Readings for Advent 1, December 2, 2012

•  Jeremiah 33:14-16 • Psalm 25:1-10 •1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 •Luke 21:25-36

Jeremiah 33: 14-16
We know that Jeremiah was either born or began his ministry in 627 BC. During his life, Babylon succeeded Assyria as the dominant power in the Middle East. He was a witness to the return to worship of the Lord (instituted by the Judean king Josiah), and then (after Josiah's death in battle in 609), the return of many of the people to idol worship. When Babylon captured Jerusalem in 587, Jeremiah emigrated to Egypt. God called him to be a prophet to Judah and surrounding nations, in the midst of these political and religious convulsions.

Jeremiah ministered around the time when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC. In bad times, he told of God’s love for his people. The restoration of the city is mentioned in...this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory ...”

Now we hear that it is a certainty that a time will come when God will complete his obligations  under his covenant with the Israelites. The “righteous Branch”is a king (or messiah) of David’s line; both kings and the messiah were expected to be just and righteous .Judah will be restored to prosperity ; Jerusalem will be protected. In the NRSV, it is the city or the “Branch” that will be called “The Lord is our righteousness”, but this may be the name of a king. verses 17 and 18 foretell the permanence of the Davidic monarchy, and of priests offering sacrifice. God’s covenant with his people is forever, or at least until the end of the age, i.e. to the start of the messianic era. God will never break the pact even if the people deviate from it.


Reflection:

Jeremiah was a prophet in a hard time. His times were dark and so were his warnings. Who are the "dark" prophets of our day? What dire warnings do we hear?

Where do we, in this era, look for hope? here do we turn,or who do we look to,in search of hope and inspiration?

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
This letter is perhaps the oldest book in the New Testament. Paul (with Silvanus and Timothy) founded the church in Thessalonika during his second missionary journey, and as is recorded in Acts 17, was forced to leave the city due to persecution. Many Greeks who already worshipped God, many people including "important women" became Christians. The letter was written from Athens to strengthen the new Christians in their faith.

Paul predicted, when he was in Thessalonika, that some Christians there would be persecuted. This has now happened; he has sent Timothy to “strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so no one would be shaken by these persecutions”. Timothy has now returned to Paul in Athens, and has conveyed to him “the good news of your faith and love” . In fact, their faith has encouraged Paul in facing persecution himself.

Now he considers their prayer for him to be a debt to be repaid . Even though he lives continually in gratitude to, and dependence on God, “all the joy”  their faith brings to him is hard to repay, but he does give thanks. He also prays that he may visit them to “restore” what is missing or forgotten in their knowledge of the faith, to give them further instruction in specific areas ). And  he prays, intercedes with God, on their behalf:

that he may visit them again

that they may have a superabundance of love for their fellow Christians and for others  as Paul, Timothy and Silvanus (“we”) have for them; and

that their hearts may become holy, that they may be totally free of sin , when Christ comes again with all those who belong to God at the end of time.

At that time, says Paul, Christ will bring the faithful dead with him; they will rise to be with God first; then those who are still alive will join them in heaven forever.

Reflection:

Where have you been that you would like to return to? What person, place or event do you wish you could revisit?

Do you correspond regularly with anyone? Is there someone who encourages you, or someone that you encourage, from a distance?

Is the second advent of Jesus something you think about often? Worry about? How do you picture this happening? Where does that image come from?

Luke 21:25-36
Jesus has foretold the destruction of the Temple. Some have asked him when this will occur and what will indicate that it is about to happen. Given that “all the people were spellbound by what they heard”  and that the religious authorities “kept looking for a way to kill him” , the destruction must have spiritual meaning. Jesus tells of events commonly expected at the end of the era, and adds some which are specifically Christian. First, Christians will be persecuted by religious and civil authorities . Then there will be “wars and insurrections”, but “the end will not follow immediately” (as people expected). Disastrous natural phenomena, cause for great distress, will occur and when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies , the city will soon fall: either physically or spiritually. Again the end will be delayed: the killing and deportation of citizens will continue “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” , i.e. until non-Jews have had the opportunity to come to Christ.

