More Than Hearing

Hey all! Welcome back! Today’s podcast covers the lectionary passages for the baptism of Jesus, and, like his nativity and resurrection, different Gospel writers have different perspectives on the event. Alongside mentions of John and sandal thongs, Luke includes a winnowing fork and chaff burning in unquenchable fire. (Check out our ideas about fire in this episode from three years ago! CBaptx2016) Scott Hoezee at The Center for Excellence in Preaching notices that Luke’s story is brief; not as short as Mark’s, but Jesus is simply one of the many at the river being baptized. Which is also remarkable, that the One Who Was To Come got in line with the rest of us. It’s a quick two verses told in an aorist passive tense; it happened. The passive voice makes certain that we pay attention to Jesus at his baptism. The emphasis is on HIM.

We take a few minutes to talk about our two smarts of the week in the episode, and here you can download our worksheets for each of them.

This week, David emphasizes PEOPLE smart for the passages, and here, he was struck by the way God assures the people that they will “pass through” the water and fire. It made him think of security checks at the airport – what kind of experiences has he had, one might wonder. David? The point is that the relationship between God and the people makes the difference as to what will happen to them in times of trial. For a special effect, call people from all four corners into your worship space!

These verses from Isaiah are chiastic; they begin and end with the main theme that the people belong to God. The next layer is the sub-theme that the people have nothing to fear because they are God’s own. The middle verses highlight why there is no need to fear; God will protect and redeem the people. This is a poetic form, and there is a rhythm to reading it that MUSIC smart people will catch. The hymn You Are Mine directly references this passage, and I highly recommend it. We also have some other hymn suggestions and resources linked below.

• PEOPLE smart – [07:59]
  • TSA Precheck lets you bypass the trials of the security line
• MUSIC smart – [11:10]
  • You Are Mine by David Haas, available to purchase at this site
  • How Firm a Foundation
  • Fear Not, For I Have Redeemed You
  • an essay at Word and World from 1999
  • Singing from the Lectionary

In PEOPLE smart, you might illustrate the power of God’s voice by asking your congregation to think of someone they know whose voice or presence alters the atmosphere of the room, for either bad or good, depending on the relationship and their motivation. What might God’s motivation be for having a voice like thunder? Since we modern folk don’t normally ascribe natural phenomenon directly to God, what might we substitute for “a voice like thunder”? Is that possible, even?

In MUSIC smart, illustrate the “voice of God” with various instruments; drums, cymbals, brass instruments, a blast from the organ. The sounds of nature might also work; wind rushing through trees, the sounds of conversation or laughter. What sounds like “God’s voice”? It may depend on circumstances.

• PEOPLE smart – [19:11]
• MUSIC smart – [16:18]

This passage is brief and does not lend itself much to PEOPLE smart illustrations. However, we have an idea for a special effect that could be truly powerful. Consider someone you know who may not have experienced the Holy Spirit or who does not consider themselves loved by God. Pray for this person, and as an added bonus, partner up with someone else and pray for their person, too.

For MUSIC smart, ask people to think of their daily routine – the rhythm of their lives. How does being claimed by God in baptism manifest itself in those rhythms? How might people alter their tempos or change a key to make the song different? Also, Gerhard Krodel (link below) suggests this passage shows barriers coming down, which made me think of musical mashups. For a special effect, find a bell or distinct sound to use whenever the phrase Holy Spirit is used in the service.

• PEOPLE smart – [23:50]
• MUSIC smart – [25:50]
  • commentary by Karoline Lewis
  • 2018 Hits Mashup video – it’s long and not very churchy at all, but it puts 150 songs into one mix.
  • a classic rock mashup video – a variety of rock songs set to the music for Back in Black by AC/DC and then other things. Also not very churchy and some bits don’t quite work, but you’ll get the idea.
  • one more rock mashup – This one’s actually pretty good!
  • White Stripes vs. Nirvana mashup

Three years ago, we were particularly caught by the idea of using fire in baptism. This year, David wonders if John’s re-direction of expectations about his role can translate into our own lives. If you’ve ever had to amend someone’s expectations of you, you understand this! If not, then have some fun with the illustrations provided by Dr. McCoy. We also have a script for Reader’s Theater. Download the PEOPLE smart worksheet and scroll to the bottom.

We have some hymns and praise songs about Jesus’ baptism for MUSIC smart. The second of the two hymns written by Carolyn Winfrey-Gillette contains images from the Isaiah passage, so we’ve come full circle! For a special effect, begin a hymn or praise song that people will “think” is one thing, but then move into a different one. This surprise twist is much like John’s deflection and re-direction about the Messiah.

• PEOPLE smart – [35:12]
  • See FBL 01/2016 [34:14] for EYE Smart SFX of baptism by fire
  • Dr. McCoy on ST:TOS – “I’m a doctor not a…!”
• MUSIC smart – [32:12]
  • Baptized in Water
  • When Jesus Came to Jordan
  • Out of Deep, Unordered Water
  • Hymns by Carolyn Winfrey-Gillette
  • commentary by Roy Harrisville

Image credit: Copyright : Jakub Gojda. Used by permission.

