Open-ended,
Gospel & Life Centred Explorations of the Hebrew Bible
Eucharistic Readings of the Australian Prayer Book.
Joshua 5: 2-12... 4th S. in Lent...Year C...
(For LK 15: 11-32, scroll on site)
NOTES: 1]Read
the Hebrew Bible in the light
of our understanding of God in the Person of Jesus.2] Moses is dead, & Joshua,
his successor (early 1200s BC) is leading the Hebrews to the Promised
Land. 3] The reason for this
second
circumcision is given in v.5. 4] In
v.9, 'the disgrace of Egypt' is unclear now. WARMING UP: What's the
earliest example of leadership we can think of from our
experience?
TREASURES OLD & NEW:
Identify God at work in anything this week?
ENTERING INTO THE STORY: 2-9
As we work out being a Christian today, does our lack of a shared
physical experience like the Hebrews' forbears'
crossing of the Sea of Reeds make
it
more difficult for us to feel 'earthed' to God & each other? Though
we are
'grounded' in Jesus' death & Resurrection,
baptised into them, & physically share his Body & Blood at the
altar, does this all seem more 'spiritual' than physical?
Could we make more of Baptism as
our entering into, & Eucharist as a re-enacting, or
re-presenting Christ's death & resurrection?
Except for Jewish people, is the matter of male circumcision more a
debate about health practices than a religious issue today? Are Baptism
& Eucharist
as effective in bonding us together as the
Hebrews were bonded together by circumcision (a literally 'blood
brotherhood')
across tribal
divisions? Can we identify any 'tribal' divisions that are working
against
us today?
To try to
make a comparison with the command for circumcision given here, would
the compulsory
baptism of every person in so-called Christian countries, even if it
could
be brought about, be likely to have any positive outcome for God or us?
If Jesus' birth as a human being in very down-to-earth circumstances in
1st C. Palestine demonstrates God's determination to earth himself among us, are we as
determined to live out God's earthedness as Jesus / God is?
Do we
have any particular shame, personal or community, that still needs to
be
taken away?
10-12 How important is
it for us to mark important milestones in the
faith-journey of our Christian community? Would strengthening our
celebrations of, e.g., Lent, Passiontide, Easter, Christmas, Saints
Days
& other Holy Days, etc. also strengthen the bonds between us? Do
most of our celebrations happen in the church building, or have we
worked out ways of extending them by reaching outside the church
walls?