Now Jesus foretells unnatural events  and the resulting confusion among nations and people. But the “Son of Man” the ideal human, Christ, will come from heaven (“in a cloud”, a symbol of divine presence, as at the Transfiguration) with power to control events. Then “redemption” will be near. Just as the leafing of trees shows that “summer is ... near” , so the occurrence of all these events will show that “the kingdom of God is near”: this time will be evident to the faithful. The signs will be as striking as is seen in fig trees: in winter, they look dead but in spring they sprout. In spite of the delay, the era will end before all those alive now have died Finally, he advises vigilance: do not be so “weighed down”   with day-to-day earthy matters that you are unprepared for the final call.

Reflection:

How patient are you? We live is a world where we make instant coffee in  microwaves. We chafe at waiting for computer downloads that take seconds. How impatient are wa as a society?

Is patience a virtue? Why or why not? How do we develop patience?

Have you ever had to endure a time of waiting? How do you get through a time of waiting?

For some, the end of the world as we know it is something to look forward to... Can you think of people or groups who are longing for a new world order?

What "worlds" have come to an end in your lifetime? South Africa's apartheid...the iron curtain...

All good things come to the end? How do you handle big changes, major transitions?

What is the role of faith as we face big changes?




 

Readings for November 18, 2012

• 1 Samuel 1:4-20 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10 • Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25 • Mark 13:1-8

Prayer : God, you have made the heavens and the earth.You have revealed your beauty in creation

and inspired the book that we are now about to study.Please help us now as we read together.

Take us deeper into understanding more about you and your love for all you have made.Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Titus Arch in Rome that celebrates the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD

 

 

Samuel 1:4-20

In the time before the monarchy, Elkanah is on his annual pilgrimage to the temple at Shiloh. He has taken his two wives and Peninnah’s children with him. There he participates in a sacrificial meal. God has made Hannah childless; in spite of this, Elkanah “loved her” and gave her “a double portion” of food and drink. “Her rival” Peninnah has taunted her over her barrenness for many years. In spite of her husband’s love and considerate attitude towards her, she has reached the point where she can take it no longer.

This year, after the meal, Hannah goes to the entrance of the temple, where she meets Eli, the priest. (The Jerusalem Temple was yet to be built.) She prays to God and makes a vow: if God will grant her a son, she will make him a “nazirite”; a person dedicated (consecrated) to God who will refrain from drink, and who will not allow his head to be shaved. A first-born son was always dedicated to God, but Hannah offers more.

Prayer was usually aloud, so Eli (knowing that all have been drinking) thinks Hannah’s silence in prayer is because she is drunk. She answers him very coherently. Eli realizes his error of judgement, and intercedes with God on her behalf. She trusts in God to grant her wish. After returning home, Samuel is born to her and Elkanah. Hannah does fulfill her promise. When Samuel is weaned, she takes him to Eli in the temple and gives him to the Lord. Samuel is God’s gift to an oppressed woman; his life is God’s gift, and in return his mother gives his life to God.

Questions for reflection:  Issues of reproduction and fertility are debated today. Abortion. Contraception. Stem cell research: all these topics were raised in the recent US Presidential race. Do you have a strong opinion on these topics? How does your faith speak to these issues?

Consider the pain of Hannah. Fertility issues can be painful. How can faith communities respond with sensitivity to people with these struggles? How can we be helpful?

Have you ever bargained with God? Made an offer in hopes that God will respond?

Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah is leaving Samuel with Eli, but before heading home with Elkanah, she recites a prayer of thanksgiving. But look at verses 9 and 10: what do these verses have to do with Samuel? Scholars agree that an editor has inserted a much later prayer into older material. Notice “king” in verse 10: either this refers to the monarchy (which did not exist) or it is speaking of a future ideal king, a messiah. But look again: note “enemies” “victory”, “adversaries”.Hannah has at most one enemy, Peninnah. In Hebrew poetry, an individual may speak on behalf of the nation: here Hannah speaks on behalf of Israel. At the time, Israel was a small struggling nation with powerful enemies. The editor makes a theological point: God controls the destiny of humankind in every age the story of Samuel is an example. Further, God reverses fortunes. The number “seven” in verse 5 symbolizes completion and perfection, so Samuel is a perfect blessing from the Lord. Hannah is raised up but Peninnah is brought low. God can do this because he is omnipotent; even the pillars on which the earth was thought to rest are God’s.

