Uniform Lesson for September 8, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10 We find ourselves at a hinge chapter in the biblical story, between the days of the judges when “all the people did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25) and the days of the kings, when a series of prophets tried to keep the king’s power in check. Prior to anointing a king, God’s people need a discerning prophet, so God faithfully goes to work — entering a messy story of rivalry, reversal and potential revolution. 1 Samuel 1:1-8 — Rivalry When congregations look for pastors and educators, they often seek perfect pastors with perfect families. Thankfully God is wiser and more compassionate than that! Perhaps in order to show God’s mercy, perhaps in order to demonstrate God’s mysterious sovereignty, perhaps because the only families God has to work with are deeply dysfunctional ones, the God revealed in Scripture has a predilection for entering into stories grounded in … [Read more...]

Uniform Lesson for September 1, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Genesis 18:16-19:29 This first unit flies under the banner of “God is faithful.” In a somewhat bizarre way, we lead off with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Perhaps you might propose an alternative theme for the lead-off lesson: “God may be faithful, but human beings… not!” However, in this story, God is faithful: to Abraham, to justice and especially to the strangers in our midst. Genesis 18:16-21 — God’s faithfulness to Abraham This story starts with an unexpected monologue from the mind of God. The Lord is contemplating keeping the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah hidden from Abraham. This is problematic because Abraham’s nephew, Lot, is a resident there. But it also seems to run counter to God’s plan to bless all the nations through Abraham, a plan that will require some schooling in the way of the Lord (the doing of “righteousness and justice”). It’s almost as if God has decided to bring … [Read more...]

Uniform Lesson for August 25, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Ephesians 5:21-6:4 We end our summer of “living in covenant” with specific words on one of the most fruitful and fraught covenants of all: marriage. While this is not a covenant required for disciples of Jesus, it is one where many followers most clearly experience both the blessings and burdens of covenantal life. Surely this is a covenant that requires not only heartfelt feelings, but daily actions if it is to endure, broaden and welcome others into its orbit — whether children or slaves (see below!) or neighbors/strangers. Ephesians 5:21-28 — Problems It is clear that the writer wants to stick to the positive in his explication of the covenant of marriage. However, all one has to do is begin class with an oral reading of such phrases as “wives, be subject to your husbands” or “for the husband is head of the wife” or “in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word” and … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR August 18, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Ruth 3:1-6, 8-12, 16-18 It is difficult to have hope in the midst of depression and desperation. However, the Book of Ruth shows how even the most desperate situations can be turned around through help from God and others in the community. In so doing, this book argues that suffering, though its feels perpetual, might just be temporary. The Book of Ruth begins with the near decimation of Naomi’s family with the death of her husband and sons. The book concludes, however, with the revival and resurrection of Naomi’s family through the actions of her daughter-in-law, Ruth, and Naomi’s relative, Boaz. Ruth 3:1-6 — Naomi’s plot Unlike the beginning of Ruth, the end of her story is filled with visions of food, abundance, hope and regeneration. The movements in the book from winter, death and hunger to summer, harvest and life is undoubtedly agricultural. Unsurprisingly, this book is read during the Jewish … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR August 11, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Ruth 1:6-11, 14-18 Being a woman was never easy, but it was especially difficult in ancient times. As a woman you could not inherit, nor usually find respectable and safe employment. You were especially vulnerable if you were elderly, sick or poor. Men, usually those who were related to you, were your main means of protection, help and material support. In an uplifting tale, Ruth offers an optimistic vision of how women working together with the help of God lift themselves out of a tough situation. Ruth 1:6-11 — The tragedy of Naomi The book of Ruth begins with a bleak scene. Facing famine, an Israelite family moves from a town called Bethlehem to the nearby state of Moab. There the two sons of the family marry Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth before succumbing to a series of tragedies. First, the father dies and his death is quickly followed by those of the two sons whose names are Mahlon … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR August 4, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: 1 Samuel 18:1-5, 19:1-7 Many of us have had friendships and relationships with people who let us down. The biblical stories too speak of both good relationships and bad ones; and the one between Jonathan and David, as least according to my reading, is a bad one. To get a glimpse as to why this relationship is problematic, one has to read the story about David with fresh eyes — a difficult task considering the overwhelmingly favorable portrayal of David in the biblical text. Aligned with Jesus, whom Matthew repeatedly calls the Son of David, this figure is much beloved in the church (see Matthew 1:1, 9:27, 12:23 and 15:2). The reader must remember that David, who becomes the second king of Israel and who establishes a dynasty, was very much a cunning politician. And politicians usually did not successfully climb up the rungs of power without being a bit strategically and politically ruthless. 1 Samuel 18:1-5 … [Read more...]