By the Well

Sean and Fran continue a foray into Proverbs (1:20-33), where Wisdom is in the public square decrying those who obstinately refuse to adhere to her precepts;  James 3:1-2, where James warns against the havoc our tongue can cause, and that pivotal chapter in Mark 8:27-38 when Peter confesses Jesus as Messiah.  Themes of speaking, silence and truth echo throughout all the passages. James cautions against too much speaking, given we are capable of cursing and blessing sometime without realising – as Peter does in his technically correct identification of Jesus, but one he does not understand.

Sean Winter joins the co- host chair for Pentecost 15 where we focus on the nature of wisdom literature in  Proverbs (Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23) and the way this tradition is developed christologically by the writer of James (James 2:1-10 (11-13), 14-17). Both readings deal with partiality and favouritism; cautioning the faithful against favouring those who are rich and powerful, at the same time coercing the poor to believe they deserve their lowly status. Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark (Mark 7:24-37) is also about breaking down boundaries, this time between Jew and Gentile. We touch on the way this reading, in particular, challenges colonial understandings of mission.

Fran and Kylie explore the relationship between hearing and doing ‘the law of liberty’ in James 1:17-27, and reflect on the two emphases in the Jewish and Christian traditions of faith and works. We note that James may not be as anthropologically focused as it first appears. We re-engage with Mark’s gospel, where Jesus challenges his own tradition, and  note pitfalls in caricaturing the Pharisees in 7:1-8, 14-15, 22-23, and talk about the nuances in living tradition, change and faithfulness.

We explore themes of incarnation, belief and salvation in John 6:56-69, noting the pattern of rejection that Jesus experiences throughout chapter 6 as the twelve ‘come to believe and know’. We touch on how to talk about the particularity of Jesus and the universal invitation in John’s gospel, and highlight the inseparability of spirit and flesh in John’s understanding of Jesus, humanity and the whole world. Ephesians 6:6-10 invites a sermon on the imagery of battle, and how that might be reconceived – or not – today, in the call to live out the gospel in peace. Such is the liberation of the gospel that it compels us to speak in the power of the Spirit to whom and through whom we pray.

Howard Wallace joins Kylie and Fran to explore the end of David’s and beginning of Solomon’s reigns in 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14. We talk about the biased picture the lectionary provides of Solomon. We look at the call pattern evident in Solomon’s taking up the kingship and the model of leadership which 1 Kings portrays in him – seeking wisdom being a key feature. We touch on how the good news might be preached through historical narratives like 1 Kings. Psalm 111 provides a context for us to talk about the rich possibilities for preaching and liturgy which the psalms provide the church. We talk about their communal character, their context of worship and the way they plumb the depths and soar to the heights of human emotion.

We mention Howard’s books Words to God: Word of God, and Psalms: Readings – A New Biblical Commentary.

Howard Wallace’s homepage with Lectionary Commentary.

The Distillery Podcast (episode 14th May, 2021, The Wounds of the Soul) 

Bonhoeffer’s The Psalter: the Prayer Book of the Bible

Dorothy Lee joins Kylie and Fran to explore major themes in John 6, focusing on the gospel reading for the day (John 6:35,41-51), but taking in passages throughout the five weeks of John in the lectionary. We touch on the broader structure of this section of John’s gospel, and the relationship of John 6 to Passover and Exodus. Moving into key themes of eternal life, true bread, universalism and the invitation to believe.

We mention Dorothy’s book The Gospels Speak: Addressing Life’s Questions

A story from Thomas Merton’s collection The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers.

Listeners might also like to read Sara Miles’ Take this Bread.

Martin Wright joins Fran and Kylie to unpack the Letter to the Ephesians, focusing on Ephesians 4: 1-16. Martin talks about the issue of authorship, and the distinct way in which the Body of Christ imagery is used in Ephesians compared to other parts of the Pauline Corpus. We highlight the cosmic dimension of God’s gift in Christ,  the clarity of the calling to the church, and the hope the passage offers the church today.  In Nathan’s parable and David’s response in 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a we are given a lesson the way we are to listen to scripture; and in Psalm 51 we see David’s remorse and repentance fleshed out.

Martin Wright’s  recent book is  The Dividing Wall: Ephesians and the Integrity of the Corpus Paulinum