More Than Hearing

How many of you read the title and got a bit of a chill? It’s a classic line used in spooky stories, intended to thrill listeners with hints of disaster creeping up on them. So, why use it here, you may be wondering? Because it is very good advice! Not that there is anything horrible right behind you, but a common theme in this Sunday’s passages suggest that what has happened is firmly in the past and what matters most is what is right in front of you. We are frequently encouraged to remember God’s saving action – which is the foundation of our faith – but to spend too much time in the past limits our capacity to see what God is doing RIGHT NOW. As we get into the readings for this week, let the past be in the past and don’t look behind you.

Isaiah 43:16-21 [2:10] – The Lord is about to do a new thing that will spring forth – do you not perceive it? In our part of the country, spring is beginning to – well, spring. Trees and bushes are getting the telltale signs of sap running again, some crocuses and daffodils are poking up out of the dirt, and the birds are getting pretty aggressive. Nature is swinging back around to a productive time and after all the cold and snow, the signs are welcome. In Isaiah, water will replace dry land in a reverse Exodus and God will now be praised for leading the people back home. We have ideas for all eight smarts for Isaiah including taking some time during worship to clear cell phones of memory hogging clutter! How is God doing a new thing in your ministry? Can you perceive it?

Philippians 3:4b-14 [12:36] – If any passage in Scripture illustrates the advice not to look back, it is this portion of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. If anyone had any reason to look back and celebrate his glorious achievements, it was Paul – as he lists in the first verses. He had been on a path that would lead him to fantastic heights in his career; he was dedicated, determined, zealous, ready to do anything necessary to further God’s kingdom. Then, he met Jesus. After that, all that he had been and all that he had done was nothing to him. Building on this encounter, Paul encourages the Philippians to consider the great value of knowing Jesus. By using marathon runners, balance sheets, and a dry erase board, we hope you will be able to provide the same opportunity for your people.

John 12:1-8  [21:14] – Looking into the future is a bit tough in this passage because it is six days before the Passover and seven days before Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and crucifixion. Considering the pain that is about to rain down, going on takes great stamina and trust. Yet, what is the alternative? Going back into the past at this point means that Jesus came for no reason. Going back into the past means that we have no options for living differently. Staying in the old story means that God is not doing a new thing and there really is no reason to sing praises. The smell of outrageously expensive ointment permeates this house and this passage and our understanding of just how costly Jesus coming to us really was. What does forgiveness smell like? What does resurrection smell like? What does the future smell like?

Kids playing in water fountains

A study about animal gratitude

2014 National Average Wage Index

Average working days in the USA

A Greek litra

Got Nard? (Actually 10 ml, not 1/10 ml as David said in the show.)

John 12:1-8 Reader’s Theatre

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” ~ T. S. Eliot, The Little Gidding, 1942

We pray that your Lenten explorations are bringing you to interesting places, shaping your heart and ministry in service, and preparing you for the celebration of Easter. In the passages for Lent this Sunday, we see how God repeatedly prepares the people for a return – to their home, their senses, their hearts, their God. The journey through Lent is meant to be a time to make ready, and we hope that you are not too hard pressed by this trip. Sometimes, Lent whips by and you discover yourself in Holy Week wondering how you got there so quickly from Ash Wednesday, and other times Lent seems to stretch out like driving across Kansas. “Are we there yet?” we may moan. Either way, these lessons show us how the act of turning towards home itself shapes us; the destination pulls as the experience molds. When we get home, we are new people who see the place with fresh eyes.

Joshua 5: 9-12 [2:12] – The people are coming home! After 40 years of wilderness wandering, they prepare themselves to re-enter the land promised to Abraham. We look at the celebration of the Passover – including putting together the elements for a Seder plate and considering how traditions come to be and how they do (or don’t) reflect God’s glory. We explore what God means by “rolling away the disgrace of Egypt” for both the ancient Hebrews and us. Once the people enter the land and begin to eat the produce of it, the manna God had provided stopped coming. In a very clear way, God is telling the people “You are home, now, and it’s time to make this home.” How are we at home with God in our daily living?

