Spark Cast

[Unfortunately the first part of this message was not recorded.]

Palm Sunday commemorates the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, a declaration of peace with tears of sadness for so many expectations of war.

In summation and reflection, we consider the journey we've been on through Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs.

The Song of Songs has long been understood as a theological metaphor for God's love of God's people, and as such is included in our canon. But while the traditional interpretation is valuable, perhaps there is more to be discovered and celebrated in this beautiful poetic song.

How might we revisit Ecclesiastes in light of the gospel accounts, Jesus, and Israel's story? What is the relationship between wisdom literature and Jesus? What about Qohelet—the teacher of Ecclesiastes—and Jesus?

The author of Ecclesiastes provides an important last word. He says we are to "Fear God and keep the commandments." How are you interpreting the commandments and living them out in our particular place and time?

The Teacher in Ecclesiastes offers many hot takes and dark reflections on the way the world works, repeatedly chanting that "everything is meaningless"... right from the start! How do we make sense of the apparent senselessness? How do we think of the Teacher's tirades as wisdom? Despite the controversy, God's people have canonized Ecclesiastes and found enduring value in it over the centuries.

The final chapter of Proverbs uses language and imagery that is widely diverse and presents an incredible image and vision for women as central to biblical wisdom.

Proverbs promotes humility, a modesty that leads to justice.

The blind pursuit of given principles may itself be folly, the very kind of foolishness the Proverbial wisdom is attempting to remedy. Rather than mere revelation, these proverbs exhort us to reason together.