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?

, 06/22/2012. Category: Michael D, SSCSJ, Youth Ministry.

Trusting SCOTUS

As all our institutions come under scrutiny and distrust, secular and religious, the Supreme Court has been accused of being “activists” by many on the political right and the conservative and the super-conservative  have used the word “activists” as an indictment and insult.  If we can get back to an investigative journalism, one day, the public might get some actual information that is down the middle and devoid of passion, politics, or voyeurism.  I grew up watching “60 Minutes” alongside my parents.  When I’m home on Sunday, I do my best to catch the show.  It is the last “news” program that does investigative journalism not promoting an overt political agenda.  All those that decried the SCOTUS or others on the Federal bench as “activists” during the last 50 years because of their decisions on social issues that were labeled liberal, now have a five person court that embraces the “activists” label for decisions that support political, social, and economic conservatism best set in a time when “Nobles” ruled the lands.  I no longer believe that the highest court in the land decides issues based on logic, weighing the law, or  that benefits everyone in this country.  You cannot anthropomorphize Corporations nor multi-national Corporations or equate money with free speech if you are interested in the common good for every citizen.  The founders set up the SCOTUS as the last place to trust that it is free of politics, money, or corporate pressure to make decisions that were hard, but would be thinking about the present and future “good” for the citizens of this nation.

Here is an article from Newsweek/DailyBeast recounting a brief history of this Robert’s SCOTUS that gives deference to corporations and super-conservative ideology mostly along ideological lines.  We are living in a winner take all, divide and gated time, (5-4 votes) that is only interested in solving problems along ideological lines because it has won the most seats in Congress or on the Court.  I keep telling myself that our ancestors made it through the industrial revolution, the depression, and two World Wars, so we too will live through this and claim our common humanity.  But, I also watched the X Files.  Two paragraphs and a link.

America’s Robed Radicals on the Supreme Court
Michael Tomasky | Special Correspondent Newsweek/DailyBeast
June 21, 2012

As we gather in our respective bunkers awaiting the white smoke from the Supreme Court, I thought a little history discussion might be in order. We’ve heard conservatives say many times that the Warren Court overreached, legislated from the bench, and divided America. It’s typically called the most controversial court in American history, and we know the reasons why. But the numbers tell a very different story. Even though Roberts has reigned on Maryland Avenue for just seven years as opposed to Earl Warren’s 16, the Roberts nonet (more accurately, quintet) has issued far more aggressive and in-your-face 5-4 rulings on controversial and high-profile cases and done far more to divide the country. I don’t know what they’ll do on health care, but they already deserve to displace the Warren Court in the controversy sweepstakes.

Conservative readers will here blame today’s liberal bloc for the fact that we don’t get such consensus today, but the reality is that once Roberts and Samuel Alito hit the bench, the Federalist Society clock started ticking loudly: We’ve got our five now, boys, and we don’t know how long we’ll have them, so let’s get moving. Desegregation? Boom, 5-4! Equal pay? Bang, 5-4! Campaign finance? Zap, 5-4! And so on. The express point has been to radically remake society, without a hoot of concern about whether it was being done by five or seven or nine. In fact, to most conservatives, if a decision infuriated the Court’s four liberals, so much the better.  Click here to read more.

, 06/21/2012. Category: Culture.
Next page →
← Previous page