Looking into the lectionary - "Get outside these sanctuary walls!"

March 3, 2024 Third Sunday of Lent John 2:13-22 This is a story about where God shows up in the world. Sorry, fellow social justice junkies; I know we’ve been taught that this is a story about Jesus protesting the money changers’ exploitation of the poor. We could maybe make that argument in the Synoptic Gospels, where our table-turning Jesus protests that his “house of prayer” has become a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17, etc.). In John’s Gospel, however, the focus is not on the Temple’s economic system, but on the locus of worship itself. The Jerusalem Temple was the holiest place for Jesus and his religious contemporaries. To use Mircea Eliade’s iconic phrase, it was the axis mundi, the center of the world. The Temple was the place where heaven and earth meet, the one place on earth where God’s presence was known to dwell. Faithful Jews made their yearly pilgrimage to the Temple to worship God through sacrifice, and the merchants and the moneychangers were a necessary part of this ritual system. Jesus turns this system on its head with a flip of the money changers’ tables. “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” he declares (v. 19). In an aside, John lets us in on the secret that even Jesus’ disciples don’t yet understand: “He was speaking of the temple of his body” (v. 21). Jesus shows his disciples (and so John shows his readers) that the Temple is no longer the central earthly location of God’s heavenly presence. John already told us how the Word has become flesh and dwelt among us. God’s presence in the world can now be found in the body of Jesus Christ. He is the “thin place” where heaven and earth meet. That’s good news for Jesus’ disciples and all who encounter this Word in his actual flesh. But it feels a bit less accessible for John’s readers — and for us. The temple of Jesus’ body has come and gone. Yes, we’ve been to Sunday school; we know Jesus lives in our hearts. But do we not also have access to the axis mundi? Is there no “thin place” where we, too, can experience God’s presence in the world firsthand? It’s a trick question, of course. John’s is the Gospel of realized eschatology. God comes to earth as a human body. And God stays on earth as a collective body, long after Jesus ascends to heaven. Jesus is speaking about his body, but John is writing to the body of Christ — the church. After his death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled his promise to send the Holy Spirit. And when her breath fills our lungs, we the church become Christ’s body, the place where the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Thank you to this week's writer Ginna Bairby. Order of worship for March 3, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. Returning to ritual: Gen Z and religion by Eliza Smith DeBevoise Discerning false teachers (March 3, 2024) by Naomi McQuiller Good trouble — Christian ed at home by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for February 25, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Lenten cease-fire campaign includes Ash Wednesday Mass outside White House ‘As there’s ashes on our head, there’s also blood on our hands because we cannot exempt ourselves from what this country is doing,’ said the Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor emeritus of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ. — Aleja Hertzler-McCain Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution (Bohannon’s) strength is also in the sheer compilation of the useful and the puzzling drawn from paleontology, medicine, evolutionary biology, history and anthropology. — Rebecca Davis Deep listening dinners at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago Fourth Presbyterian Church’s “Deep Listening Dinners” focus on strengthening relationships, developing conversational skills and practicing handling differences respectfully. — Teri McDowell Ott and Nanette Sawyer Sex is ‘divine’: How Pope Francis is recasting Catholic Church’s views on intimacy A book on sexuality by the Vatican’s doctrinal chief may have raised eyebrows, but Pope Francis has long been calling for the church to offer more robust teaching on sex. — Claire Giangravé A Matthew 18 church A Matthew 18 church is one where welcome is practiced, conflict is named, grace is extended, and God is present, writes Eliza Jaremko. Children’s books to celebrate Black History For intentional caregivers who desire to instill values like diversity, courage, self-worth and compassion, books can open the door to important discussions and questions. — Amy Pagliarella