Looking At the Lectionary Passages

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That's DEFINITEly what she meant. :ROFLMAO:

And I'd actually put indefinite articles in there. "A way, A truth, A life".

But that, of course, is playing games with the text and not engaging the text. The text is:

Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή

Those are definitely definite articles. To substitute indefinite articles (or to leave the article out altogether) is presenting a dishonest translation of the text which is then easily shot down.

You should honestly engage with what the text means by saying by "the way, the truth and the life" rather than just pretending that it doesn't say that.
 
How could we be so definite about something when there's this attitude that demos should lack knowledge and support the naivete scene (dull, ignorant and innocent lam') ... B' as it is time runs out without us having a clue ... tis a rite of passage when demos have it beaten out of them ... by what? ... dictation! So it is said in opinionism being on the right ... leaving all else latent and deep ...

To rise after the implosion is the nature of Phoenix ... the enemy of pure desirada ... Phoe's ... a nick off the old bat! Rising heat? Thus Helen's duncan with that funny fluid ... ectoplasm ... an odd essence that's tacky!

It is stated that thought is generally unseen ... thus occult in the populace! That'd be the nature of bete noire ... cover-up and all that! Well! we just don't know ... demands lapse of emotional times ... retain the calm! Difficult brae in storm ... some see it as strom ... and thus the BUZZ 'n ohm 've resistance to ultimate knowledge ... soude there! Expect losses, sacrifices and other gaps as the flame feints ...

Libra (freedom) from intelligence ... give it a passover to learn what it is like to lose it ... what? Still Alice it may not be an adequate grip ... a'pistol IHC shot grasping at spectres! Delugion, or just part of the emotional slip de Luce*heh an item?

I have accepted great powers have almost perfectly stripped the commoner ... completely of mine das the thing ...

Thus Shadowy conscience is all that remains ... what's Left!
 
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But that, of course, is playing games with the text and not engaging the text. The text is:

Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή

Those are definitely definite articles. To substitute indefinite articles (or to leave the article out altogether) is presenting a dishonest translation of the text which is then easily shot down.

You should honestly engage with what the text means by saying by "the way, the truth and the life" rather than just pretending that it doesn't say that.

Sure, but I wasn't talking about "the text". I was talking about how it came to be "the text". If I'm a random scribe making notes at one of Jesus' talks, or memorizing his key words for an oral re-telling, I'm going to note down, or memorize, "way, truth, life", without articles. The articles are a theological statement; no guarantee that they are the identical statement to what Jesus actually made.
 
There is one way, one truth and one life. Some approach from the East, some from the South, some from the West and some from the North.

Moving from the centre to the circumference opens to many directions. Turning from the circumference to the centre opens to one direction.
 
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My selected texts for Sunday, February 2, are:

Psalm 84:5-8 / Hebrews 2: 14-18 / Luke 2: 25-40

Here are my first impressions after reading the texts for next Sunday:

The Psalm speaks about the blessing that follows trust in the sufficiency of God. We notice that it is within us that the path to heaven resides. This interior world is rich with blessings that bring forth life. The Psalm ends with a prayer expressing desire to be united with God.

Hebrews lets us know that Jesus was a human being just like us. In facing death on the cross and accepting this as the will of God Jesus takes away the fear of death which has the whole world in bondage. This fear of death is stimulated by the presence of a divisive spirit. This traces back to the garden of Eden and the temptation of Adam and Eve. From that point human being has been divided from God by the hunger for power. We are reminded that Jesus was human in every way. As he faced death without fear we too may follow in faith, trusting that death leads to resurrection. Jesus continues to be present with us by the Holy Spirit.

Luke speaks about two elderly persons who welcome the appearing of the baby Jesus. Each has heard from the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the one who will bring change. That change overcoming the darkness of the time and opening to new possibility. We are wise to remember that salvation has to do with life on earth as it is in heaven. God’s desire is for us to follow Jesus and accomplish the work of revival and renewal. Like the two persons, we find hope in the presence of Jesus. Through Jesus what was lost will be found. That being the true meaning and purpose of our human being.
Here are the words I spoke Sunday morning:

 
Here are the passages I have selected for Sunday, February 9:

Isaiah 58: 1-8 / 1 Corinthians 2: 1-8 / Matthew 5: 13-16

And, here are my first impressions:

The Isaiah reading calls us to be unreserved in our commitment to sharing the word of God. This begins by making clear that the people of faith have failed to be responsible to the hope of justice. This though they have many religious practices and imagine themselves to be in agreement with the way of God. Some complain that God does not seem to notice their religious devotion. God makes plain that there is one thing required. That is to serve the way of liberation for those who are oppressed by the existing systems of governance and practice. Doing so will bring forward light and healing.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul states that he did not come with fancy and high minded words or concepts. He makes clear that it is not our words that matter. It is the spirit in which we speak those words that communicates grace. Paul goes on to state that he is well able to intellectually explore the revelation of God in Jesus. This insight is not to be confused with the way of the present world order. Had the rulers of the land known the truth about God and salvation they would not have crucified Jesus.