Happy New Year!! The calendar has changed over, and the sun has risen on the first day of the year. As I’m writing this, David is listening to some reports about the New Horizons mission that reached Ultima Thule (2014MU69) last night and is already 320K miles past it this morning. It’s moving fast and is mind bogglingly far away, racing into the darkness of space on a quest for knowledge. It’s exciting to think about what might be revealed! While New Horizons looks for what’s out there, we will be exploring what has already happened here. The prophet Isaiah and the psalmist both see visions of God’s light bringing glory to God’s people Israel. In Ephesians, Paul writes about the revelation he received through Jesus Christ, and in Matthew, we read about wise men receiving an epiphany, which can be defined as “a moment of sudden or great revelation that usually changes you in some way.” Meeting the Christ child would certainly qualify!

Download the worksheets! They’re free.

In EYE smart, the coming light made me think of an oncoming headlight and the excitement that brings – but not if you are Wile E. Coyote. Sudden light also happens when clouds move away and the sun breaks through. Verses 5 and 6 might be illustrated by imagining a series of delivery trucks pulling into the driveway bringing packages. For a special effect, enlist people to bring actual packages into the worship space! You might also break out super bright flashlights or use a spotlight to show the coming light.

For BODY smart, consider how a “new dawn” can sometimes make you feel better, especially after a good night’s sleep. (New Year’s Eve excepted, of course!) In verse four, the return of sons and daughters made David think of the times when he was a kid expecting company to come to the house. Our bodies definitely respond to anticipation. For a special effect, encourage your congregation to move as the passage is read.

• EYE smart – [08:00]
• BODY smart – [11:21]

In BODY smart, David concentrated on the person who comes to stand over the oppressed to defend them and found stories (linked below) of people who put their own bodies on the line on behalf of others. Also, invite your congregation to imagine in their bodies how the weak, needy, poor, and oppressed might feel. Don’t leave them there, though; invite them to assume the posture of the one who comes to deliver justice and righteousness. I imagine a lot of super hero poses!

For EYE smart illustrations using verses 12 and 13, show pictures of relief work, and if anyone in your congregation has done this kind of work, invite them to share their experience. The Psalm is full of NATURE images, but you can always use them to illustrate the reading. I went looking for images of a tribute parade and found a clip from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. I’m pretty sure the Psalmist had a different type of pageant in mind, but the public arena may be similar.

• EYE smart – [20:25]
  • This is not quite the kind of tribute parade the psalmist has in mind, but I think the spectacle is the same.
• BODY smart – [15:56]
  • Here is a story about and interview with a nun in India who helps rescue women in abusive relationships.
  • Here is another story of a life turned around from crime and violence by someone offering a different vision.

I went back to some old educational graphics for this passage. Download the worksheet to see the theogram (“God picture” or “theology picture”) at the bottom of the page. Essentially, people sitting in a theater do not know what is behind the closed curtain. Only after it is drawn back can the audience “know” what is back there. In a way, this is a bit like sending a probe into space; we can make some guesses as to what’s out there, but don’t really know until we go look. A “big reveal” is the exciting climax of many Agatha Christie novels. For a special effect, bring a heat changing coffee mug into worship and talk about how God has added the presence of Jesus into our lives to show us God’s eternal intention for us.

In BODY smart, illustrate the physical sensation of revelation by remembering how it felt to open Christmas gifts when you were a kid (or maybe still as an adult!). We didn’t talk about it in the podcast, but the clip below illustrates the wonder of revelation very well. For a special effect, bring in a large gift and refer to the mystery of what may be inside. Eventually, unwrap it and display a cross or the communion elements!

• EYE smart – [27:19]
  • Check out this link to make your own heat changing coffee mug!
• BODY smart – [30:41]
  • Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man – illustrating new revelations in one’s body

For BODY smart, ask your people what it feels like to experience some intense emotions when they receive bad news and joyful news. For a special effect, act out the arrival of the Magi.

I found a LOT of art about the visitation for EYE smart illustrations. I noticed that the scene usually has elements of the artist’s own culture and history. You can see this in the links below or simply go to the last link where Tamara Hill compiled a list. For a special effect, build on David’s BODY smart idea but use your own congregation’s gifts and costume. If we think of the visitation in our own culture, the story moves from the distant past into our present as quickly as a space probe goes past an object!

• EYE smart – [36:45]
  • From Jesus Mafa – the Magi visiting the family outside an African hut.
  • Luca Amendola – Adoration of the Magi
  • For a challenging interpretation, check out this painting done in 1996 (found at The Tehran Projects).
  • A painting by Tai-Shan Schierenberg, 2012
  • And a blog post by Tamara Hill about the cultural and historic representations of the visit.
• BODY smart – [33:31]

Image Credit: Photo of Kawah Ijen, Indonesia, by Nanda Dian Pratama on Unsplash. Used by permission.

