Hi Friends,
In two days I will officially be on Study Leave, at a nearby clergy retreat center after first helping Wondergirl celebrate turning sixteen. Thus, I will not be in the pulpit this Sunday.
The lectionary passages for the this Sunday can be found here. I have to admit, this line in Job "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" is one that I have always wanted to explore homiletically. I just don't think we preach often enough about the Sovereignty of God. (I don't, anyway.)
So...preachers, teachers, worshippers: what's on your minds this week?
After Job has endured the "help" from his friends. After Job has pointed out that what has happened is not fair and that God must not be just. GOd, in essence, asks: "who are you to second gues me you little man?"
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I don't find God coming off looking very good in the book of Job -- even when Job gets everything back God still looks very arbitrary and unjust.
But this passage raises a question for me: How do we know God? THat is where I am planning to go this week. See more here
I have just returned from our annual Diocesan Clergy Conference/retreat, led by Lauren Winner (Girl meets God). As I re-enter the world and begin to ponder the readings for Sunday I wonder about what the Mark text offers women, who already give so much of ourselves to others. Women for whom first is usually not the case rather last is the norm: women who care for children, parents, husbands, congregations...what might I say from this reading that reaches out to women who already know way too much about life-giving, and seldom strive for that position of first place (and when we do, we often don't achieve it 'cuz, well, we're perceived as not having enough "exprience" etc etc etc...Any helpful insights?
ReplyDeleteNo helpful insights here (at least not yet).
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say, WHOA! You got to meet and interact with Lauren Winner! How cool! I'm jealous.
I enjoyed Lauren and her presentation even more than I anticipated. She is very engaging, smart, thoughtful, and witty. Considering she was facing a room full of well educated priests, many much older and more "experienced" than she, she did a good job. I especially liked her reflections on Esther...with which she also leads womens retreats (in case any one wants to hire her to lead such a retreat...)....
ReplyDeleteI'm on vacation, so I'm not preaching either.:)
ReplyDeleteBut I did find out today that I'll be officiating at a funeral either this weekend or early next week.:(
Those last passeges in Job are the best--for sure! No thoughts about Sunday as of yet. I'm just envying you the retreat. :-) Come back refreshed!
ReplyDeleteThe Episcopal Lectionary for this week is not using Job, instead we have Isaiah 53:4-12...but I will probably preach on Mark 10:35-45. As I said early I struggle with how this reading might connect with women who already "serve"...John Shea in his spiritual reflection for this reading (Eating with the Bridegroom, Mark year B), says: "However, our service to others is not a subservient 'whatever you want.'...Service means discerning the lure of God in the life of others and commiting ourselves to their response." (pg 255). This makes me think of the idea of agappe, the kind of self-giving love we offer others that is intended to help the other become the best person they be...a new vision of "sacrifice"...the giving of self to help the other become the best person they can be...or to say this another way, how can we help the other embrace the love God offers in order to respond in love to be become the best person one can become....this is the kind of love found in long term relationships where one help the other grow into her/his full potential while he/she in turn help us grow into our full potential...
ReplyDeleteI'm out for the next two Sundays. Preach it up folks!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about this last night, watching reruns of PBS's "Eyes on the Prize"...advocacy and activism are also forms of service.
ReplyDeleteGood point...I'll ponder activism and advocacy in terms of service, maybe in light of the idea of working with the "other" to become the best they can be????
ReplyDeleteStill off-lectionary (and will be until Advent).
ReplyDeleteI'll be preaching Nehemiah, and rebuilding the Temple with one hand on the bricks and one hand on the sword.
Not quite sure where I'm going with it, but that's what spoke to me and so I sent it to the bulletin person...
Of course, if something else demands to be preached on between now and Sunday I can arbitrarily change it. But I doubt I will!
And by the way, Cheesehead, retreats ROCK! I enjoyed mine so much, I want one every month!
RP, I preached a series on Neh. a while back...loving that same verse. What an image!
ReplyDeleteWhat great comments on the lectionary and off lectionary. Great. I have watned to preach Nehemiah but haven't done it yet. I am preaching last week's Mark lectionary passage. I didn't preach due to Laity Sunday. I looked at both passages and discerned through prayer that it was the one this church needed to hear. Hope I have discerned correctly. I am borrowing from your sermons last week,lol.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the women's issue in this passage, why don't you raise it just that way. That women already do so much. But it was men who asked the question and men who this was addressed to. What is that in the church 20% of the people do all the work or is it 80%?