Dogs and Such



Gate Pa – 17 August 2013
Readings:
Psalm:                                                 Psalm: 133                                                     
First Reading:                                       Genesis 45:1-15     
Second Reading                        Romans 11:1-2, 29-32       
Gospel:                                       Matthew 15: (10-20) 21-28 

What I want to say:
I want to explore three different ways of reading this passage today. The first is that Jesus is just rude. The second that here we see both Jesus and the early Christian community struggling with the universal implications for what Jesus was teaching and living out. To read it in this way people need to keep in mind some information about how the New Testament came to be, Thirdly I want to place this story with the what Jesus is talking about before it, and to suggest this is used by Matthew as an example of what Jesus is saying, that it is not obedience to the law that makes one clean, but what comes from ones heart.

What I want to happen:
People to be more informed to read and understand scripture for themselves.
           

The Sermon

     1.      Introduction:

begin with a quiz
what language did Jesus speak?
what language was the Old Testament written in?
what language was the New Testament written in?
who wrote the oldest book in the New Testament?
How might we describe how the New Testament is organised?
What is the second volume of the Gospel according to Luke?
What are the Synoptic Gospels?
When did Paul write his letters?
When were the gospels thought to have been written?
What happened in 70CE?

     2.      A Tricky Gospel.

this morning’s gospel is tricky
one level, Jesus appears rude Jew, trapped by time and culture
            – part- truth to that
people often get around that by suggesting
            that really only testing disciples and woman
            –> given not treat anyone else like this,
            - most commentators read suggested unlikely
how then make sense of what happening here?
keep it in context
two contests need pay attention to
times written

     3.      times written

Here we see both Jesus and the early Christian community struggling with the universal implications for what Jesus was teaching and living out.
– use quiz to explore
           

     4.      Context With Text Itself

en-fleshed example of teaching vs 10-20
16 Jesus replied, "You too? Are you being willfully stupid? 17 Don't you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? 18 But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. 19 It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. 20 That's what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands—that's neither here nor there."
– explore

5.      Conclusion
which of these ring true for us?
how invite us into deeper understanding of who we are and our place in God’s ongoing work today?




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Get those PSA Blood Tests Done Boys!

I had a strange conversation a few months ago. I was lying back in a chair, naked from the waste down, holding a nappy over my bits while I waited for the skin under my bits to go numb enough from liquid nitrogen or some such thing, so that they could inject the local anesthetic and then punch a couple of holes through to the prostate. All in all a fun experience. And while I waited the nurse made small talk and asked what I did. "I'm retired", I replied. "Oh, what are you planning to do now you are retired? any travel?" "Turns out not" I said, "It seems I'm just keeping my dairy open for dealing with health things." And I am still keeping my dairy open and still dealing with them. This journey began last year. I was already dealing with two other things, including a lump in my parotid gland which has been slowly growing there for about 3 years. When I got back from being overseas on sabbatical my doctor called me in to talk about that an
Read more

What a Ride! - Thankyou and Goodbye!

Image
You can listen to this sermon here   Gate Pa - Ascension Sunday and Easter 7 Year B, 2024 Readings: Palm                            Psalm 1 First Reading:             Acts 1:1-11, 15-17,21-26                     Bible Page 884 Second Reading:        1 John 5:9-13                                       Bible Page 991 Gospel:                         John 17:6-19                                        Bible Page 879 What I want to say: A sermon to say thankyou -           To explore the process we are all going through – and that it is ok -           Use the ascension to invite us all to trust God in all this -           Offer some thoughts about what the future might be What I want to happen: People to embrace all that the liminal space might offer with thankfulness, hope and trust. The Sermon 1.      Introduction: Pancake Monday in 2012 – nearly 12 ½ years ago Bishop David Rice installed me as vicar of Gate Pa Telling everyone I didn’t know much about vicaring -          Outraged some
Read more

"Just Enjoy The Coffee"

I was just sent this on Anglicans All. Being a coffee enjoyer and a Franciscan I enjoyed it. I hope you do to: Even if you are not a coffee drinker...Have a good day!!!! A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain ,plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite, telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee, the professor said: If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the simple and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more ex
Read more