Lesson 2: Tamar The trickster is a common character in folk tales around the world. Whether the character is Bugs Bunny in “Looney Tunes” or the court fool in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” the trickster is a character without much or any power who manages to get out of difficult situations through cunning and wits. Rabbits don’t have much power against guns, but Bugs Bunny outsmarts Elmer Fudd. Court jesters could not challenge a king directly, but through humor they can reveal the truth. Midwives in ancient Egypt could hardly defy Pharaoh, but in Exodus 1 the midwives outwit Pharaoh to save the Hebrew baby boys. Tricksters cross societal norms to challenge, expose the truth, entertain and bring about change. Tamar, in Genesis 38, ends up as the trickster. But, for much of the time, she is the pawn of her father and father-in-law. It is a disturbing story. Tamar is given in marriage to one of Judah’s sons, Er. Er dies. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 commands a surviving brother to marry … [Read more...]

“What My Grandmothers Taught Me” Lesson 1: Family trees My family tree has some characters. My dad’s grandfather came to America in 1881, and served in China as Methodist missionary. He was also defrocked. When his first wife died in China, he soon married his wife’s sister, who was living with them. He officiated at his own wedding. The Methodist authorities were not amused. If we delve into our family trees, we may find the admirable and the scoundrel, sometimes wrapped up into the same person. The stories of people in our family tree help shape who we become. My maternal grandmother was born in 1887. Surprisingly, she was college educated and became a teacher. My mother was also a teacher. There was no question that I would get a college degree. My family tree has several pastors and many of my ancestors were immersed in the life of Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist and Presbyterian churches. There was no question that my family would be involved in the life of the church, though … [Read more...]

What do the following women have in common? A woman who acted as a prostitute to be faithful to her family. A prostitute. A foreign migrant. A woman taken for a man’s sexual pleasure. An unwed mother who flees as a refugee. Each of these women are found in Jesus’ genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew! The women are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary, the mother of Jesus. The television program “Finding Your Roots” shows how the fascinating stories of people’s ancestors influence identity. Courage, hardship, villainy and artistry are discovered in the treasure trove of the past, and people’s view of themselves is expanded, challenged and enriched. In the genealogy of Jesus, our view of God is also enlarged, challenged and deepened with our focus on Jesus’ grandmothers and mother. Our author, Merryl Blair, takes us on a journey to discover the significance of these five vulnerable, ordinary and resourceful women. All would have been judged or used harshly, yet … [Read more...]

“Into the Light: Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament” Lesson 9: The end of lament Isaiah 25:6-10; Revelation 21:1-8 Revelation 21:1-8 has long been a favorite Scripture of mine. The promise of a time when there would be no more tears, pain, mourning or crying strikes a longing that we carry deep within us. The words rise up with hope like a flag unfurled, caught and borne up by the wind. Hope is desire and expectation of something new. Hope can be made of dreams, love, forgiveness and friendships. South African bishop Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see the light despite all the darkness.” There has been lots of darkness, heaviness and a shroud of anxiety over the world this past year. It has been difficult to see the light in the face of tremendous loss: personal loss when we are long absent from friends and family; job losses; anguish when loved ones have died during the pandemic; and national unease as our lives have been upended. We have felt adrift and … [Read more...]

“Into the Light: Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament” Lesson 8: God laments Hosea 11:1-9; Luke 19:41-44 It has been years since their daughter has contacted them. She does not pick up when her parents call her. They are not even sure where she lives now. In high school, she fell in with a bad crowd. Her grades dropped and she started skipping school. Her parents were deeply worried, but every attempt to reach her failed. Now she is gone. Memories of the delight that they had with their daughter as an infant, a toddler and as a child bring fresh pain. Sadness, worry, regret and anger cycle through her parents’ souls, never far below the surface. Such is the suffering of parents whose child is lost to them. It is the suffering of God as well. The prophet Hosea paints a vivid picture of how God, like a mother, tenderly treated the children of Israel. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with … [Read more...]

“Into the Light: Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament” Lesson 7: Creation Laments Isaiah 24:4-6,8, 19; Romans 8:19-23 Plastic pollution in the oceans is enormous. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is estimated to contain 80,000 tons of plastic in an area twice the size of Texas. Plastics are not biodegradable. They break down into smaller and smaller pieces, which are ingested by turtles, fish and birds. Eighty-four percent of plastics contain toxins, which pass into animals and our food chain. There are four other garbage patches in oceans around the world. The oceans are sick and life is endangered. According to the United Nations report of May 2019, there are now one million species under threat of extinction. Using input from 445 experts and 15,000 governmental and scientific reviews from around the world, the “culprits are in descending order: (1) changes in land and sea use; (2) direct exploitation of organisms; (3) climate change; (4) pollution; and (5) invasive alien … [Read more...]