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 [10:11] – How do we see other people on the journey with us? I suppose that depends on how far along we are, what’s currently happening, and our own levels of endurance. Paul writes to his beloved Corinthians that because of what God did for us through Jesus, we have the capacity to see fellow travelers through the eyes of heaven and not road weary fatigue. Not only do we have this new capacity to see as Jesus did, but we are ourselves made new. The trials of the trip no longer have the power to crush us anymore. We will be shaped by them because the pressures are still forces, but through the grace of God and the guidance of the Spirit we will arrive in a form designed by God to be used as ambassadors of reconciliation. Using the ideas in eye smart, how can you bring a new perspective (understanding) to your congregation’s vision?

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 [20:51] – But what about the people who did not leave home? What is their response to seeing the returnees? For the father in Jesus’ parable the response is earth quaking, heaven moving joy. For the older brother the response is — not so joyful. A bit resentful, as a matter of fact. We explore this passage with questions about how extreme hunger impacted the younger brother’s body (and mind/spirit) and how seeing his emaciated form approaching the homestead pulsed through his father and older brother. Since this is such a familiar story, David used his verse making skillz and put the entire thing in verse form. Look for it below! How might the father’s joy of having his family reunited be best interpreted for your congregation? And is this joy a precursor to the joy of Easter?

Bible Hub’s definition for the word disgrace

Bible Hub’s definition for regard and reconcile

Magic Eye pictures

Examples of shadow art

Terraforming Mars and Venus

Becoming “sin” in order to save – clip from Matrix Revolutions

A story about a man named Bob Fletcher who saved three farms for Japanese Americans during WW2 without any thought to his own reward. Contrast this with the elder brother’s attitude.

David’s Prodigal Son Rap:Epic Doggerel

We’ve been swamped with our day jobs and some personal things that needed our attention, so we are way behind this week. Here’s the short form of the show notes, so we can get the show published. We’ll try to update the notes with more good stuff soon. Thanks for your patience.

Isaiah 55:1-13 [2:16]- Okay, post-exilic call to repentance. Don’t waste your time and resources on what doesn’t satisfy. God is in control and knows more than you do. Try doing things God’s way. Then even nature itself will rejoice! So, listening, feasting, leadership, and atmosphere.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 [11:21]- This one gave us fits, at least for starters. Paul compares the Hebrews’ wilderness wanderings with Moses to the Corinthians’ experience in Christ as a negative example. Don’t be like them! he urges. Learn from their example. So, instructions, baptisms, clown shoes, yoga, and not desiring evil. … It will make sense when you listen to the show.

Luke 13:1-9 [19:47]- Jesus tackles the question of random acts of violence and devastation. At first it doesn’t sound like a very logical response, and maybe it isn’t. It’s an urgent response, calling for all to repent, but you just never know. Also, a fig tree that doesn’t give figs. Are you sensing a theme yet? So, figs and sin, the Venn diagram avocado of sinners (see below), be the tree, and digging around the tree imagery.

(I realized later that our understanding of this passage was helped a lot by a commentary by Jill Duffield at Presbyterian Outlook, which we didn’t actually say in the recording. So thanks and sorry, Jill!)

“Get out of the water!” – Brody in Jaws

Acrostic poems

Hymn The Trees of the Field

Felix Baumgartner’s free fall space jump from 127,000 feet

Diagram of the layers of earth’s atmosphere

The Fixx – Stand or Fall  (not in the show, but a good ear worm)

About figs in Israel

And more Israeli figs

Lent is turning out to be gray, cold, damp and sloggy in this part of the world. Heaps of snow still stand in shadows, and we are currently receiving rain that is melting them but then freezing into blocks of ice at night. We aren’t sure if it is the weather outside affecting our creativity or the challenge of the passages themselves for this Sunday in Lent, but we struggled to find illustrations and special effects this week. Maybe it was the odd dream that Abram had in Genesis or the unusual conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees in Luke, but we spent some time scratching our heads before finally diving in. And here is the challenge with using this theory – sometimes the passages open up like a flower fully in bloom, ready and willing to give ideas to eager preachers buzzing around them. Other times, the passages are like a hard nut sitting in the cold ground that require perseverance and sharp teeth to crack the hull. Either way, I can’t wait for spring.