Hey! Welcome back to the show! We’re rushing into the last few weeks of December as though we are on a horse that has seen the barn. Or, if your experience does not include riding horses, like a toddler who has seen the play house! As I’m typing this, David and I are listening to SpaceX abort a launch because the window of opportune time got away from them. I suspect the prophet Micah saw time running out for the people of Judah, but he had no way to stop the process. Assyria was coming and nothing would change it. The Psalmist laments that God has allowed the people to eat and drink tears, yet still hopes for a time when God will shine forth on them. In Hebrews, Jesus himself declares the time of ineffective sacrifice to be over, and in Luke, Mary sings of a time when God will fulfill the promises made to her ancestors. In the midst of all this rushing, sieging, lamenting, and singing, we have to wonder – where is the love?   

David and I wondered about this picture attached to this post; is the person dangling beneath the heart as though holding on or standing still and lifting it aloft? How we see that may determine where’s the love!

Each of us was captured by the idea of something small becoming great, either through its own actions or as a base of operations for someone or something else. In SELF smart, David took a look at how heroes are sometimes portrayed in television and movies. For an added bonus, he supplies a real life example of a Great Hero giving up all the trappings of power in order to return to the simpler life left behind. Small things got me to thinking about ants and dust and seeds. NATURE smart can be a lot of fun – I can also attest it will lead the easily distractible down many rabbit holes!

• NATURE smart – [11:34]
  • Was Bethlehem under siege? Having a support system like an ant hill or colony would have been beneficial. Use an ant farm as a special effect. 
  • Through a process called “physical weathering”, even small plant roots can break rock.
  • Small particles of dust can be a shooting star.
• SELF smart – [07:20]
  • The “Humble Hero” characterization from tvtropes.org

Sometimes, the ideas David and I have for our respective smarts are so similar they step all over each other. Other times, they couldn’t be further apart. I think this is one of those latter times. For SELF smart, David was struck by the psalmist calling out for help; it reminded him of a particular scene from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I love his nerdy self! It’s a good illustration, too. I was intrigued by the call for God to shine forth. What kind of light would God shine? Helpful light, of course!

• NATURE smart – [16:30]
  • Ultraviolet light is used as a way to purify water by killing harmful bacteria. (This useful UV light is at a frequency of about 325-400 nanometers, while black light for parties and such is around 250 nanometers, which is why they aren’t interchangeable.)
  • Sunshine nourishes plants through photosynthesis.
• SELF smart- [18:55]
  • “Q-Who?” from season 2, episode 16 of Star Trek: The Next Generation illustrates the psalmist calling on God for help. You can watch the climactic scene here, starting at about 37:00.

The author of Hebrews has written a very long sermon about Jesus and his perfect role as priest and sacrifice. The intent is to educate, support, and encourage members of this new way who have come from the ancient path of Abraham’s journey. In these verses, Jesus himself speaks to his role as the sacrifice that fulfills God’s will. In NATURE smart, I read that Jesus is quoting Psalm 40 in verse five. Receiving the Word may be like a seed in the ground receiving moisture that prompts germination. For SELF smart, David thought of a family story about someone not being pleased with what was offered. 

• NATURE smart – [28:07]
  • Receiving the Word of God may be compared to a process called imbibition.
  • I’m forcing a NATURE smart to this passage by suggesting Jesus is “taking up” (rather than abolishing), which can be illustrated by gathering food.
  • I did not mention this illustration in the podcast but a Killdeer will attempt to distract a predator away from its nest by faking a broken wing. It “sacrifices” itself in an effort to protect its young. 
• SELF smart – [25:18]

I just today read Jill Duffield’s commentary on this passage. I highly recommend taking a look; you’ll see Mary very differently based on Duffield’s comparisons with other women in Scripture called “blessed.” If nothing else, this essay could provide some deep reflection, which is a hallmark of SELF smart! David had a couple other items for reflection; a long awaited ruling after the 1984 riots and killings in India after Indira Gandhi’s assassination and a news story about a “golden parachute” failing to open. In NATURE smart I like the idea of repairing a lumpy lawn, reflecting Mary’s song of praise. 

• NATURE smart – [32:40]
  • Do Mary and Elizabeth have an emotional or spiritual symbiotic relationship? 
  • Removing the thatch from a lumpy lawn might be bringing down the high places. 
• SELF smart – [36:08]
  • A news item about justice long delayed from the New York Times. 
  • Also this story about Les Moonves, former head of CBS. 

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Used by permission.

