[Uucf-bible] this week's lectionary readings and commentary

[RevRonRobinson at aol.com]

Hi all. Thought I would pass along the readings for this week's lectionary  
selections, plus some of my notes on them I will be using at my bible study  
tomorrow at All Souls Church in Tulsa. I will be prefacing some of it with  
comments and a video selection from John Dominic Crossan about "God's Great  
Cleanup", his way of phrasing the messianic hopes of both the people of Israel  and 
particularly those Jews and others who found that hope expressed in and by  
and through Jesus. 
 
Enjoy, reflect, respond, look forward to commentary by others.
 
Also if you would like to help lead our sharing in this forum this year,  
drop me a line off the list; I am always looking for those who can cut and paste  
lectionary readings to our online community as often as possible; different  
people take one month of the year would help. 
 
thanks and blessings, _RevRonRobinson at aol.com_ 
(mailto:RevRonRobinson at aol.com)  
 
 
God’s Great Cleanup and Lectionary Readings For Jan.  25 
_www.textweek.com_ (http://www.textweek.com/)  and John Dominic  Crossan on 
DVD 
God’s Great Cleanup—Justification of the world, here and now;  started 
already and coming soon---Hope for Future and Action Now; can it happen  without 
God? No. Can it happen only by God? No.   
Jonah 3:1-10: Great story guiding our Universalist history.  Epiphany the 
season for stories about callings, discernment, starting anew,  refreshed.  
3The  word of the Lord came to Jonah a  second time, saying, 2“Get  up, go to 
Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell  you.” 
3So  Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now 
Nineveh was an exceedingly  large city, a three days’ walk across. 4Jonah  
began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days  
more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”  
5And  the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and 
everyone, great  and small, put on sackcloth. 6When  the news reached the king of 
Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe,  covered himself with 
sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7Then  he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the 
decree of the king and his  nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, 
shall taste anything. They  shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8Human 
 beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry 
mightily  to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is 
in  their hands. 9Who  knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn 
from his fierce anger, so  that we do not perish.” 10When  God saw what they 
did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his  mind about the 
calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did  not do it.  
The  rest of the story: Jonah’s anger at God for repenting, changing mind…
openness;  whose side is God on? Those seeking liberation, transformation,  
forgiveness 
Psalm 62 
1For  God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.  2He  
alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. 3How  
long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as 
you  would a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4Their  only plan is to bring down 
a person of prominence. They take pleasure in  falsehood; they bless with 
their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah  5For  God alone my soul waits in 
silence, for my hope is from him. 6He  alone is my rock and my salvation, my 
fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7On  God rests my deliverance and my honor; my 
mighty rock, my refuge is in God. 8Trust  in him at all times, O people; pour 
out your heart before him; God is a refuge  for us. Selah 9Those  of low estate 
are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the  balances they 
go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10Put  no confidence in 
extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches  increase, do not set your 
heart on them. 11Once  God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power 
belongs to God, 12and  steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all 
according to their  work 
God’s  Infinite Wisdom vs. Human Finite Wisdom---paradox of God being in 
charge, but  needing/willing human cooperation. What kind of power does God have? 
Power over  or Power With? 
1  Corinthians 7:29-31 
29I  mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now 
on, let  even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30and  those 
who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as  though 
they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no  possessions, 
31and  those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. 
For the  present form of this world is passing away.  
Living  as if another world is not only possible, but is here and is just 
around the  corner; isn’t the present form of this world always passing away? If 
so, where  then do we put our ultimate confidence? First things first; seek 
the blessed  community, let it define you not your marital status, your 
emotional state, your  possessions and seeking, or your jobs and ways you deal with 
the world…seek how  God is in and coming into your life, world, let it define 
who you are, what you  do, where and how you live. 
Mark  1:14-20 
14Now  after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good 
news of  God, 15and  saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has 
come near; repent,  and believe in the good news.” 16As  Jesus passed along 
the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew  casting a net into the 
sea—for they were fishermen. 17And  Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I 
will make you fish for people.” 18And  immediately they left their nets and 
followed him. 19As  he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his 
brother John, who  were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately  he 
called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired  men, 
and followed him.   
Not  Caeser’s good news, but God’s. “We are the ones we have been waiting 
for?”  Change, believe; no more excuses or rationalizations. Let go your 
occupations,  your divergences, and know that there are people adrift in the drowning 
seas of  their lives, in need of those who would catch them. Note again Jesus’
 call was  not based on reasoning with them, on convincing them by a test of 
logic or  persuasion or creed; but he was on a mission, a presence, complete 
breaking with  their status quo; the fictive family of God’s family  begins.
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