On a technical note, this week are adding timestamps [in brackets like this] to the show notes so it will be easier for you to find the material in the audio file. Let us know if there are other improvements that would help by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.

Rather than include the Psalm for this Sunday, we decided to add our special feature, “Smart of the Week”, this time highlighting People Smart. We’ve done a lot with this intelligence throughout this podcast, mostly because of the ease of having a group of people sitting right there in the pews. The challenge of using this built-in test sample is to find ways to engage this intelligence that are not too high risk (keeping in mind the introverts in the group), or too easy (so as to offer an “opt out” mentality). Illustrations and special effects that use contemporary groups your people encounter frequently and situations in which they regularly find themselves put the Scripture text onto their lives – trying it on for size, so to speak. Using this intelligence creatively can spill over into fellowship and study opportunities outside of worship, reinforcing ideas presented in the sanctuary. This particular smart is a great way to offer your people a chance to practice their lived-out theology with one another and gain confidence to practice it out in the world.

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 [04:48]  – “Are we there yet?” Do you hear the impatient frustration in that question? Do you remember asking it? Do you remember answering it? Long, drawn out road trips can be trying to everyone – we left a bazillion years ago, and we have been cooped up in this car forever, and we only stop for emergencies, and I’ve read this book before, and she’s touching me, and I know there is a destination in mind but Good Grief how much longer must we endure all this –  I suspect that Abram might have been feeling a bit of this as God comes to him in a vision and tells him not to fear, his reward will be great. Abram has been in a relationship with this God who called him from his homeland for a long time and the promise of offspring has not yet come to pass. Being an older man, he knows that the clock is ticking and the time for realistically having a biological child with his wife Sarai is quickly coming to an end. How much longer God? So, God takes him out to look at the night sky (which in those days must have been spectacular since there was no light pollution) and tells him to count those stars, if you can. I can hear a gentle laugh in God’s directions – God knows how many stars there are, and God knows how much longer until the destination is reached. “We’ll get there when we get there.” 

Philippians 3:17-4:1 [13:00] – If Paul were with us today, he would have this coffee mug on his desk in his office. And, he would give one to each of the Christians in Philippi, too! I think that for Paul, the past is a strong foundation on which we live as we look forward to Jesus’ redemption of all our time. In this selection from his letter, he warns his beloved flock that holding too tightly to the customs of the past can derail the present journey. Keep moving, he seems to be saying to them and us. Know who and whose you are but don’t let the past be an anchor that stops momentum. Keep pressing on! I also suspect that if Paul were with us today as a coach, he would have a few champions he could take credit for! In what ways can you encourage your congregation to tread lightly with their traditions so as to keep God’s Spirit in Jesus flowing freely in your life together? 

Luke 13:31-35 [20:43] – The Greek verb thelo is used three times in this passage (see link below). Jesus hears from the Pharisees that Herod wants to kill him. Jesus wants to gather Jerusalem in a loving embrace similar to a hen gathering her chicks. Jerusalem wants nothing to do with Jesus. Desire motivates humans all the time, and sometimes, we get what we want. (Other times, we get what we need.) Yet, underlying all our desire is God’s desire, present from the beginning, that we belong to God. How we react to this desire depends on many factors, including our readiness to be wanted. In the people smart illustrations and special effect, we present ways to explore how being open to God’s intended desire does or doesn’t happen in life. What other smarts can you tap into to explore God’s consistent desire for us and our willingness to receive it? 

Addendum: This is way too late for the podcast itself, but we got to thinking about how a catalyst in a chemical reaction can be an agent that assists in boding two other agents. This is analogous to God’s constant desire and our hit-and-miss response to it. What do we need to make the connection?

Is it Just My Imagination – Running Away with Me?

I Ain’t Too Proud to Beg that My Girl be Treated Like a Lady.

Due to an accident that totaled our car and has kept me confined to limited movement for the past week, we decided to give the Transfiguration a pass. We’ll both still be preaching on it this Sunday, but the podcast is moving on to Lent. We apologize for this and hope to cover those readings at a later date.

