Year C, Ordinary 27, 2019 – Faith
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Hey all, welcome to the podcast! We are getting close to the end of this liturgical year; Christ the King is coming! And also the day we celebrate that! Meanwhile, we have this week’s texts to examine.
The Old Testament complimentary lesson is from Habakkuk. The prophet proclaims and complains that evil is afoot in the land. The verses the Lectionary Committee omits are a laundry list that hits pretty close to our own contemporary situation, so use that with caution. The Psalmist encourages people not to fret or let the circumstances surrounding them get to them, because it leads to evil. Paul reminds Timothy of his heritage of faith, and the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith in Luke.
Three years ago, we used the Old Testament passage from Lamentations and have some other material for 2 Timothy and Luke. You can see what we did for Year C, Ordinary 27, 2016 at the link.
Smarts of the Week [01:58]
This week, David looks at WORD smart and I have EYE smart. You can read about both and the other six intelligences at these links: Diana Waring – Education That’s Relational, and The Distance Learning Technology Resource Guide, by Carla Lane. Worship tends to be heavily WORD smart and most congregations make great use of EYE smart, but it never hurts to step back and reconsider how each is utilized from week to week.
The Week’s Texts:
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 – [05:49]
I’m not entirely sold on how to pronounce the prophet’s name, but his message is quite clear. After the first chapter of listing how the evil seem to have free rein over everyone else, Habakkuk states clearly that he is now waiting and watching to see what God will do about it. He trusts that God will not allow the misbehavior to go on forever or even for much longer. For an EYE smart special effect, bring in some long handled tools that are bent or broken to illustrate the way justice has been twisted. For WORD smart, encourage your congregation to use their own words to complain to God – and then listen for what words God uses in response.
- EYE smart – [07:29]
- commentary by Richard Nysse
- WORD smart – [11:50]
Psalm 37:1-9 – [14:41]
I’m always amused and amazed by how two people can read the same passage and see it from different angles. For EYE smart, I thought that the interpretation of the Hebrew word חָרָה (charah) as “burn” meant that people were surrounded by evil that burns. David thought of the evil being internalized, which presents a danger to the self. Either way, there are some interesting images that can arise out of a word study. You can also make a bulletin insert using words from the psalm for a WORD smart special effect.
- WORD smart – [15:21]
- EYE smart – [16:36]
- commentary by Wil Gafney
- PPE (personal protection equipment)
2 Timothy 1:1-14 – [20:01]
In what ways is your faith in Jesus obvious enough that, seeing it at work in you, someone might approach you for help? Paul reminds Timothy that his faith is a treasure that he needs to shelter and protect. For WORD smart, David remembered a story from A Prairie Home Companion’s Lake Wobegon about a family that discovers they are next in line for the Scottish throne, and how it gives them a different outlook on their lives. For an EYE smart special effect, bring in an object that represents the treasure of your faith and show it to people.
- EYE smart – [21:21]
- commentary by Karl Jacobson
- WORD smart – [22:42]
- look for the collection News from Lake Wobegon: Fall.
Luke 17:5-10 – [26:07]
For a WORD smart activity, show people how do an acrostic using the phrase “INCREASE OUR FAITH.” For EYE smart, have people think about the size of faith; their own and what the disciples may be thinking they need. Using the definition of the word “faith” below, allow for some SELF and PEOPLE smart time to consider how they entered a significant relationship based on trust due to small things
- WORD smart – [28:03]
- EYE smart – [29:51]
- Faith (pistis) is also trust and confidence. This should be a WORD smart link, but by now we all recognize the boundaries are soft and pliable.
Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash
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