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Lectionary Notes - Fourth Sunday after
Pentecost
(view sermon
or sermon or sermon
for this text)
Readings for
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, 7/2/06:
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, Psalm 130, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15,
Mark 5:21-43
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27:
- David laments the deaths of both Jonathan, who he loved dearly, and Saul,
who spent a lot of time trying to kill David. Could you give someone like Saul
such a lament? Apparently, David was sympathetic to the obvious psychological
distress Saul seemed to be in over David's rise to power.
- "greatly beloved were you to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing
the love of women" David and Jonathan are constantly expressing their love for
one another. What was their relationship like, do you think? Today, we don't
encourage such emotional expressions from men, especially directed at other
men.
Psalm 130:
- A favorite Psalm. My favorite
musical setting of this Psalm is the John Rutter Requiem, performed
occasionally by my childhood-church.
- Out of the depths - what are the
depths from which you call to God? Do you remember to call to God from your
lowest low?
- This psalm shows a great faith
and hope in God's grace and forgiving mercy, unlike some psalms that are more
bent on vengeance: "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord , who could
stand?" It is a nice change.
- wait, wait, wait the psalmist
says. I've read statistics before about how many years of our life we
spending waiting in line for things. How much of your life do you spend
waiting on God? Are you more patient about waiting in line for concert tickets
than you are about waiting for God?
- Relate this Psalm to the text
from 2 Samuel. They are both laments. Do you lament to God?
2 Corinthians
8:7-15:
- Paul 'butters up' the Corinthians, telling them they excel in everything
else already, so no doubt they will excel in following the teachings he gives
now.
- :11 "finish doing it" - Good advice for the church. How often do we get
fired up with new ideas, new hope, new visions for our church, only to run out
of steam and energy and creativity before we follow through?
- Paul is talking about a deep generosity - "your present abundance and
their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there
may be a fair balance." Fair balance - do we have much of that today in terms
of abundance and need? Hardly!
Mark 5:21-43:
- Synagogue leaders weren't always welcoming to Jesus and his teaching - and
yet Jairus humbles himself and turns to Jesus in need. When was the last time
you had to humble yourself?
- The woman knows just being near to Jesus, touching him, will bring her
healing. Can you imagine her faith?
- The KJV of the Bible calls the young girl in this passage a "damsel." I
just can't picture Jesus saying damsel, can you?! :)
- "something to eat" - the eating in passages like this is a sign confirming
she's really alive and really human, not some spirit.
- The little girl's perspective is one we never get - we hear from everyone
else. What do you think she was thinking when she was raised? Have you ever
had a near-death experience?
Pastor’s Note: (I use the Greek-English
Lexicon from Liddell and Scott, the “little Liddell”
and the Metzger et. al Greek New Testament in my translation work.)
Lectionary
Notes are from Rev. Beth Quick.
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