Meanwhile, the passages for the First Sunday in Lent, Year C, offered up a lot of riches. It was a bit like turning on a faucet – the ideas just flowed. We have something to offer for each smart and are very excited about how they all intermingle with one another. If you have been using this theory in your planning, you may also have been energized to see how one idea for one smart for one passage sometimes echoes in other smarts not just in the same reading but in the others, as well. We have a lot of cross pollination this week! Let’s go see.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 – In this passage, the people are getting ready to enter (or return to) the land that God had promised to Abraham’s descendants. Moses does not want the people to forget what they have gone through in the wilderness nor the reason for being there in the first place. When it comes time for the first harvest, Moses tells them, take the first yield of your crops to the priests and offer it to God. He also gives them a liturgical formula to use as they do it. I have read this passage many times before, but maybe because I am now looking at Scripture with eyes for intelligences, I saw the people coming forward, one by one, with their arms laden with food. I saw them prayerfully laying their gifts before God and then turning away to go back to their lives – hopefully with hearts full of gratitude for God’s actions. So, since I could see that, David and I decided to write a liturgy that gives our congregations the chance to walk in our ancestors’ footsteps. Look for the Offering Liturgy on the resources page and consider using it for your people. How might bringing our offering forward on the first Sunday of Lent echo through our lives for the rest of the season?

Psalm 91:1-2; 9-16 – As you may have discovered already, I tend towards music. A lot. (I had to limit myself to only a few of The Temptations hits up above, or I would have lost all focus on the purpose of these show notes!) Yet, as I began reading this Psalm, the anthem/hymn “On Eagles’ Wings” popped into my head and would not leave. In 1978, Michael Joncas wrote “On Eagles’ Wings” taking the language directly from Psalm 91. Whether you like the anthem or not, it has become very familiar to congregations over the past 30 years or so. The choir at David’s church sang this in worship the first Sunday back after Christmas. We heard the first few measures of the song and both of us thought, “Oh, this one,” but by the time the choir had finished, we were both looking for tissues. Of course, there is more to this psalm than a popular anthem/hymn and we found some other ideas, including security and trust. What prominent images come to your mind when you read this psalm?

Romans 10:8b-13 – We’ve discovered we can truly rely on Paul to provide opportunities for exploring Math smarts! I often think that if Paul had been around in our era, he would have been either a law professor or an engineer. Most of what he writes is laid out so precisely – of course that was the pattern for apologists – and stands up well for modern thinkers. This reading does not lend itself to numbers or formulas, but does fit the pattern for resolutions – i.e., whereas, whereas, whereas, and whereas, therefore. It’s easy to get lost in Paul’s logic (both for its complexity and for its extensiveness), but he also includes vivid images of the body, as well. Speech, confession, lips, hearts, and calling on God fill out the categories of word, body, and self smart. This passage also echoes with the trust and salvation we saw in both Deuteronomy and the Psalm. What other connections do you see and how can you help your congregation into the deep waters of Paul’s thought?

Luke 4:1-13 – The Synoptic Gospels all include this story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Luke re-arranges the order of the second and third temptations and we discovered that the timeline of Jesus’ days apart varied a bit. In Luke, the wording suggests that Jesus was tempted for the full forty days he was out there and at the end, the devil hit him with these three specific tests. I had never noticed that before, and it makes what Jesus went through more intense and a lot more like an ordeal. Not that going without food forty days isn’t intense and an ordeal, but to have the devil at him the entire time makes it seem that much more harsh. The conditions of the wilderness – the danger to human life – connects with the dangers found in the Psalm. Jesus forty days in the wilderness echoes the Hebrews forty years in the Deuteronomy passage. And, all four passages for this week center around the issue of trust and salvation. What other links do you see among them?

Word Smart

Nature Smart

People Smart – links to Black History Month in the USA

Music Smart

Nature Smart

Body Smart

Self Smart

Body Smart

Nature Smart

People Smart

I See What You Did There

We are a little slap happy this week – we spent a several hours over the past two days moving hundreds of cubic feet of snow off our driveway. Thanks, Snowzilla! As we were shoveling, our music devices ran out of batteries at about the same time, so we hashed out some ideas for the passages for this week. We have some ideas for Eye Smart for three of the passages and Math Smart makes some appearances this week, too! The Psalms are always a home for Music Smart – we have a few suggestions. In 1972, Hal Hopson wrote a hymn that comes right out of the Corinthians passage called “Though I May Speak” using an old English folk melody. Also in the Corinthians passage, we cover an engineering term called deformation. I learned something with this one!

