Looking into the lectionary - A back-to-school prayer for congregations

September 8, 2024 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost  Mark 7:24-37 Mark 7:24-37 is a text to avoid if you’re not ready to confront and examine your own hypocrisy. As a pastor who preaches God’s inclusive love, Jesus’ rejection of the Syrophoenician woman led me to recognize how quick I am to say “no” to people who don’t fit my criteria of those who deserve my help. A couple of years ago, a young alum of the college I served as a chaplain reached out to me. She needed a recommendation from a pastor to get a job teaching at a Catholic school. I happily write recommendation letters for former students. But this request gave me pause. I knew of this young woman but didn’t know her well. She’d never showed up for worship, never attended any religious life programs, never participated in any service projects. So I quickly added her to that vast category of young adults uninterested in religion until they find themselves needing a pastoral recommendation or a cute church to serve as the backdrop for their wedding or a baptism for a child they have no intention of raising in the church but need the ritual to appease the grandparents. Yeah, no. I wasn’t going to write this letter. The placement of the two healing stories in Mark 7:24-37 is interesting. They follow Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, for the way they judge people according to tradition and doctrine instead of God’s commandments. They honor God with their lips, Jesus says quoting Isaiah 29:13, but not their hearts. Yet immediately following this rebuke, Jesus himself appears to make a snap judgment. A desperate Gentile woman, of Syrophoenician origin, seeks him out, bows at his feet and begs him to cast a demon out of her daughter. To this desperate, begging woman whose child he can certainly heal, Jesus responds; “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” This story is shocking for a variety of reasons. Here, Jesus is uncharacteristically rude. He refers to the woman as a kynarion in Greek, translated here as “dog,” but known widely throughout the ancient Middle East as an ethnic slur used by Jews against non-Jews. And, Jesus had already healed a Gentile in Mark 5 (the Gerasene Demoniac), so why is he so put out by this poor woman’s request? This is a tough text to handle. Christians are often tempted to soften it, make excuses for Jesus, and avoid the difficult questions this text raises. How could Jesus be so quick to judge? Why would he withhold healing from a woman in need? Why would the Son of God stoop to the use of a terrible slur? ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Order of worship for September 8, 2024, by Teri McDowell Ott A back-to-school prayer for congregations by Elizabeth H. Doolin Altars and thresholds (September 1, 2024) by Rose Schrott Taylor Disability Inclusion Sunday — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for September 1, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... A hunter’s reflection on creation and connection Why does one animal sleep in my bed while the other winds up on my grill? Tony Jones, a hunter and dog owner, investigates this paradox. Would Jesus park in a bike lane? For Philadelphia churches, it’s a real question A dispute over weekend parking in bike lanes has left Presbyterian churches and other inner-city congregations dealing with an urban dilemma in Philadelphia. — Bob Smietana Prison drama ‘Sing Sing’ captures faith of the formerly incarcerated Based on the real-life story of an arts program, the film follows inmates who form a theater troupe while serving their sentences, processing their emotions through musical performance and acting. — Zachary Lee Divine Generosity: The Scope of Salvation in Reformed Theology Mouw encourages us to think that – just maybe – divine mercy is more generous than our human capacity can conceive. — Blake I. Campbell The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts And World (Brous) relays a common exchange with parishioners. “Can’t I just grieve alone in my home? people often ask. No, says the tradition, you can’t, because no one should walk alone through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.” — Emily McGinley The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith and Refounding Democracy  Wallis writes with urgency and passion, and his straightforward and anecdote-packed book is an accessible choice to inspire discussion (and activism) for such a time as this. — Amy Pagliarella The slow fade of denominational publishing Shrinking churches means the market for Christian print resources diminishes, too. — Anna Piela