Davison's Doodle

Paragraphs from SSCSJ

A few paragraphs from Sacred Steps: Children’s Sermon Journal for the Lectionary texts for July 1, 2012.

Psalm 130
Like all of the psalms, Ps 130 provides good fodder for reflection and discussion.  Have you ever had an experience in which it seemed like your prayers were going unheard by God?  Have you cried out to the Divine out of the depths of despair and demanded to be heard?  What does it mean to “wait for the LORD”?  Is this a statement about patience or an assurance of trust?  How does one live (or a community live) that reflects that they “wait for the LORD” in their very nephesh?  How do you, or your faith community, assure people of God’s constant love and forgiveness?  This psalm declares that God forgives constantly, without any requirement of punishment.  Do you believe that God’s steadfast love and forgiveness are truly given with no restraint?  Is this what your church teaches children & youth?

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
The last 3 verses of II Sam 1 seem to be a separate lament, because of the use of an inclusio (i.e., “How the mighty have fallen” in v 25a and v 27a).  Here, David expresses his great “distress” over the death of Jonathon, who was “”greatly beloved” by David (v 26).  The covenant that David and Jonathon made with each other (I Sam 18) was stronger than blood and longer than this earthly life.  David describes Jonathon’s “love” as “wonderful, passing the love of women” (v 26b).  The exact nature of this relationship cannot be determined from the biblical text, but there can be no doubt that it was an intimate and meaningful one.  While, as king, David had many wives and concubines, none of those relationships reached the level of mutuality and depth of feeling he had with Jonathon.  In this opening chapter of II Sam, we see David as a man deeply wounded by the loss of his dear companion, Jonathon.  The DH also wants us to see David as a man who was loyal to Saul until the end, and who did not immediately seize upon Saul’s death as his opportunity to take the throne as king.  That does not happen until II Sam 2 (king of Judah) and II Sam 5 (king of all Israel).  The way the Lectionary has led us through the stories about the move to a monarchy is based in an ideological agenda, similar to the propaganda of the DH, that presents the most favorable characteristics of David, whom tradition names as Israel’s greatest kings, but as is often the case political figures who are portrayed as larger than life, there is a “backstory” that someone is trying to cover-up.

2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Two words in the text, “genuineness” and “earnestness”, are worth exploring, as Paul sets up his testing of the Christian community in Corinth using these as measuring tools: their (Corinth) genuineness compared to the earnestness of others.

Genuine: 1) Possessing the claimed or attributed character, quality, or origin; not counterfeit; authentic; real. 2) Properly so called.  3)  Free from pretense, affectation, or hypocrisy; sincere.  4) Descended from the original stock.

Earnestness:  1) Serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous.  2) Showing depth and sincerity of feeling.  3) Seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention.

Which of these words best describes the work, or ministry, of your congregation in your local community?  In an era of shrinking budgets, could this testing tool be an effective way to discern the real focus of ministry for your congregation?

Mark 5:21-43
Intertwined into this narrative are examples of faith and belief that are inspiring and can be as equally disappointing.  In many hospital rooms, prayers are offered; personal faith and belief are stretched, reassured, and broken.  Sometimes we can make healing too much about an individual’s faith or belief, and this can lead to deeper pain, self-doubt, and confusion about the role of God in one’s life.  The odds are good that many in your congregation, including the children on the sacred steps, have played all four roles in this narrative during their lifetime: acting out of the hope of last resort, advocating for another, relying on the advocacy of another and healing hands, and mourning and disbelieving (like the crowd).  How was Jesus restoring, saving, and healing, when you played these roles?  Which character in the story most resonates with your current experience?