This week we have a huge Links section; many ideas for advocacy, ideas for using film clips to illustrate how “speaking truth” is hugely challenging but oh so necessary, and a way to make a Roman arch using a potato. Really. Please look them over, use what you can, and let them spark your own prophetic imagination. Have fun!

Jeremiah 1:4-10 – Do you remember your call to ministry? I do, vividly! In this passage, Jeremiah relates his call to be God’s prophet. As in most stories in the Bible about someone receiving a call from God, Jeremiah is initially resistant. “But I’m only a boy”, he insists. The thing about a call from God is that it comes to whom God wants, when God wants. It’s entirely possible that God could have waited for Jeremiah to grow up a bit, but God wanted Jeremiah at that time. God wanted Moses at that time, God wanted Mary at that time, God wanted Saul of Tarsus at that time. In today’s passage, God refuses to accept Jeremiah’s demurral and tells him that God’s own words would be in his mouth. What is more, he would be given the authority to oversee a time of upheaval and renewal for God’s people. How is God speaking through you to your people during times of upheaval or renewal?

Psalm 71:1-6 –  The Psalmist calls on God to be a rock of refuge, fully trusting God would comply. With hundreds of thousands of refugees in our world today seeking shelter, this prayer for deliverance is timely.  The images of shelter and protection in this psalm gave us the idea to use a large cardboard box to illustrate the effect of captivity on the human body and spirit. Being trapped in a small space could be tied in with the Jeremiah reading about the courage one needs to speak God’s word, too. If you choose to use this special effect, you may wish to issue a trigger warning to those in your congregation who have gone through or are going through their own captivity. However you choose to use this Psalm, emphasize the power of God to break chains and bring release.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – I’m listening to music from the 80’s as I write these show notes and the title of a hugely popular song that came from a hugely popular movie would be the perfect title for this passage. I’m not sure I want to give you an ear-worm, but if you think of Doc Brown, you’ll know what I mean. Sorry. At any rate, Paul continues to give instruction to the Corinthians in his letter, and today’s passage is about the nature of love. Show of hands as to how many have been asked to use this for a wedding? (Raises hand.) Or used it in your own wedding? (Raises hand.) It works for weddings when the preacher emphasizes the eternal quality of love, especially as God revealed it through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We utilize a math smart approach to talk about love’s lasting endurance and give you ideas for illustrations and special effects. How does your congregation manifest God’s power of love?

Luke 4:21-30 – As we tossed shovelful after shovelful of snow onto ever growing piles on the side of the driveway the other day, we spent a lot of time discussing this passage. We agree that while it is instructive about Jesus’ intention to move his ministry outside the boundaries of what was expected of him, it is also a bit shocking and frustrating as to why Jesus pushed back so hard at his hometown people. I wondered if it wasn’t because they referred to him as “Joseph’s son” – he had just been baptized and heard the Spirit of God refer to him as the “Beloved Son”. Maybe he was correcting them but goodness – why use a fire hose? David expressed frustration that this story is so out of character for Jesus, especially as his hometown experiences are quite different in Matthew and Mark. We suspect the context of the passage – the reason Luke has this hometown visit devolve into mob mentality – requires more exegesis than we did for this podcast. If you have any insights, we would love to hear them!

Eye Smart

Music Smart

Body Smart

Thanks be to God.

The third week of Ordinary time Year C (also known as Epiphany 3) brings us three passages about the word of God. Nehemiah 8 and Psalm 19 explicitly mention the word and its beauty and power while Luke’s passage is the story of Jesus preaching at his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. The Corinthians passage is a continuation of last week’s selection where Paul is stressing the reality and proper use of Spiritual gifts. We have chosen to pass over the Psalm this week in the interest of time but encourage you to take a look at the wealth of body and nature images running through it.

With the remaining passages, we continue to see how encountering God’s Word is never ordinary. Today’s passage in Nehemiah is the story of the people requesting that the word be read for them. Nehemiah turns to the priest and scribe Ezra to do so. The Psalm sings with joy about the wonder and beauty of the Law of God. Like last week, the Epistle and Gospel lessons are quite familiar – Paul’s letter to the Corinthians about using the gifts from the Spirit and Jesus comes home to Nazareth to lead worship. We have some interesting ideas for this week.  Let’s go see what we can do!