Welcome back! The passages for this week are full of singing and rejoicing and joy – until we get to John the Baptist calling people streaming out into the wilderness to see him a “brood of vipers”. In the past, we were amused to discover that phrase had a very colorful alternative, to whit: “You bunch of illegitimate snakes!” Talk about bringing down the party. Nevertheless, today we will concentrate on PEOPLE and MUSIC smarts for the following Advent 3 texts. By the time we get to John, we’ll be ready to listen to what he has to say!

In recent years, some churches have begun offering a special worship service somewhere around the third Sunday in Advent called “Blue Christmas”. This service recognizes that there are people in our midst for whom The Season of Cheer is anything but cheerful due to the circumstances of their lives. The liturgy and sermon sensitively recognize loss and offer sanctuary to those who are suffering. Someone should have told Zephaniah! He stands amid people who are bereft of their homes and homeland and tells them to “Rejoice and sing aloud!” He just won’t stop. “Exult with all your heart and shout for joy!” Why be a bull in a china shop, Zephaniah? What do you see that makes you so out of place with the mood of your people? Verses 15 through 20 hold the answers! We think full throated love songs or lullabys and a discussion of Picasso’s cubism illustrate this very well.

• MUSIC smart – [08:38]
  • “Nowadays” from the musical Chicago
  • “Come What May”  (or the studio version) from Moulin Rouge
  • “Tonight” and “Maria” from West Side Story
• PEOPLE smart – [02:14 & 0:09]
  • commentary by Joanna Adams regarding living in exile
  • Picasso’s cubism came from an era when he was living in Nazi occupied Paris.

Inserting Isaiah in the place of the Psalm seems rather odd – I don’t normally associate the prophet with worship. However, the passage reads much like any other ancient hymn of praise. “I will trust and not be afraid.” We both focused on this part of verse two for our illustrations and special effects. For MUSIC, we have a song that shows the result of trusting in God for deliverance and a fantastic story about The E Street Band told on “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”. Disney’s Aladdin has two wonderful scenes about trust and if you do not practice testimony in your worship, we have a link below that gives some ways to start. 

• MUSIC smart – [16:22]
  • A story from Max Weinberg about trust. 
  • When You Believe from The Prince of Egypt
• PEOPLE smart – [19:02]
  • Howard Wallace suggests using verses 5 & 6 as either a call to worship or responsive prayer of praise. (See the worksheet for formatting.)
  • “Do you trust me?” Jasmine and Aladdin
  • Some examples of what testimony looks like in worship

I know a song based on these verses. I found this version, which is the same music and lyrics but done much differently. The linked clip is a children’s song and has a lullaby sound to it. The one I learned was played on guitar, encouraged lots of loud singing, and involved clapping and waving one’s hands above the head. It was a good way to focus our attention and great aerobic exercise! (BODY smart freebie!) The joyful exercise of rejoicing leaps out of these verses. David has a rhythmic idea for praise and I have some thoughts about the word translated in the NRSV as “gentleness”. 

• MUSIC smart – [28:09]
  • Try this simple beat as a way to offer praise. 
• PEOPLE smart – [24:14]
  • Is gentleness passivity or bold spiritual work? Click the link and find some meaty discussion opportunity!

Oh, John the Baptist. We were having such a lovely time, rejoicing and waving our hands around above our heads. Why do you have to be so rude? But, wait! His warnings and vivid images have done something with the people who heard him. Not only do they not refuse to listen to him or give him a cold shoulder, but they engage him and ask him what they might do in order NOT to be destroyed! For MUSIC smart, try the suggested Reader’s Theater option and for PEOPLE smart, think about how John did not ask anyone to do anything heroic. Instead, he simply asked them to go home, go back to their everyday lives, and be better in them. Hm. How easy is that, really?

• MUSIC smart – [33:55]
  • Download the worksheet for a combination PEOPLE / MUSIC smart special effect!
• PEOPLE smart – [36:46]
  • commentary by Debi Thomas, Journey with Jesus

Image Credit: Photo by Ben White on Unsplash. Used by permission. 

Hey! Welcome back! Between last week and this week, WordPress changed it’s dashboard design, and so I am not at peace right now. At all. I logged in and everything was different! I will eventually adapt to the new formatting, but the sudden switch has truly thrown me. (David can attest to this!) [Yes, it’s true. – D2]  I find this a bit ironic, because I have always thought I was someone who flowed fairly well with roadblocks and delays. Sudden change? Not so much, apparently. Unexpected developments can throw us off our game, but they can also bring clear evidence that something is on the horizon. If it is something from God, it will likely bring peace to unsettled situations. 

David is concentrating on EYE smart this week. Using this intelligence may lead you to resources with lots of color, shape, graphs, form, space, and ways that engage the minds of artists, stylists, and people who create and process information visually. To illustrate the refiner’s fire, try using the links below about smelting silver. Be certain to point out the need for high temperatures and harsh chemicals that will not allow the silver to remain the same. 

I am concentrating on BODY smart this week. I looked for ways to engage this text with people’s physical being, so try illustrating the refiner’s fire as a workout routine or new, cleansing diet. For a special effect, try some rigorous standing yoga poses. This passage can also be presented through dance or at least liturgical movement. 

