Author: Jana

Eventually, Abram and Lot part ways because their entourage of animals and people becomes too large to be sustained together. So Lot goes to the plain of Jordan and Abram remains in the land of Canaan. After this happens, other rulers in the area (nine in total) enter into battle and Lot is taken captive. Abram then follows to reclaim him. After this God promises the land to Abram’s descendents, even though Abram is childless. Sarai, Abram’s wife unable to bear children, asks Abram to take her maidservant Hagar as his wife. Hagar eventually gives birth to a son Ishmael. The same Ishmael who become the leader in the Islamic tradition.

When I was in university I had the opportunity to take “Sacred Space, Holy Land” taught by Rev. John Perkin. One of the course texts we used in the course is “Jerusalem” by Karen Armstrong. If you are a history person, and would like to learn more about the inter-connected history of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in the context of Jerusalem I reccomend looking into it.

I also find it interesting how one small act can change the course of history, one person can change the world, one person’s choice can affect many generations.

16/1189

In this segment of readings we learn some of Noah’s history, which is traced through the male bloodline and in particular by first born, with the exception being Abel who is after being murdered by Cain whereby the bloodline falls to the third son Seth. This introduces us to Noah and his three sons. This where we find the popular narrative of building an ark to evade flooding, and the animals. Most of this story is fairly common, but I was surprised that Noah released both a raven and a dove at first, and the raven did not return. He again released the dove who returned with the olive leaf. I do not know much about birds and the bible, however I do know that ravens are considered “unclean”, whereas doves are considered “clean” birds.

After Noah we learn about his three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Shem’s descendents became the coastland peoples, Ham’s descendents built various inland cities, and Japheth’s desecents lived near the mountain to the east. As the people traveled east they started to build the tower of Babel; it was during this time that they were eventually dispersed throughout the land. From Shem’s line of descendents we find Terah, and his son Abram who is married to Sarai, Terah’s grandson Lot. Terah, Abram, Sarai and Lot set out to the land of Canaan, with Terah dying in Haran. Abram is inspired by God to go with Sarai and Lot on into the land of Canaan.

12/1189

Genesis. The very beginning: Creation, Adam & Eve, temptation in the garden, which seems to lead to murder… Whenever I read these passages I initially become upset to the point where I want to throw in the towel and walk away. Then, I remember this is the beginning, there is no before Genesis, there is not the three or four thousand years of human history before this (it has been dated from 1450 BCE to 5 or 6 BCE). So here I am four thousand years or so later, and a lot has happened during that time, and to try to understand what is being said, I have to put all that knowledge (and bias) aside. I also have to remember that we live in the age of science, truth, and fact, and that was not the cultural context thousands of years ago.

Genesis starts with the Creation narrative which whether it is a compilation of four sources or one source, is written by someone(s) who was/were not present at these events; humans are not there until the end of the first chapter. What we can learn is that humans come last, predated by fish, birds, and then animals, which naturally is predated by the Earth on which we all live. Sometimes when I read about the separation of the waters it reminds me of childbirth, and the breaking of water and division of the water and baby from the amniotic sac. I also like some of the phrasing in my translation* (NKJV ), about “let the Earth bring forth” herbs and animals. It suggests more of a blessing of may these things come to past, than a divine being waving a wand. So, although humans may have been given “dominion” over the Earth in some sort of hierarchal web, we humans are after all at the top of the food chain, the Earth has some agency or independence as its own entity.

Another big thing that happens in these passages is the temptation with the tree of knowledge. Initially, again this seems offputting in this feminist era, and it makes me wonder if snakes used to be upright or have legs or something? Anyways, Adam and Eve were created by the Divine Mystery somehow, and it is not until after these early humans partake in the knowledge of good and evil that there is childbirth, and humans can procreate. Before eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge Adam and Eve are like children enjoying the Garden of Eden, being kicked out of the garden is a lot like growing up, taking care, and being responsible for oneself. Although there are days where I would love to have meals provided for me, and I could spend the day at my leisure, in the philsophical theory of Mill, I would inevitably wish to return to the higher pleasures over the lower pleasures after a brief reprieve. Or put another way once you know something, you can not unknow it. The loss of innocence brings the knowledge of pain, but it also brings a better knowledge of joy. So here we are outside the garden, making our own garden.