Before getting to the texts, we focus on Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, or Math Smart, for our recurring Smart of the Week feature, which is a way to understand more of how the multi-intelligence theory works in the lives of our congregations. Math Smart folks are naturally good with numbers in general and math in particular, but also logical constructions, arguments, and processes. Equations, charts, graphs, Boolean logic, categorizing, and ordering are all comfortable places for the math smart person to hang out.

Learn more about all the Smarts on our page about Dr. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence.

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 – When was the last time your congregation gathered together and asked you to read Scripture to them? I suppose the request is implicit in their attendance at worship on any given Sunday, but in this passage from Nehemiah, the gathered people make this request explicit. Nehemiah turns to Ezra who then stands on a wooden platform above the people, opens the book, and reads for at least six hours – and no one leaves! In fact, when Ezra finally finishes, the people are grieved at what they’ve heard because they recognize how far their lives are from the lives presented in Scripture. Rather than abuse them with this knowledge and demand other behavior from them, Ezra consoles them and tells them to rejoice, for they have heard God’s word and now know what to do. In these ten verses, we see the preaching and worship experience changing hearts and lives. Hopefully, as you find ways to incorporate multiple intelligence into your preaching, may your congregation be as eager to receive God’s word!!

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a – Paul continues his argument for Christian unity by igniting the Corinthian’s imaginations with an analogy. He’s using word and body smart to encourage them (and us) to consider how to live as one in Jesus. The Spirit gave the Corinthians gifts but they have been used in a way that divides the body. Rather than lecture them about where they are going so wrong, Paul engages their creativity and encourages them to think about themselves as joined with Jesus.   William Loader writes that after Paul makes this illustration, he does not equate this body with the Church but with Christ. “So also is Christ”, Paul writes. There is a subtle difference in emphasis between this passage about the body and in later letters where Paul gives Jesus the role of the body’s head. I suspect this “promotion” may have been a way to temper disagreements about decisions in later days, but for this letter, Paul is making a direct link between disciples’ gifts and functions with Jesus himself. When we use our gifts, do we comprehend that we are Jesus’ body in the world?       

Luke 4:14-21 – In Luke 3, Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit descends on him and sends him off to the wilderness. Still full of the Spirit, he withstands temptations to alter his ministry in the first thirteen verses of chapter 4. Then, still full of the Spirit, he returns to his hometown and preaches and teaches. He is given Isaiah to read and chooses verses depicting the liberating and restoring work of God. For listeners at the time, those words must have been bittersweet; they speak to a God who has not forgotten the people and who promises to shine on them in a way that will illuminate the lives of the nations. For those who are anticipating the Messianic age, these words are the theme song of the campaign. For some, these words may have lost their immediate luster since Rome sat so heavily on the country. But Jesus selects them and proclaims them fulfilled in their hearing. In the link below, D. Mark Davis discusses the use of the perfect verb tense and how that ripple effect continues into our own hearing of the word. As Jesus was sent, we are sent – to proclaim release, restoration of sight, and as Davis writes, “sending away in liberty those who have been shattered.”

Combined.Reading.Nehemiah.8.Luke.4

D. Mark Davis Left Behind and Loving It – discussion of the perfect verb form

David Lose …in the Meantime discussion of the power of God’s spirit

Music for Luke:

“O Love, How Deep, How Broad How High,” attr. Thomas a Kempis, to Puer Nobis Nascitur

“Christ for the World We Sing,” Samuel Wolcott, to Italian Hymn

“The Kingdom of God Is Justice and Joy,” Bryn Rees, to Hanover

QWOP – a computer game that illustrates the difficulty of co-ordinating body movement

“… I have no need of you” – news story of a young boy who amputated his own hand

Song: “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with hand motions

Song: “Dem Bones”

Pacific Rim – a movie that shows the necessity of working in union to meet a goal

Half sheets with different body parts to wave: 1Cor12Wave

Script for pantomime of 1Cor12.12-31 and storyboard images: 1Cor12.12ff.storyboard

Combined.Reading.Nehemiah.8.Luke.4

The More Than Hearing Feedback Loop is a segment where Molly and David talk about some of the multiple intelligence illustrations and special effects from previous More Than Hearing episodes that we have actually used in worship and how they turned out. We included a Feedback Loop in our third episode and expected that it would be a regular part of the show.  This Feedback Loop (FBL) was originally intended to be included in the most recent episode, but the other parts ran to just about exactly our half-hour cut-off. So we cut the extra FBL segment. But it has a really cool idea that we wanted you all to hear about, so we decided to add it as a bonus episode all on its own.

In this FBL  Molly and I discuss Baptism by Fire and Chia Pets.

The Gospel reading from the Baptism of the Lord Sunday included John the Baptist talking about his baptism with water and Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Now we had discussed this in our Advent 3 episode and wondered what baptism with fire could be and how to show it. The idea came to me while I was in sanctuary. Set the baptismal font on fire! Well, not exactly. But here’s what I wrote about it:

Had a wild idea! You must BE VERY CAREFUL with this one, as it involves fire and so is inherently dangerous. TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Please consider all the safety cautions and precautions below.

But any way, as an Eye Smart SFX for the Luke passage (or the Isaiah passage) you could pour rubbing alcohol visibly into your baptismal font as if it were water (“I baptize you with water”) and then light it on fire (“He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”). The idea is to give people a strong visual they are familiar with – water in the font – and transform it. Theologically, the baptism of fire may be seen both as a refining fire to purge out spiritual dross or chaff and also as a preformation of the tongues of fire at Pentecost.

The surface of the alcohol will burn when lit by a match or lighter. Yellow flames will rise several inches above the surface and will burn continuously until the alcohol is consumed. This will produce a good bit of heat, a fairly strong smell, but relatively little smoke.

• DO NOT go into this unprepared! DO try this in a controlled way before you get to worship so you know what you are doing and know what to expect.

Remember, this is just an idea. Those who try it take any risks involved upon themselves, no matter how cool it might be. But it is pretty cool!

So listen to the show to hear us talk about it. We both did it and it worked well. Very memorable.

We wrapped up our discussion reporting on one of our first SFX projects, the Chia Pet from the first Sunday in Advent. The idea here was to have a growing thing during Advent to remind us of the passage from the prophet about God causing a Righteous Branch to spring up for David. Molly and I had mixed success with this project. Mine turned out pretty well, and the kids in worship were particularly interested from week to week to see how it had changed. Molly doesn’t keep an office at her church, so no one is there during the week to attend to a terra cotta planters and such. Consequently, hers didn’t grow very well and got a little putrid even. Just a reminder that some of these ideas take more work and shepherding than others.

Let us know how these multiple intelligence ideas are working for you! Leave us a comment below or send us an email at [email protected] telling us what went well, what missed, and what you came up with on your own. We’ll try to include it in the next FBL episode!

Just us? Okay. We fully celebrated the twelve days of Christmas this year and now that the season is (mostly) all back in boxes in storage, it is time to turn our faces towards the rest of the year. We are about a month out from the beginning of Lent, if you can believe it. But in the meanwhile, we are going to spend a few weeks in Ordinary Time. I’ve often wondered why this interval between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday is considered ordinary – maybe calling it Time To Catch Our Breath Before Jumping In Again is too wordy? This period has been called Tempus per annum or “time during the year” – a very apt description!

At any rate, we have a few weeks to spend some time exploring how encountering God’s Word is never ordinary. Today’s passage in Isaiah is a passionate word to an ancient people that God has not forgotten them and will transform them with his love in a way that everyone will see. The Psalm echoes this passion and revels in God’s abundance given out of this love. The Epistle and Gospel lessons are quite familiar – Paul’s letter to the Corinthians about gifts from the Spirit and Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding. As always, there is a wealth of imagery to examine.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 62:1-5 – In this passage, Isaiah tells people returning from exile that they are coming home to a new name that “the mouth of the Lord will give.” Names in the Old Testament are instructive; remember, Naomi came home to Bethlehem and told people who once knew her to call her by a new name she gave herself – Mara or bitter. In the New Testament, Jesus renamed Simon and was the catalyst for Saul becoming Paul. In Isaiah, the people coming back after seventy years away are coming home to a name God has ready for them – My Delight is in Her. Wow. I don’t imagine anyone thought of themselves in this way, considering their exile was a result of faithlessness and disobedience. Yet, God is so stubbornly in love with humanity that God received a chastened people and pledged himself to them as a bridegroom. Hearing God’s delight, how does this influence your perception of your own people?

