By the Well

The Israelites’ journey to freedom in Exodus is hard and their complaints understandable. The providence of God dominates the passage. God hears and responds to the people, providing what they need and testing their willingness to trust him into the future. God offers equity not ‘equality’ as we understand it, and how that can rile (cf Matthew reading). We note the distinctly political power of this passage, and also the way it may be a metaphor for journeys of faith.

The Matthew parable disturbs simplistic notions of grace, challenging us to see the chosenness of the workers, and the work they are to do, as part of the blessing, not just the payment as that blessing/reward. Our ideas of ‘justice’ and how God should operate are undone. There is liberation in the passage about how we understand our work (for God) – here and now as the Kingdom has dawned.

Walter Bruggemann’s work on the myth of scarcity:

https://www.religion-online.org/article/the-liturgy-of-abundance-the-myth-of-scarcity/

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Sean Winter, Head of Pilgrim Theological College and Pauline scholar, sits down with Robyn to discuss the themes and setting of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. After some general overview we discuss possible preaching themes in each of the four weeks that Philippians appears in the Year A lectionary – Phil 1:21-30; 2:1-13; 3:4b-14; and 4:1-9. It’s a crash course on the letter to the Philippians!

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Themes of divine power, liberation, creation and salvation weave throughout the Exodus text. We talk about the ways the Crossing of the Red/Reed Sea has been used by oppressed communities to speak into their hope of freedom, and we also name the real violence that is implicit in the story. We note the echoes of Genesis 1; emphasis in Exodus 14/15 isn’t on military victory/conflict, but rather the power of God to bring renewal in impossible circumstances.

In the Matthew passage we hear about the centrality of forgiveness to Christian life, as well as the importance of acknowledging sin and the need for consequences. We refer to confession of sin in our liturgy, and the message of the gospel that we are a forgiven people. We grapple with the reality that those we’ve wronged are not ready/able to forgive. We point to Jesus as the one who embodies the gift of forgiveness but who labours still under the effects of sin – revealing God’s  promise of restoration while not denying the pain.

Miroslav Volf’s Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace. https://www.amazon.com.au/Free-Charge-Forgiving-Culture-Stripped/dp/0310265746

Link to conversation between Joel Baden and John Collins on Exodus 14-15.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brS1ouEUml0

Link to Obama speech here: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/03/21/remarks-president-barack-obama-people-israel

Brene Brown podcast on apologies:  https://brenebrown.com/podcast/harriet-lerner-and-brene-im-sorry-how-to-apologize-why-it-matters/

Bill Loader joins the podcast this week to help unpack Matthew’s advice in resolving Christian conflict without gossiping (Mt 18:15-20). We discuss the tension between forgiveness and judgment in this section of Matthew’s Gospel, between holding offenders accountable and the ongoing demand to love them.

Exodus 12 tells the story of Passover, a story that undergirds both ancient and living rituals that are foundational for Jewish identity and speak about the liberating love of God. We point out that the Passover lamb is not a sin sacrifice, but a symbol that protects and frees. Such theological images are applied to Jesus’ death in the NT.

Bill Loader’s Lectionary resources page:  http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/lectionaryindex.html

Joel Baden’s Exodus Book.  https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691169545/the-book-of-exodus

Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush is a both a theophany and call story. We note that Moses wasn’t looking for God, rather God took the initiative and sought him out. We unpack the mysterious and playful I AM name for God, and highlight its uniqueness as a verb. God’s dynamic character comes through in God’s numerous actions (hearing, observing, delivering, being with) with and for God’s people. 

In the Matthew passage we see Peter’s first action as the ‘new rock’ is to misunderstand the nature of Jesus’ messiahship. We ask what it is to deny oneself, and how misunderstandings of this have served to oppress minority groups. We talk about Jesus cross being the cross which defines which crosses we bear. Moses’ call and Jesus and Peter’s conversation highlight the limits of worldly wisdom: that the freedom God offers- ‘finding one’s life’- involves going to Egypt or Jerusalem to challenge injustice, enslavement and death, thereby risking one’s own death. 

Raquel St Clair, Call and Consequences – https://www.booktopia.com.au/call-and-consequences-racquel-a-st-clair/book/9780800639020.html

Fleming Rutledge And God Spoke to Abraham: Preaching from the Old Testament – https://www.amazon.com/God-Spoke-Abraham-Preaching-Testament/dp/0802866069

Joel Baden’s Exodus Book – https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691169545/the-book-of-exodus

Joel Baden and John Collins (Yale Divinity School) discuss Exodus – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJlvfYyHwhw

Themes of fear, power, enslavement, genocide, and hope for liberation begin early in Exodus setting the tone for what will follow. We focus on the midwives who use their domestic context and skills to thwart the plans of powerful men by rescuing Moses, much like Irena Sendler during WW2. 

We unpack some of the images in Matthew 16:13-20, a text which highlights the role of Peter and, metaphorically, the church in continuing the ministry of Jesus. We look at the church’s call to be a place of forgiveness, welcome, and life in the midst of death.

We refer to this video and this book on Exodus by Joel Baden.

Meg Warner unpacks the Joseph story through the lens of trauma, noting this is a turning point in the story where reconciliation occurs. We discuss Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 which crosses geographic, ethnic, religious, and purity boundaries. Despite their differences, Jesus recognises her faith and praises her for it in sharp contrast with the “little faith” the disciples showed in the previous story. We refer to Willie Jennings’ The Christian Imagination and explore how racism might function in this passage.

Meg Warner is author of  Tragedies and Congregations and Joseph: A story of Resilience.

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Meg Warner joins the podcast to talk about Joseph, favoritism, family dissension and trauma. We discuss how Joseph’s story is contradictory and ambiguous; that Joseph himself is an enigma – which attention to the nuances of his dreams illustrates. We note that though his story is as long as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s, Joseph is not put in their esteemed company – largely for political reasons. Focus on his brothers’ betrayal of Joseph highlights the rippling effects of trauma, at the personal, communal and global levels. We talk about the apocalyptic nature of the miracle in the Matthew reading, and the echoes of Genesis 1 and Exodus 32 which cast Jesus as both the new Moses and the great ‘I am’. Is it an epiphany? We note that Peter’s understanding of faith as obedience: he requested to be commanded to walk. Fear took over when he took his eyes from Jesus.

We mention Meg’s Tragedies and Congregations and Joseph: A story of Resilience, and Mary’ Trump’s Too Much is Never Enough.