• Smarts – Eye [02:37], Body [09:46]
• Links in Malachi   
  • EYE smart
    • Here is a video where a fellow explains how he extracts silver from silver sulfide ore.
    • There are other videos out there on melting silver to pour that might be better. Like this on just melting some silver jewelry.
  • BODY smart
    • Try yoga poses that require attention to balance like tree or eagle.
    • The passage could be interpreted through dance! Or, at least through liturgical movement.

Zechariah had a lot of time to sit and watch for nine months before the birth of John, his son. His song of praise can also be interpreted through dance or movement. What caught our attention was the idea of sitting in darkness. We both suggest just trying it – turn off the lights in your worship space. To connect this to BODY smart, ask people to pay attention to physical reactions to being in the dark. For EYE smart, consider what it means metaphorically to be sitting in the dark. How does that look to one’s imagination?

• Smarts – Eye [20:00], Body [15:30]

Even though we worked on our assignments independently of one another, we came up with similar ideas for this text, too! We each centered on imprisonment. In EYE smart, David has some material that deals with the space of jail cells and images of jail cells that may date back to the Roman era. For BODY smart, what does imprisonment do to a person physically? 

• Smarts – Eye [25:48], Body [29:50]
• Links in Philippians   
  • EYE smart
    • Some information on Paul’s imprisonments.
    • Here is some more about the Mamertine Prison in Rome
    • Wikipedia page on prison cells
    • There are millions of people who are incarcerated today
  • BODY smart
    • How is modern imprisonment different from the first century?
    • The Marshall Project

In EYE smart, David illustrates the high, low, and crooked places using roads he experienced in Arizona. He has some hands on ideas for a special effect to demonstrate high and low places swapping out places. I also have an idea for BODY smart to demonstrate this swapping which uses either dough or pillows. You can also illustrate preparing the way with some physical activity that has some hands on application. 

• Smarts – Eye [37:49], Body [34:57]
• Links in Luke   
  • EYE smart
    • Make a poster with a two-image slider
    • Make a paper lantern

Image credit: Copyright Haraldur Hubertsson. Used by permission.

Hey all! Welcome to the second go ’round of More Than Hearing! We began this podcast three years ago with the intention of utilizing Howard Gardner’s educational theory in preaching and worship. (To read more about this theory, click the link above). David and I have used many of our ideas and we truly hope that some of you have, as well! We’re heading off into another lectionary cycle but this time we’ve changed our emphasis to focus specifically on the intelligences, or “smarts” as we call them. For every podcast going forward, we each will concentrate on one particular smart for the readings. We’ve discovered this will extend the time of the podcast, plus add a layer of difficulty for passages that just don’t seem to exhibit anything useful. We like the challenge, though, and the discipline of expanding our creative energies to allow the Spirit to breathe into us and our congregations. This is the point, after all! 

*[If you want to see how we started this whole endeavor, click this link to take you back to the beginning!! I forgot we used prairie dogs and meerkats as an illustration in Luke. ALSO, check out this Smart of the Week compilation.]

WORD CAdvent1x2018 and MATH CAdv1x2018

The theme for Advent 1 is hope. Jeremiah sees a quickly approaching day when God fulfills promises made to Israel and Judah. The Psalmist hopes for God’s mercy and righteousness. Paul is eagerly looking forward to being with the believers in Thessalonica again and even though Jesus is raising the specter of The End, he tells the disciples to stand up and raise their heads to see redemption drawing near. The context of a passage may be stressful, but looking to God’s future brings “bright hope for tomorrow”.

In the commentary by Katie Munnik linked below, she suggests that Jeremiah proclaims these bold words of hope as the Babylonian army is approaching. Visually, he is courageously facing an oncoming storm and for WORD smart purposes, he is singing a protest song. I really like that image – it speaks to the rebel in me! If you want to go a less defiant route with this idea, maybe think about this passage as a lullaby sung to children as the winds roar past the windows. Think about printing out some of the phrases from the passage and displaying them in your worship space as reminders of the God in whom we place our hope. 

MATH smart encourages critical thinking and weighing evidence, much like the story about the prince linked below. It also emphasizes numerical analysis and statistical data. We link to two articles below about public safety as Jeremiah insists that “in those days” people will live in Jerusalem safely. For a special effect, make some charts using this data interspersed with your own “predicted trends” under the Righteous Branch administration. (There is some EYE smart in this sfx, especially if you plot your data in ways that draw a picture! Have fun with that!)

I frequently use the Psalms as calls to worship so think about using the psalm for the day as your Advent call to worship or in the candle liturgy if you do that. For the true WORD nerd, go to Bible Hub and search for specific words in the original language. How might alternative translations enhance the meaning of a verse? Try an antiphonal reading either as a call to worship or a response to the confession, or anywhere else that seems fitting! To keep people who have disengaged still somewhat engaged, try taking words from the psalm and make word puzzles out of them!