Psalm 36:5-10 – God’s absolute devotion shines through in the Psalm. Everywhere one looks, one can see God’s majesty and steadfast love. The word “steadfast” caught our attention because it is such an old fashioned word and is not used much anymore except in speaking about God. This is not necessarily a bad thing; Scripture is clear that God’s love for creation is immovable, but is God? This psalm suggests that while God’s passion for creation is without change, God’s providence is dynamic and moves and flows and meets the needs of creation all the time. I find this wonderfully reassuring – God will move and adapt and shift and filter and coalesce and bond and restore our reality in order to be with us. Rather than regarding life as fixed and static, how does this supple reality of God’s presence flow through you and into your ministry?

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – I imagine many of you have put your Christmas gifts in their new homes by now – you’ve worn the new clothes, played with the new toys, and used the other gifts as is appropriate. Paul writes to the Corinthians to tell them that they’ve been given gifts too, and how they are to be used. He begins this instruction by contrasting the Spirit of God with pagan idols who cannot speak. I’d never really paid attention to this phrase before, but it hit me that the difference is significant. Idols are made, the Spirit lives. An idol has no capacity to bring about anything in its adherent other than self involved and self directed adoration. Any gift presented to or by the idol is limited and finite. Gifts given by the Spirit are continually generated in the recipient and what is more, they continue to generate as they are used. Unlike a sweater that will eventually wear out, the Spirit’s gifts are life long and will grow and strengthen over a lifetime. What gifts have you been given and how is the Spirit moving you to use them this week?

John 2:1-11 – What else can be said about this passage that hasn’t been said over the millennia? I felt a bit defeated by John’s story of Jesus at the Cana wedding until David and I spent some time fiddling with the math in it. As it turns out, we gain a fresh understanding of just how much wine Jesus provided when we – well, do the math! Something that is missing from a modern reading of the story is the beacon-like symbolism of wine in abundance. Consider these passages from the prophets – Amos 9:13-14; Joel 3:18; Jeremiah 31:12 and 33:6; Isaiah 25:6-10 – where the Messiah appears and sweet wine runs down the mountains! For first century Jews steeped in the story of their ancestors, Jesus’ very considerate offering to an embarrassed host is so much more. It is a cymbal clashing, horns blaring, Michael Bay exploding testament to just who this guy from Galilee IS. “Pay attention”, John says. “I’ve got something to tell you about this man.” John’s Gospel is written so that those who hear it may come to accept it and trust the One to whom it points. Who knew simple arithmetic could be so inspirational?

The Advocacy Project, mentioned in our discussion of the Isaiah passage.

Mathematical attractors in general, and strange attractors in particular.

Here are a brief description and a long description of the life and work of Dr. James E. Loder, whose definition for love is quoted in this episode.

A 30-gallon wine cask looks like this.

A 30-gallon trash can looks like this.

Jesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Dr. Brant Pitre.

Welcome back to More Than Hearing! This liturgical year is a little unusual; we have had TWO Christmas Sundays and Epiphany fell on a Thursday this year. (We marked it by spending a couple hours in a planning meeting for our upcoming Winter Retreat with our youth.) Because of this, we have made the decision to forego Epiphany this year and go right into the Baptism of the Lord. The Gospel story that cites the baptism comes from Luke who did not spend much time on it at all. I suspect that may be why there are so many effusive references to water, God’s presence, and God’s power in the other texts. In the Acts passage assigned for today, we have a story about a baptism with the Holy Spirit, but Jesus’ own baptism is mentioned as a fait accompli.

... in Isaiah 

… in the Psalm

... in Luke

This is just a really cool and powerful use of words by some talented young women: Changing the World, One Word at a Time – Queen Latifah Show (Use this as an example for reading Psalm 29!)