Sunday 22 August 2021(’00) 21stSunday in Ordinary Time: B
1. Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18
- Read 24:1-28! The ScechemCovenantRitual narrative! That defined TheGod! ‘Yahweh TheOneWho BringsTheSlaveOutFromEgyptForFreedom!’ The Leadership! ‘TheJoshuaGroup, who publicly Declare-for Yahweh!’ TheFirstCommandment! ‘PutAwayotherGods! Cling Totally To YahwehAlone!’
- ‘Covenant!’ Ritual structure that celebrated&confirmed in specific places & ways & times, the mutual obligation that underpin the realities of religion and politics!
- What 9 ‘Riruals are definitive of my social&religious&political&personal web?
- In my complex world, what, above all, does ‘Serving Yahweh’ imply&demand?
2. THE PSALM 33:2-3, 16-23
- Read 33(34) 1-22 What is ‘Evil?’ & Why is’ Yahweh’ so against it?
- What if ‘Evil,’ biblically is behaviour that represents and promotes TheotherGods (as reflected in the ten commandments), and ‘Justice’what represents Yahweh?
- But is Yahweh powerful enuff to ‘protect HisOppressedFaithful,’ or to ‘ destroy EvilDoers &theirRemembrance?’
- What gives reality to ‘Yahweh?’ except what Jesus did :Dangerously Embody Him!
3. EPH 21-32
- What is the cumulative affect of receiving these important biblical writings pick ‘n’ mix piecemeal, often in a lah-di-dah delivery, & usually fatuously glossed?
- What is he drawing on (anthropologically philosophically etc) for his opinions here?
- Would an adequate extended imaginative collaborative properly-resourced holistic exploration among married people make any difference to them?
4. JHN 6: 60-69
- Read 6: 1-71! Glimpse how this grows out of a preoccupation with bread?
- Why does the language of Jesus’ Teaching seem more tolerable to us? Phrases like, ‘eating
- HisFlesh,’ drinking HisBlood?’ Were those who objected then, just stupid?
- What if the truly-scandelous core of HisTeaching is hidden or concealed from me?
- In what ways does Peter’s ‘Confession-ofFaith’ mitigate the problem, if at all?
- ‘Belief/Faith!’: My total existence rooted in ThePriorities&Behaviours of Jesus!
- Having ‘ offeredHisFlesh,’ why does He then turn & emphasise ‘TheSpirit!’
- What, above anything else, either seems to undermine, or to deepen, my’ Faith?’
5. The presence and action of TheBlessedOne, is it like this?
‘Simon, I continually wonder about you, your faith in TheLord…’
‘You mean you envy me, Yochanaan, the honour bestowed on a fisherman from Capernaum!’
‘The honour you refer to, Simon, was as much a snare, or at least a testing-of- faith, as anything else! & In my seeing-of-it, you deluded yourself, & tried to delude TheMaster, that your protestations of faith were truth!’ & You of course,Ii say it again! Fawning on Themaster, trying to push me aside, worming into HisBosom! Embarrassing really to all of us!’
‘Simon! Your own words betray your heart’s dark intent like Haman&Achitophel!’ & How can I not compare your own heart’s churnings with the squalid contrivances of Jezebel (I spit) against Elijah the Tishbite?’ ‘Simon! Have we faithfully endured TheRitual-of-PurgatedMind?’
‘Yes! &Have we, Yochanaan?’
‘Yes!’ ‘Peace then!’ ‘Yes, peace, peace!!’
6. THE RIDDLE
Regarding the ‘realJesus,’ which do I seem to do?
TotalEmbrace, HedgeMyBets, ThrowSandIn TheAir, WalkAway?
Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie