By the Well

Robyn and Fran discuss David’s rape of Bathsheba and murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11:1-15) asking how God’s story might redeem our stories whether we be perpetrator or victim. David is ultimately confronted with his sin and Bathsheba claims her own authority as mother of the future king Solomon. We touch on the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 and explore the nuances of John’s version of the feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-21).

We refer to these articles on Working Preacher by Will Gafney and Gennifer Brooks as well as this article in the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. 

2 Samuel 7:1-14a,  Ephesian 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34 and 53-56 are all up for discussion this week. We revisit the covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7, a covenant of an everlasting throne for David and one that lies behind Jewish understandings of Messiah as standing in the royal line of David. When Jesus is called a “son of David” it is this covenant being evoked.

Ephesians 2:11-22 continues the theme of unity, but this time with an emphasis on peace between those who are different. It is a peace that is both spiritual and political. The passages from Mark 6 frame the feeding of the 5000 story and highlight the combined ministry and teaching and healing – word and deed together embody Jesus’ compassion.

We refer to Fleming Rutledge’s discussion of the “the blood of the sacrifice” in her book The Crucifixion and Gosnell Yorke’s “Hearing the Politics of Peace”

This week we look at the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and David’s joy in 2 Samuel 6:1-5; 12b-19. How might our worship, so often inhibited, reflect David’s joy?  We touch on the nuanced way the presence of God is described in 2 Samuel 6, and the ways people of faith can co-opt the presence of God for self interest. Ephesians 1:3-14 is a superb summation of the gospel, overflowing with grace and blessing – an opportunity to preach on baptism. Mark 6:14-29 is an exploration of Jesus’ identity, but it’s also, in the story of John’s beheading, a detailed description of the web of compromise, untruth and fear in which leaders can find themselves when seeking to sure up their power. What grace might there be in this story of darkness and death?

Our guest this week is Rev. Dr. Garry Worete Deverell, Trawloolway man, Anglican Priest, and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow in Indigenous Theologies at the University of Divinity.  We discuss the vision of King David as unifier and God’s chosen in 2 Sam 5:1-10, noting this is a narrative written by the victors and not without challenges.

2 Cor 12:2-10 and Mark 6:1-13 raise questions about limits and weaknesses in ministry, pointing us towards the need to rely on God and one another.

Garry Deverell blogs at Uncommon Prayers and his latest book is called Gondwana Theology: A Trawloolway man reflects on Christian Faith. 

Our guest this week is Rev. Dr. Garry Worete Deverell, Trawloolway man, Anglican Priest, and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow in Indigenous Theologies at the University of Divinity. We discuss themes of vulnerability and weakness in 2 Cor 8:7-15 and Mark 5:21-43 which accompany teaching of “genuine love” and moments of healing and faith. We also reflect on what the laments in 2 Sam 1:17-27 and Psalm 130 in terms of how Christians might continue to lament in helpful ways.

We refer to Musa Dube’s “Fifty Years of Bleeding” and this episode of the New Testament Review podcast discussing Candida Moss’s article on Mark 5.

Garry Deverell blogs at Uncommon Prayers and his latest book is called Gondwana Theology: A Trawloolway man reflects on Christian Faith.