Questions for reflection:  How many times in Scripture does a woman break into song or prayer in thanksgiving? Hannah. Mary. Miriam...What occasions or events in your life filled you with great joy, wonder, appreciation...?

Scripture often mentions “enemies” Do you have an enemy? Does your country? Do you know of someone who has “enemies”? What makes someone an enemy? How should we respond in faith to someone who is an “enemy”?

Hebrews 10:11-14,(15-18),19-25

The author has told us how much greater is Christ’s sacrifice of himself than the annual sacrifices of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. Now he says that what any priest offered daily in sacrificial ritual for the forgiveness of sins was worthless, unlike Christ’s “single sacrifice” : after Jesus died and rose, he became king. (Kings “sat down”, but priests stood.) Since that time, he has been awaiting the final defeat of his “enemies” . (The author does not say who they are.) For by offering himself on the cross he has “perfected” , completed, the removal of sin from those whom God has “sanctified”, made holy, set apart for his service.

The writings of the Old Testament, divinely inspired through the “Holy Spirit” , foretold this: Jeremiah wrote that there will be a new covenant, one in which God’s ways will be written in peoples’ very being , and where God will, in effect, clean off the sin slate . We have a new covenant , a new deal with God. Verses 19ff tell of the consequences of the new covenant: since Christ’s sacrifice allows us to enter into God’s presence (“sanctuary") boldly, now that there is no longer a barrier (“curtain") between the faithful and God, and since Christ is “a great [high] priest” who has sacrificed for the Church (“house of God” ), we have three privileges/duties: we can and must

·  approach God in faith with clear consciences ;

·  “hold fast” to our statement of faith (made at baptism), reciprocating God’s fidelity to us, and

·  stimulate the expression of “love and good deeds” inothers.

 

Questions for reflection:  The fall of Jerusalem meant the end of the role for priests, the end of sacrifices in the Jewish tradition. Christians still use language of sacrifice and blood as we speak of our faith. How comfortable are you with sacrificial language? Jesus died for our sins. We are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Are these phrases ones you would use to describe your faith? What other imagery of language might you comfortably use?

 

“Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds” How does living in Christian community “provoke” us to good deeds? Should we provoke and pester and cajole each other? What gifts do we share together that we cannot access all alone?

 

“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another...”Even in the 1^st century some people chose not to gather in church. What “encouragement” is found in being together on a Sunday morning?

 

 

Mark 13:1-8

In verse 1 and 2 Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple, as the prophets Micah and Jeremiah had done earlier...Did he mean it literally or figuratively? We don’t know. (Both the Temple and the religious system were destroyed in 70 AD.) Then he and his first four disciples visit the Mount of Olives – a place mentioned in Zechariah Ch 14 v4 as being connected with events at the end of the era. They ask him: when will the Temple be destroyed? How will we know that the end of the era is near? Jesus gives them three indicators:

·  false claimants to being God’s agent of renewal will appear, claiming “I am he!” ;

·  international political conflicts will occur, as will

·  natural disasters.

There will be other signs too The figure of a woman in labour (“birthpangs") is also used in Jeremiah, Hosea and Micah.

Questions for reflection:  False Messiahs, war and conflict, natural disasters...these are the signs that the end is near. Has there been a time in human history when these signs were not visible? What events have been seen as portends of the end? What has been named as a sign of the coming apocalypse?

The temple was destroyed in 70 AD. This was a cataclysmic event for the Jewish people, for their religious system and for the early church which made its home in Jerusalem. What huge shifts, changes and cataclysms have you witnessed? The fall of the Soviet Empire? Of apartheid? What else?

