Words Twice a Week 6.6.22

(Nice date!!)

I’m taking a couple weeks off – I’ll see you in July!

That’s what I got for now…..

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Words 6.2

 Words Twice a Week       6.2

Here’s a really nice prayer for these days from the Church of the Heavenly Rest -

(we’ll see how this inserts in Blogger!)   This prayer comes from Yiddish poet Bertha Kling. She was born in Poland and made her life in the Bronx. She wrote this prayer in 1935, on the eve of World War II.

A few thoughts on some of the lessons for this Sunday - Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9  

 (we’ll start with Acts -)

+ Pentecost – or Festival of Weeks – the end of the spring harvest, the beginning of the growing season.  The disciples go from eyewitnesses to participants.

+ structure

  -vs 1-13 identify the time and place, tell of the coming of the Spirit, and describe the crowd – devout Jews.

  -vs14-16 the miracle (of understanding) and the misunderstanding!  Nice bit of irony.

  -vs 17-21 Peter correlates the events with Old Testament prophecy.

+ Peter’s speech: 1) only those who know Jesus understand.  But knowledge is not priviledge, but a call to proclaim.  2) Christians have a unique perspective on time – this is the beginning of “the last days”.  Marty Reinhardt has a poem about how “we” (Native Americans) live in a circle and spiral through time”  How are these two perspectives different?

+ “moving forward into new dimensions of being whose basic forms are clear, but whose fulfillment has yet to be realized” - ?

+ “each one” participated or witnessed, but not all believed.

+ in Joel the signs point to “end/disaster”; Peter says signs point to new beginning.

+ significance of being in Jerusalem – like Zechariah and John the Baptist

+ “All” who call upon…  prefigures the mission to the Gentiles?

 (and then Genesis -) 

+ just because I like the word “bitumen”! - not sure exactly what it is, but I like the sound of it.

+ tension between urban and nomad way of life.  Interesting that the Bible starts with a garden and ends with a city.  What thought does that call up in your mind?

+ here God separates and confuses, in Acts God unites and clarifies.

+ how is one common language good, how is it dangerous?

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b  

+ looking at the whole psalm, 1-4 God and heavens, 5-13 God and earth, 14-23 God and humans, 24-30 “all”, 31-35 joy – divine and human.

+ all comes from God, is sustained by God, finds it’s fulfillment in God

+ note 35a is invective against evil – it brings the psalm into the realm of morality

+ “last days” linked to God’s power in creation

+ the present reality and the ideal future come together in vs 30a and 30b

+ “nature does not exist to serve people, but to praise, and be a way to praise, God.  Ecology, economy, and theology are inseparable

Romans 8:14-17 

+ “joint heirs with Jesus we travel this sod, we’re part of the family, the family of God.”

+ that’s all I got in this one.

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

+ more farewell discourse, this time about the Spirit

+ the Spirit comes on Easter evening in John

+ the Spirit 1) is an advocate/counselor; 2) is Truth; 3) is sent by the Father; and 4) sets the disciples/church apart from the world, culture.  Church cannot take it’s cues from the culture.

+ how is Jesus’ Easter leave-taking the same/different from his Pentecost (or Ascension) leave-taking

+ “If you ask in my name….”

+ “If you love me, keep my commands…”

+ “My peace I leave with you…”  What does “my peace” mean to you?

That’s what I got for now…..

Comments are moderated – by me – and may take a day to appear