Matthew reminds us that we bear the redemptive presence of God in and through all of our relations. We are compared to salt which seasons human life. If that salt looses its flavour there is no use for it. We are also compared to light that ought not be hidden but lifted high to shine bright for all to see. That light being expressed as dedicated effort to obtain and preserve justice, without which there can be no peace. This effort is not to bring us praise but to glorify the living God in the sight of all around us.
 
That Matthew passage always bugs me because it ignores an absolutely vital reality about salt. Salt doesn't lose it's saltiness. Ever. It's NaCl. It's intrinsic property is saltiness.
 
That Matthew passage always bugs me because it ignores an absolutely vital reality about salt. Salt doesn't lose it's saltiness. Ever. It's NaCl. It's intrinsic property is saltiness.

Maybe it is a salty metaphor ... actually something abstract? Imaginary networks! May these be conjured in conjugative powers ... bring people down ... related lapse!
 
That Matthew passage always bugs me because it ignores an absolutely vital reality about salt. Salt doesn't lose it's saltiness. Ever. It's NaCl. It's intrinsic property is saltiness.
You assume something. That the salt people are using is pure. It could be cut with other things (either intentionally or other minerals in the water evaporated to get the salt). If too adulterated it ceases to have the saltiness that is wanted/needed and so is useless.

THe ancients did not necessarily have the same understanding as we do.
 
I once did a sermon on how salt melts ice. It dawned on me about the following Tuesday that the people who lived in ancient Palestine may not have been terribly concerned with melting ice....
 
That Matthew passage always bugs me because it ignores an absolutely vital reality about salt. Salt doesn't lose it's saltiness. Ever. It's NaCl. It's intrinsic property is saltiness.
Its one of the more stable elements.....much like our faith in God should be. We cant live without it but we can have too much or too little.... I think Jesus was using salts qualities to point towards many things such as our spiritual life.
 
We did a yeoman's job of trying to unpack the Matthew this morning. As far as I was concerned, we didn't get far. Art, the emeritus, was trying to argue that the passage says exactly the opposite of what it does: that, in fact, the Law/Torah, is still in place. In the end, I flung up my metaphorical hands and decided that "how it was speaking to me today" was "try to be good". *sigh*

Also, though, we did conclude that salt was one of those elements that must be there in the correct proportion. Too little and it will do nothing; too much, it will destroy the dish.
 
How to be good in a world ... where the leaders play and opposing rule so as to support winners and depress further the losers ... and the economist wonder why business is unstable ...

In a word chaotic perspectives about the whole thing as an integrated network ... but much is black and thus absent or unseen ... blind faith?

Don't look all Ice ... you'll go flakey ... that senile sentience as the void saponified ... thus the wash ... dark and poor no graphics ... just a feeling! Nash Waac ... can knock one into an altered state ... muddier rivers!

Some struggle to get the other side of it ... para sites? Individual and wonderfully made isolationists ... until lonely! Man kine ... ghost heard ...
 
Have been away from this thread for a bit. Time to resume. My selected texts for Sunday, March 22, are:

John 9: 1-16 / Ephesians 5: 8-14 / Psalm 23

These are my first impressions:

Greetings! Looks like we are in a challenging time. This will require us to hold fast to our faith and look to God for security and hope for good outcomes. Many groups and organizations are cancelling their scheduled gatherings. This includes Churches, Synagogues and Mosques. I am not sure about next steps for those of us who gather at the Big Red Church. I will stay tuned and go with the consensus.
The texts for this week speak about the recovery of sight. John presents a man who was blind from birth. The disciples are curious as to the cause of this blindness. Jesus responds by telling them that looking for the cause is not at issue. Rather, the blind man presents opportunity for the grace of God to be revealed. Jesus makes it plain that people of faith are to express the grace of God. That grace being found in Jesus who is presented as the light of the world. This is followed by Jesus enacting an action and giving the blind man an instruction. This leads to the blind man being made able to see. Witnesses are not sure about what has happened. The man with restored sight responds by explaining the action of Jesus. That man is then taken to be examined by representatives of the religious establishment. They find fault with Jesus because the restoration of sight took place on a Sabbath. It seems they were more concerned with keeping religious rituals than seeing the presence of God at work among us. Basically, the restoration of the blind man’s sight became the centre of a divisive conversation.
The Ephesians text speaks about the darkness which had people captive. This was changed by the liberating presence and activity of Jesus. We are encouraged to live in the light. That light is presented as words and deeds that effect good and make truth manifest. It is offered as an alternative to the works of darkness which bring no good. We are made aware that there are persons and groups who are shaped by the dark. These are exposed by the appearing of God’s light. This awakening to the light is compared to resurrection from the dead. The text offers us metaphors related to the presence of truth and error. Error being portrayed as darkness and truth as light. We are encouraged to walk in the light and in this way bring blessing to the earth and its peoples.
Then there is Psalm 23. This is one of the clearest expressions of total confidence in the goodness of God. Each line expresses confidence even when times are challenging in the extreme. Fear is cast out by trust in the presence of God within our hearts. We are made able to walk through life’s most serious challenges with confidence and without fear. This seems very fitting in our present global circumstance. Fear is knocking at the door of our hearts. We are wise to not let it enter and diminish the goodness of life revealed in the grace of God.
 
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