Both Judaism and Christianity survived the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. The church moved into the gentile world and the Jews moved from temple to Synagogue. As scholars note that the Christian Church is going through a time of radicle change, do you have hope for a new future?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Readings for November 11 2012

Take a moment to centre yourself in prayer:


Source of Life, of all that has been, of all that is, and of all that is yet to come: I come now to this time of study, with all that I am and all that I have, with all that I am not and all that I have not, to encounter the sacred, in myself and in your Word, for the sacred is all around! Spirit of all things great and small, awaken me, I pray. Amen

Al-hijra falls on November 15 – the Muslim New Year – marking the day when Muhammed moved his believers from Mecca to Medina, as a way of breaking with the tribalism of the past and beginning a new  universal, multi-cultural tradition.

A good opening to our first reading:

READ Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17

Naomi and Ruth were victims of 2 prejudices in Israel:

Patriarchy - no protection from a male relative;
Ruth, a Moabite was a foreigner/outsider.

Naomi is “crafty” – one needs to be in order to redeem an imperfect world!  It is Naomi who knows the laws and plans their salvation.  In verse 3:1 Naomi does it for Ruth, returning the favour hesed meaning loving kindness. 

In verse 3, she tells Ruth to wash, anoint and dress, to symbolize the end of mourning, preparing like a bride.
Then “uncover his feet and lie down” – the metaphor directs our attention to his lower parts!

Ruth asks “cover me with your cloak” in verse 9 – a symbol of his protection.  In verse 11, Boaz promises to claim her in front of everyone.

Then it is Boaz who gets “crafty” and wins Ruth from a greedy relative, who only wanted the land, not the responsibility.  Boaz' public declaration demonstrates that Hesed has brought success to both women, that boundaries can be crossed and that the law can work God’s way when used creatively!

Ruth is a kind of wisdom story, in that goodness is rewarded, and it has universal appeal.

Question for Reflection:
Loving kindness mixed with creativity = success: How does this strategy work in our world?


READ Hebrews 9:24-28

Written to Jewish followers of Jesus, who know a lot about the temple traditions, high priests, and sacrifices.

High level of greek language and philosophy:  Earth dirty – vs – Heaven pure and holy.

Former priests sacrifice always tainted by earthiness; Jesus enters purity of heaven as pure being, also as high priest, and once and for all offers himself as sacrifice FOR ALL!

In the temple, there were always 2 sacrifices: one for the priest himself, the second for the people.  Jesus didn’t have to sacrifice for himself; the first was for others; the second coming is not to deal with sin, but to save those waiting for him.  It is a definitive end to the struggle between good and evil.
3 contrasts:
Reality versus Simulation
Effective versus Endless repetition
Salvation versus Judgement – obsession with Judgement denies Christ's power.

Question for Reflection:
In Reformed Churches, clergy rarely play the priestly role, we are all part of the Holy Priesthood. How do you see yourself as “priest”?


READ Mark 12:38-44
Beware the scribes! Religious functionaries also need to prove their trustworthiness…

Temptation to hypocrisy – in verse 38 – “scribes” or Levites were a “tribe” born to function in the temple culture, as teachers, bureaucrats, enforcers – usually literate, gave them some power. 
Not all were good, not all were bad – again, the faithful need to be crafty and discerning.

Jesus says: Look out for those who love prestige; who look for power in the agora (marketplace).
They also seek religious power; want the best seat “of Moses” given to scholars, though they are not wise.
They are victims of materialism – ignore the widow, devours her house (in their legal capacity?)

Contrast with the widow who has genuine trust in God, and who offers all that she has.  
True faith leads to costly discipleship – faith is not easy or comfortable. 

Question for Reflection:
Do you think we attract others to faith by making it easy or by making it hard??

For closing, read a paraphrase of Psalm 127

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain;

Unless there is room for God in the stocked pantry,
Or the designer shoe closet
Or taking up at least as much space as the flat screen TV…
Those who live there, seek happiness in vain.

Unless the Lord guide the city, the guard keeps watch in vain;

Unless there is justice for the vulnerable,
Or a voice for the powerless
Or a safety net for those who fall between the cracks…
Those who guard it, lock themselves out.

God keeps watch over those who delight in God’s blessing
Those who live with a clenched fist cannot feel it.

Keep your eye trained on the young to know what delight means.
There is true strength!
May it be so in our lives, O God, may it be so, Amen