The challenge of finding MATH smart ideas in passages is on full display here! But David is brilliant and thinks you can rewrite this psalm in BASIC. Really. Well, maybe someone who understands BASIC could do this! We have some examples on the MATH worksheet linked above. It is an interesting challenge and if you know people in your congregation who are up to the task, let them give it a go.  It’s a great way to engage those folks who might otherwise not “get” the poetry or music of the psalm. Remember, we’re looking for many paths to reach souls! If BASIC is too complex, then try David’s illustration about keeping columns of numbers straight in order to add them correctly.

I tend to offer quotes as illustrations for WORD smart and I think I found a good one that reveals how Jesus increases our love (verse 12). The quote is from the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand; the story of Louis Zamperini’s experiences in WW2. You can find it at the link below. The word parousia is familiar to some of us. It literally means “coming” but you can play with this by adding MUSIC smart to it. Yes, this is cheating a bit, but we’ve discovered the intelligences often bring a friend along to the party. Rather than get upset by this, we make room for the interloper! I hope you will, too!

We have a very pragmatic illustration for MATH smart. Think about Paul’s joy in verse 9 as a Return on Investment! Paul has invested a lot of emotional capital in the Thessalonians and he seems to have gotten a great deal in return for it. Granted, using economic theory is not terribly romantic or poetic, but it will connect with people who are accountants, economists, or engineers in your congregation. Go where their strengths are and where their imaginations dwell! Light up their brains to kindle their hearts. 

Because of the auditory nature of the intelligence, WORD smart gets sound effects! Try contrasting the calming sound of the surf with the howling winds of a storm for an illustration for verse 25. Check out the link below for the five acts of the Christian story as another illustration. I have another quote at the worksheet that could be an addition to the signs from Jeremiah as a special effect. Borrowing a bit of SELF and PEOPLE smart, ask your congregation to write their part of Act Four in the play.

And for MATH smart as either an illustration or a special effect, ask people how good they are at predicting the coming Son of Man. Then, use some number sequences to get them going on the idea. We still may be entirely off base about when the Parousia arrives, but doing this exercise may make it less confusing or distressing. Essentially, Jesus is telling the disciples to pay attention to evidence around them, and continue to hope for the answer as God will reveal it.

Image Credit: Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

Greetings!! I have been binge watching the television show Grimm lately. I was amused when at the end of one episode, the screen faded to black and the words “to be continued” came up. Right underneath it, someone added the question, “Are you really surprised?!” I loved the cheeky way the show acknowledged the episode had ended but the story had not.  Neither has THE Story. On this last Sunday in the liturgical year, we pause and do two things at once. We look into the past to see the visions of a final day when a king is crowned eternally, and look forward to the day when that king returns. We stand in the present and pivot. Looking into the past reminds us of God’s faithfulness. Looking into the future, we can be reassured there is hope. At the end of this year, we look back and see how God has come with us, led us, supported us, and loved us on the way. Looking forward, we can perceive God calling us to keep going and keep watching for the ways God will appear in our lives and in the world in the days to come. Today, the story will be continued. 

We start off with MATH smart at verse 10 and where there are ten thousand times ten thousand servants attending the enthroned Ancient One. That’s a big number and so after entering it into a search engine, I discovered that Dolly Parton has donated 100 million books through her charity Imagination Library. The spectacle of this vision made David think of the way celebrities are introduced, which we talk about in MUSIC smart. A “son of man” enters the scene with the clouds of heaven, so of course we link to the Milky Way in NATURE smart! Also, the Ancient One is said to have hair like white wool. For PEOPLE smart, we tried to find an investiture in our own experience that is similar to the one given the Son of Man by the Ancient One. And for SELF smart, in what ways have you experienced this dazzling display of majesty in your own life?

We have some sonnets to start us off in WORD smart, from the weblog A Poetic Kind of Place. See the links below. We move on to EYE smart with a suggestion that the scene between Jesus and Pilate plays like a courtroom drama. We have a clip from Perry Mason but there are many other examples out there! The Greek word Pilate uses for “king” suggests a physical and political boundary, so for a special effect, bring in some flags of countries or states. I ran across a fantastic MATH smart illustration using chess; the link is below and I highly recommend it. We have some other chess examples, too. For BODY smart, being handed over in the Greek has a physical element to it which made me think of a gut wrenching scene from Sophie’s Choice – where she made her choice. And the Greek word translated in English as “followers” can be literally translated as “under rower” which made me think of crew, which straddles BODY smart and SELF smart.

Image Credit: Copyright : Krasimira Nevenova. Used by permission.

