2:18 What does it
mean to minister before the LORD? What is an ephod?
2:19 How old was
Samuel that is robe was “little”? What
is the yearly sacrifice?
2:20 This is
starting to sound sexist: Samuel’s father is named but not his mother!
2:26 How does one
grow in favor with the people, let alone the LORD? Does
“stature” refer only to Samuel’s physical size?
148:1-2 These
verses could easily be adapted for use as a Call to Worship. Note, however, that it is the angels and the
heavenly host, not humans, being called to worship.
148:3 The Hubble
Telescope might offer us images of shining stars praising the LORD.
148:4 What waters
are above the heavens?
148:5 Which
creation myth does this allude to?
148:6 What comes to
your mind when you think of sea monsters?
148:7 Shall we
think of tornadoes and hurricanes as praising God even as they leave death and
destruction behind?
148:11 After
numerous physical features and living creatures are named, humans finally
appear.
148:12 How does the
presence of both “men” and “women” speak to patriarchy? How does the presence of both “old” and
“young” speak to a church that is graying and which has more or less failed to
attract a younger generation?
148:13 What is the
name of the Lord and how can n it be praised if it is not to be pronounced?
148:14 What is a
horn and why would the LORD one for the people up?
3:12 What does it
mean to be God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved?
Is this about election and/or predestination? Is there anything special about this list of
five virtues?
3:13 This may be
one of the hardest pieces of advice to the church follow. If more church members were to put this into
practice, the church would be much better off.
3:14 Love is a
glue? I am not a musician, so I would
love some musical reader to explain perfect harmony.
3:15 Be thankful
for what?
3:16 What is the
word of Christ? I thought Christ was the
Word? To teach and admonish one another
means to be taught and admonished as well as to teach and admonish. What is the difference among psalns, hymns,
and spiritual songs?
3:17 Do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus?
2:41 Whose parents?
I find it interesting that neither of the parents are named.
2:42 Is there
anything special about being twelve years old?
2:43 How could
Jesus’ parents not know that tier son stayed behind?
2:44 I wonder what
other relatives were among the group. Do
you think that Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John were among them?
2:45 If you do the
math, Jesus’ parents probably arrived back in Jerusalem approximately 36 hours
after they left.
2:46 Were the three
days after they originally left Jerusalem, or three days after their
return? Is this a literary prefiguration
of and/or literary allusion to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection?
2:46 I wonder what
questions Jesus was asking. When was the
last time a twelve year old asked you questions about your teaching?
2:47 His
answers? I thought Jesus was the one
asking questions, not the one answering them.
2:48 How did Jesus treat his parents? Was the mother of Jesus scolding him?
2:49 Is this
another example of foreshadowing? Do you
think this is at all cryptic? Was Jesus
talking back to and sassing his mother?
2:50 Every twelve
year old’s point of view!
2:51 Was Jesus not
obedient before this time? What do you
treasure in your heart? More
specifically, what memories of your child or children, or any child, do you
treasure in your heart?
2:52 Do you
remember 1 Samuel 2:26? Would we at all
be inclined to juxtapose these two verses if they were not artificially paired
by the Lectionary? If Jesus was the Word
made Flesh, how could Jesus increase in wisdom, let alone in divine favor?
ADDENDUM
How long after the
fact do we include particular concerns in the Prayers of the People? It will have been over two weeks, and the
third Sunday by the time December 3o rolls around, since the shooting at Sandy
Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut.
How many Churches will continue to include prayers for Newtown, or even
those affected by hurricane Sandy, in their Sunday public prayers? Here is a link to the first petition of my Prayers of
the People the Sunday after Newtown. The
petition is original.
In addition to serving
as the half time Pastor of North Church Queens
www.northchurchqueens.org and writing Lectionary Ruminations, I also
tutor part time. If you or someone you
know needs a tutor, or if you would like to be a tutor, check out my WyzAnt page and follow the appropriate links.