4/1189

* I have chosen to use the NKJV as that is the first edition of the bible that I read cover to cover. However, in ministry work I have found the NRSV to be more generally accurate in translation and phrasing, in the spirit of the original translations, although it is by no means perfect either.

Over the Christmas season I have been reflecting on Christianity, the Church, Jesus, me, and the direction of my life. It occurs to me as I have done this that my journey started long ago in a church far away, but more importantly as a child reading a book; a child reading the bible. During a pandemic when church has moved online, and I have struggled with the loss of community as a result of that, it seems it is time to return to that simplicity of reading a book. For the next year that is my undertaking. After doing some calculations it seems that there is 1189 chapters within the Old and New Testament. Over the next 365 days I plan to read them and blog about them. In case you are wondering, this breaks down to 3-4 chapters a day.

You may wonder why I have not chosen to follow the lectionary or another reading plan (one that hits the significant stories, but omits all the lists of names). With both of these there are texts that are deemed insignificant and I want to read them in their entirety and not just chunks or snippets. I also want to read in order and not jump around throughout. I have wondered about including the Apocrypha and other writings but am not including them at this time, in part because I already feel the weight of such a commitment, traditionally Christians have neglected them entirely, and more practically I have temporarily misplaced it. However, that may be an undertaking of another year.

So here at the outset, let me take a moment to pray:

Eternal God,
We are reminded that we are not alone that we live in Your world. A world that has changed so much in the last year during a pandemic. Things we have taken for granted such as worship, church community, hymns, have all changed. The one thing that has not changed is the Bible, the words of our shared Christian faith. In a time when we can not turn to some of the practices and traditions that we have been accustomed to, we return to what was in the beginning, the Word. The Word that was passed down through oral tradition, through community, and was there in the very beginning with God and as God (John 1).

Although much has changed, we still have those words, the Word, available to us. Help me to dedicate myself to this task, to better understand, You, Your ways and what that means for me. Give me discipline, give me patience and wisdom, that I may see glimpses of You. Amen.

In the Church year tomorrow is “Reign of Christ Sunday” or “Jesus is King Sunday’. Both of these titles focus in on the royal aspect of Jesus’ character. There are many great things about this portrayal of Jesus and it is a wonderful time to sing all the hymns with much fanfare. Although with Covid-19 we are not singing so much these days, so maybe this year it is more majestic and “fancy”.

I have always found this an odd Sunday because Jesus did not ask to be royal, to be treated like royalty or any of this fanciness that comes along with it. I am in the midst of reading a book by Donald Miller “Searching for God Knows What” and one point that Miller makes repeatedly that being a Christian is not about following a set of rules or a magical formula. He talks about how being a Christian is about having a relationship with Jesus. The whole point of Jesus’ theology is interaction and community.

Extending Miller’s idea, I would argue that Jesus is not about being a king, but being a friend. Jesus’ story has nothing to do with being rich; he was born in a stable. Jesus was not rich; he was a carpenter. Jesus was not buried in decorum, but in a borrowed tomb. As a result, I wonder where “Reign of Christ” Sunday comes from? After some research I discovered that it is a relatively recent addition to the church calendar, coming in 1925 through Pope Pius XI. There are several reaons for it, of course acknowledging Jesus as a ruler, and bringing an eschatological sense of the end time, fitting for the end of the Christian year.

While I do take issue with the royal, kingly, nature of this Holy Day, I do appreciate having a day to celebrate Jesus’ counter-cultural leadership, and the way he chose to live. This leadership, and guidance is an important part of my spiritual life. It is a nice way of celebrating his personhood, the early church, and the church today.