Greetings!! Just two more weeks until we begin an updated version of this podcast! We plan to focus specifically on how to use each intelligence – sort of a Smart of the Week – only for the entire show. David will concentrate on one and I will emphasize a different one. We’re still going to be following the Revised Common Lectionary as we do this. Speaking of —

The readings for this podcast all focus on a day that is coming; a day that will fundamentally alter reality, a day that will bring life won and blessed by God. In Daniel, the prophet is either writing during, or after, the Babylonian exile. Or, he is writing during the time of the Maccabean revolt and using imagery from the past to bolster hopes for the present. You could go either way for contextual interpretation but the gist of the passage is that something will happen. I would hazard a guess the author of Revelation is well steeped in the eschatological hope revealed here. The author of Hebrews is also as certain about a day that is coming that will be a vindication for the faithful. Yet, even though there is a DAY on the way, disciples are encouraged to live life daily in faithfulness and concern for one another. In Mark, Jesus gives some specific signs to look for before the last day, but no clear clues as to when. We had a seminary professor once say to us that every generation is living in the last times; maybe we are. and if so, how will we live?

There are only three verses in this selection from Daniel but there is a lot here to explore. We found material for most of the intelligences and decided to stick with three, EYE, BODY, and NATURE. In EYE smart, we suggest offering different visual images of destruction since the Hebrew “dust of the earth” may be referring to something that has been pulverized. You might project images of buildings or other structures that have been destroyed or bring in sand or ashes. For BODY smart, you could incorporate a bit of PEOPLE and SELF smart and ask your congregation to imagine standing in protection of someone and see how it feels in their bodies. If you have someone in your congregation who has ever stood watch, ask that person to talk about it. You can also try some yoga poses; we recommend “mountain” and “warrior”. The NATURE smart idea came to me while reading some commentary. I ran across a question as to whether Halley’s Comet might have made an appearance that then got included in the vision. If the comet didn’t spark the idea, then the amazing night skies of that era likely did! Go check out the links below!

More about Jesus! (Which is the title of a hymn, by the way.) In these verses, the author of Hebrews continues his treatise regarding Jesus’ superior sacrifice to those of the priests. Their sacrifices are offered again and again without the capacity to remove sin. We took this idea and ran with it for EYE smart. Bring in some items that are useful – at first – and then become less effective over time. For MATH smart, we have a couple illustration ideas to help folks understand the permanence of Jesus’ offering. Have people think of an infinity symbol or a ring, or a Celtic knot. Or, for a much more wonky approach, walk people through the process of perfecting a motion as per Robert’s Rules of Order. The Greek word for perfect can also mean complete or finished, so for BODY smart, think about activities that have a “feel” to them once they are finished. We found a hymn for MUSIC smart, and David was overcome with a need to rhyme, so we have verses 11-14 in the form of a rap! 

Last week, Jesus noticed a widow putting the last of her resources into the Temple treasury and we have his words about this, but we don’t have his facial expression or tone of voice, so we are left to speculate a bit about his frame of mind. Someone last week thought that his response to the disciples’ awe at the temple is a good clue; to their enthusiastic declaration, he tells them not one stone will be left – it will all be thrown down. Did he still have the widow on his mind? For EYE smart, build a replica of your own church building and then knock it over. Jesus references birth pangs, so for BODY smart, we have a link about five signs of immanent labor. We found a hymn, a poem, and thought about a classic song by The Pretenders for MUSIC smart. We have a link to a surprising discovery in an archaeological dig in PEOPLE smart. For a SELF smart illustration, we have a story about a woman’s shocking realization that the temple in Jerusalem was gone.  

Image Credit: Photo by Sanketh  on Unsplash. Used by permission.

Welcome back! We’re almost at the end of this cycle, which is amazing, since it seems like we only began it a year ago. Wait…

After the turn of the lectionary year, we’ll be altering the format of the show a bit. We are planning to dive deeper into the intelligences; defining and demonstrating two of them each week. David will take one and I’ll take one and we’ll apply them to the lectionary selections. We hope that by doing this, you’ll get more options for your preaching and worship.

For this week, we have three texts that – again – don’t seem to have much contact. The book of Ruth ends with the widowed Naomi finding restoration and fulfillment as Ruth and Boaz marry and have a son, Obed. Through a great deal of planning (some might say scheming), this widow finds a happy ending. In Hebrews, the author continues to assert Jesus’ superiority over old forms. In today’s passage, he does it through being the perfect sacrifice. In Mark, Jesus’ collegial relationship with last week’s scribe falls by the wayside as he watches how the scribes parade themselves to the detriment of widows. It’s entirely possible that this widow, in sacrificing everything, will leave the temple to go starve to death. That can be the fate for the poor and dispossessed around the world even today. How does Jesus’ perfect sacrifice impact them, then?

