 7:1-3)

Then the king’s secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring. Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, giving orders to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry; he went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. In every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

When Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed; she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he would not accept them. Mordecai also gave Hathach (the messenger) a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people.

Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, 'All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden sceptre to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.’ When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.’ Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, ‘Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.’ Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, opposite the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne inside the palace opposite the entrance to the palace. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won his favour and he held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre. The king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.’ Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for the king.”

So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, ‘What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.’ Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have won your favour, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me—that is my petition—and the lives of my people—that is my request.”

The king was shocked to learn of Haman’s treachery, lifted the order to execute the Jews and hung Haman on the gallows constructed for the Jewish leaders. And so Esther’s story was told throughout the Jewish community in exile, to give them courage in the hard times.

Esther’s story demonstrates the folly of God’s wisdom. Entering the king’s presence unsummoned was even more disrespectful than Vashti’s refusal to appear when summoned. Esther literally put her life on the line. When she responded to Mordecai the first time, she was terrified to act. Mordecai responded with one of my favourite lines of scripture: “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

The name of God does not appear in the book of Esther. And yet, with faith, Mordecai sees God’s hand at work in Esther’s position. God becomes seen through the faith and the courage of Esther and Mordecai.

Questions for reflection: Have there been times when you have felt that God was at work in your life or the life of someone you know? How do we give God credit for unseen interventions? Or, when God is not seen, does that mean God is absent? How can God be present in times of tragedy?

The background notes and reading of Esther are extensive this weel – I invite you to read the whole unabridged version sometime.

I will treat the other lectionary readings for this week more briefly!

They are:
Psalm 124 – A song of thanksgiving for victory – probably in reference to the Israelites’ escape from Egypt and the destruction of Pharoah’s army at the Red Sea.
Question for reflection: Does God really take sides? Of a particular nation? Or of those who are oppressed?

James 5:1-6,13-20 – The lectionary leaves out James 5:1-6, a section that addresses the danger of wealth and the exploitation of the poor by the rich, but it is more than worthy of our attention. James doesn’t pull his punches!
Question for reflection: Is it possible to be “privileged” and still live faithfully? How do we understand this as stewards of God’s creation?

James advises his readers to pray, not just in individual requests, but as an act of communal life. He calls them to restore the weary with their faith, and use symbols of healing (oil and laying on hands) to bring them comfort.
Question for reflection: How do you understand the power of prayer?

Mark 9:38-50 – Jesus makes real the cost of faith and ministry. A decision for the kingdom is an invitation to step away from the self-centred egoism of our time, and take a look at the bigger picture, the whole creation and its balance. The drama of Jesus’ imagery underlines the urgency of committing to the kingdom of God.
Question for reflection: What are you/we being called to “cut out” in order to be faithful to the kingdom’s priorities?

Closing Thought:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “Do and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold the the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living. God’s command is enough and your faith in God can sustain you. Then at last, freedom will welcome your spirit among great rejoicing.”

Gospel Reading September 20, 2009

Mark 9:30-37:
• “He did not want anyone to know it" - Mark's gospel contains the "messianic secret" theme. Jesus was constantly trying to hide or obscure his true identity. Why do you think Jesus wouldn't want people to know his identity?

• What would you think if a person was predicting death and suffering for themselves? These days, we'd probably (rightly) want the person to get psychological help, worrying that they were depressed or suicidal. How do you think Jesus expected his followers to react? •

Apparently, the disciples weren't too bothered but Jesus words; they were busy talking about who was greatest among them. Jesus calls his followers to embrace humility, to think of serving others rather than competing for greatness and accolades.

• Jesus uses a child as a symbol of someone who needs to be served and helped? What does it mean to welcome a child? What does it mean to help others as we would care for a child? Think of the kind of care a child requires? What kind of service is this?

• In Jesus day children had a low social status. They had no legal status of their own. The Old Testament call to care for widows and orphans was a call to care for those who were most vulnerable in society; apart from their husbands and fathers, widows and orphans had no rights. They held no property and so could not repay kindness or confer status as a reward. In this context Jesus takes a child and calls his followers to welcome them. Who are the lowly, those without status that we are called to welcome today? Who are the vulnerable people on the margins of life that we need to serve in Jesus name?

Third Reading September 20 2009

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a• In this passage James lifts up the gift of wisdom. This is the gift that Solomon asks for when he becomes king. Wisdom is a gift of the Spirit in the New Testament.

• What is wisdom? Do you know any wise people? If so, what does their wisdom look like?

• Can you learn to be wise? Can you cultivate wisdom? Or is wisdom a gift that some people possess and others do not?
• Wisdom is defined in a variety of ways. Here are some definitions I found on the internet
 Wisdom is “the ability to make decisions and give guidance that is according to God's will.”
 Wisdom is having a high EQ (Emotion Quotient) score.
 Wisdom is accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment
 the trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight
 the quality of being prudent and sensible
 The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.
 Common sense; good judgment: "It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things" (Henry David Thoreau).

• James prizes wisdom that "is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy." That's a particular definition of wisdom. Using James' definition, is there anyone else you think of as wise? Are you a person of wisdom?

Psalm for September 20, 2009

Psalm 1
• This psalm is an introduction to the book of Psalms; like many Psalms, this text creates a contrast; it contrasts the fate of the faithful and the unfaithful. In the Hebrew Scriptures there is a thread of thought that is called “The Doctrine of the Two Ways.” There is the way of faithfulness which leads to life and blessing and good things. There is the way of evil which leads to death and curses and bad things. In this way of thinking, being good leads to good things and bad things happen to bad people. We hear the modern version of this doctrine as people find fault in those who know misfortune.

• The doctrine of the Two Ways is challenged in other parts of Scripture: the Book Of Job , the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, the suffering and crucifixion of the Righteous One Jesus…all these and more speak of suffering that in unearned. It rains on both the just and the unjust.

• Do you think that suffering is always deserved? Is good fortune always a reward for being good? Or do bad things happen to good people?

• In Psalm 1: Those who do not have God in their life perish because of being outside God's law, consequences of their own actions and choices. God does not punish them but their choices bring about unwanted results.

• Those who do have God in their life, who dwell in God's law: "They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season".

• The tree/stream imagery is much like a sponge soaking up water - we absorb, take in God's word. But better than a sponge, which just absorbs and then is simply saturated, a tree soaking water bears fruit - bears results -bears change because of God's word.

• Do you know “fruitful people” who have soaked up the word of God? Has living with God born fruit in you; are you changed as a result of living in faith?

First Reading for September 20 2009

This week’s notes are written by Rev. Steve Clifton
Proverbs 31:10-31:• As a male I wonder… how do women respond to this text? How do women respond to a detailed description of a “capable wife” who is “hard to find?”It seems that the ‘capable wife’ is a jack-of-all-trades. And the passage describes a person who is strong, giving, fearless, a salesperson, successful, etc. The person described is very capable indeed.

• It`s interesting to note that changing the gender of the pronouns in this text doesn’t change much about the passage. With a change of pronouns could this be a description of a capable husband?

• How would you describe your ideal partner? What characteristics and attributes do you value most in others? What would be on your wish list if you were looking for someone capable?

• Do you strive to live out the characteristics that you value most in others? Do you strive to be an ideal partner, friend, family member?

• “Many (wo)men have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Imagine these words being spoken of you. How does that feel?