Today’s passage in Ruth begins with Naomi looking beyond her own devastation to find some security for Ruth. Of course, this also means she will have a safety net, too, but let’s go ahead and jump on board Naomi’s generosity. She knows about a kinsman who might just be able to get them out of the very tight spot in which they are dwelling, if he is willing. She gives Ruth some instructions to which she is very open – and then we jump all of it! David thinks this is where the Lectionary committee practiced some “yada, yada, yada” storytelling, a la Seinfeld. We have a link to this in WORD smart. The birth of Obed at the end of the book makes it onto the ceiling of the Sistine chapel! We have a link in EYE smart. In the section that does not make the committee’s cut, there are some legalities that we may not know, so we linked to them for MATH smart. The entire story begins with hunger and famine, so we have a link to a hunger organization for BODY smart. The women at the end of the book may have sung songs of praise and we have a wonderful melody from Taize in MUSIC smart. The purpose of this book is to anchor King David’s ancestry – maybe like an ancient DNA test? We have a link to a modern one in NATURE smart. Finally, for PEOPLE smart, the decisions Naomi and Ruth make could have turned out very very differently. But when you are out of options, you hope for the best. 

We begin in EYE smart with verse 24, especially the part about “a mere copy”. This got David to thinking about virtual reality. The author is making the case that Jesus went into THE sanctuary, not a fake one. We stay with the VR comparison for MATH smart and add last week’s a fortiori argument. The author is now making a case for Jesus’ self sacrifice over animal sacrifice but we have a link in NATURE smart about it, anyway. Sacrifice is the point of these verses and in PEOPLE smart, we suggest some modern occupations that hold the risk of people giving their lives for the greater good.

We start off in EYE smart with some comparisons so if you still have it, bring out your scales! If you don’t have a scales, we have a link to make one! In MATH smart, we have a comparison to different types of taxes. The passage is not clear that the widow is paying a tax, but it has sometimes been interpreted that way. For MUSIC smart, we came across a fantastic lectionary website called The Work of the People. Go check it out! The scribes are often portrayed as villains so in PEOPLE smart, we offer an old melodrama. Even though Jesus and a scribe came to a meeting of the minds last week, that is not true this week. He sees how they adorn themselves and has a few things to say about it. We do, too, in SELF smart.

Image Credit: Mykhaylo Palinchak. Used by permission.

Greetings!! Right on the heels of Job, we have two weeks in the book of Ruth. Whereas Job spent about 40 chapters looking for God, the Almighty doesn’t make a personal appearance in this story at all, except for a brief mention in verse six. This book is about two women, one of whom is determined to live on behalf of the other and through her own perseverance and love, brings about a restored life for them both. Ruth’s vow not to leave Naomi is moving and a fantastic example of devotion and loving a neighbor as oneself. In Mark, a scribe happens on a debate Jesus is having with the Sadducees and is impressed enough to ask him a question that has been much on his mind. Which is the greatest law? Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19 and the scribe is even more impressed. Wouldn’t it be interesting if this person turned out to be the anonymous (or at least, unknown) author of Hebrews who makes a strong case for Jesus being the High Priest and perfect, eternal sacrifice? We have no way of knowing this, but if it were, we see that Jesus’ conversation with him really stuck with him. As Ruth stuck to Naomi, and as Jesus’ role as priest, sacrifice, and teacher show us, God has given us the capacity to be with one another all the way. 

The book of Ruth always gets the WORD nerd in me going because there are so many names in this story. Not only the people, but the places. Since Ruth is mentioned by name in Jesus’ genealogy, her name is important so we suggest looking up the names of the characters in this story and maybe the names of the characters in your congregation! For an EYE smart special effect, see if you can borrow some crematory urns as tangible stand ins for the three deceased men. Namoi drops some solid logic on her daughters-in-law in order to convince them to go back home to Moab, so use this as an illustration for MATH smart. You could also crunch the number of years it would take for any new son of Naomi to be old enough to marry. The end of chapter one is sliced off but it’s where Naomi gets home and tells her old neighbors to call her “Mara” because of the bitter circumstances of her life. We have all felt that grief and despair, so describe it in BODY smart. We have some laments for MUSIC smart and some questions to ponder in SELF smart.

Blood is mentioned four times in three verses in this passage, so we think a special effect for EYE smart could be quite memorable. If you don’t want to go there, we have some suggestions for science experiments, instead. Logic is front and center again in MATH smart and we have a list of hymns on the worksheet for MUSIC smart. We have a link to why the ashes of a red heifer were used for purification in worship in antiquity for NATURE smart. 

The scribes’ job was to keep records and teach them to the people. We have a way to illustrate just what a large job this would have been and how Jesus reduced this scribe’s workload in MATH smart! As each part of the body is read in this passage, encourage your congregation to touch that part for a BODY smart special effect. We also have a line dance that could work here or in MUSIC smart. David wrote a paraphrase to the tune of “Heart and Soul”! (And now I have that ear worm again.) And for PEOPLE smart, we have an illustration of how some people in Ohio learned to love their neighbors. Jill Duffield has an interesting interpretation on the interaction between the scribe and Jesus, too!

Image Credit: Photo by Hans Heiner Buhr on Unsplash