Bloody Mary Bible Brunch

While observing social distancing, Abby and Jim consider examples of laments for the dead and preparing dead bodies found in Scripture at Genesis 50 (Jacob and Joseph); 2 Sam 1 (Saul and Jonathon); John 11 (Lazarus); and John 29-30 (Jesus).  They also recount their personal experiences with the Church and funeral rituals, including sharing their views on some specific modern burial rites.

I.  Candidates for Biblical Characters Who Escaped Death Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-17) Enoch (Gen. 5:21-24) Moses (Deut. 34:1-10 (esp. 6) Cain (Gen. 4:15) II. Compare to Jesus  - who died but defeated death III. Compare to Uptnapishtim - who was immortal  

Rev. Abby and Jim Barton begin the new season of Bloody Mary Bible Brunch considering Death and the Bible.  In Episode 1 they discuss the Bible teaches life begins by consider Genesis 2, Exodus 21:22 (misquoted as Exodus 20 in the episode), and Ezekiel 37.  They also consider the end of life for Christ and Abraham.   The team also discusses limitations of other potential answers to the question in Jeremiah 1 and Psalm 139, as well as the limitations of Leviticus 12 for this purpose.

Delivered at Chalice Christian Church, 15303 South Gilbert Road, Gilbert, Arizona, on January 5, 2020.  

Primary Sources: Gen. 6:1-8; Gen. 19; Gen. 32:22-32. 1 Corinthians 11:10; Jude 7, 14-16; 2 Peter 2:4; Luke 1:26-38, 46-56. Secondary Sources: Unprotected Texts, by Jennifer Wright Knust, chapter 5, A Lily Among the Thorns, Miguel de la Torre, pp. 27-28 (woman as temptress), 151 (rampant heterosexuality)   Outline   I.  Is this a serious topic?    A. It was to the Hebrews       1. Explore Gen. 6: 1-8.  Note that Wright Knust cites to 1 Enoch & the Book of the Watchers (but I feel less confident with these texts)       2. Discuss the divine moving with humans -- Gen 2; wrestling an "angel"       3. Sodom story of Angle rape - note role reversal from Nephilim on who wants to have cross-species sex  B. Was still a concern for Early Christians       1. 1 Corinthians 11:10 - women covering up "on account of the angels"       2. Jude 7 talking about sexual immorality of Sodom, but what was the immorality?  See citation to Enoch again in 14-16.  (If the sin was rape, why not cite to Tamar, or Dinah, or Bathsheba

Primary Sources: Jeremiah, scattered, but especially 3:1 and 31:31-37; Ezekiel 16, 23; Hosea Secondary Sources: Battered Love, Renita J. Weems; Carnal Knowledge of God, Rebecca M. M. Voelkel, Chapter 3.   Outline   * Trigger Warning   I. What is the Metaphor?    A. Jeremiah 3:1 -- notion of defilement of a wife, spoiled by another, etc.    B. Chosen to elicit a "gut reaction" more than intellectual reasoning    C. Plays off a system that is in place without explicitly endorsing that system   II. How bad is it?   A. Ezekiel 16 & 23 -- graphic, explicit, weird talk about Egyptian genitalia    B. Hosea -- shockingly detailed & graphic, and bizarre story line   C.  Amazingly bad   III. Is the metaphor wholly detached from the subject?    A. Monogamy -- Monotheism connection    B. Dominance - Submissive understanding of marriage & faith    C. Maleness of religion as a source of organizing power   IV. Colonization & Displacement of Female Power     A. The use of rape and otherness as a tool of colon

Context National Coming Out Day Republican Roll Back of Gay Rights Ground Rules Distinction between identity and behavior Gay v. Lesbian v. Bi -- Trans Which is the Bible interested in? – nod to the clobber scriptures Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. David & Jonathan (Achilles and Patroclus) 25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!     Jonathan lies slain on your heights. 26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;     you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful,     more wonderful than that of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen!     The weapons of war have perished!” Illiad Book XVIII Then said Achilles in his great grief, “I would die here and now, in that I could not save my comrade. He has fallen far from home, and in his hour of need my hand was not there to help him. What is there for me? Return to my own land I shall not, and I have brought no saving neithe

Trigger warning: This episode is about rape.  The Biblical stories about rape are graphic and emotional and certainly have the potential of triggering strong psycho-emotional reactions. Sex in the Bible: Rape Note that rape is not a violation of the Ten Commandments.  Adultery and coveting are not rape.    Deuteronomy 22:23-29 (The Kavanaugh Passage) 23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you. 25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in t

Sex & Power Introduction: Today’s topic is sex and power.  At the outset, we note that all of the narrative scriptures on the table for discussion today revolve around women using their sexuality to achieve some purpose unrelated to sexual pleasure or reproduction. The male equivalents are discussed in other episodes.    Competing stories of seductress advocating for her God A king marries a woman who is worships a foreign god. 1 Kings 16:31; Esther 2:17 The worshiper of a foreign god is described as painting her eyes and or receiving beauty treatments making her more attractive to the man in power. 2 Kings 9; Esther 2 Her people are opposed by an adherent to the local god. (Elijah/Elisha; Haman) There is a plot to destroy her people. She uses her influence to reveal the plot and lead to a showdown. The YHWH adherent is loved as a hero in the Bible, the Baal adherent is thrown out of a window and eaten by dogs. 2 Kings 9. Seductress in the field of Battle Delilah tries frequently to kill Samson

Following our second brunch with friends at Mellow Mushroom in Mesa, Rev. Abby & Jim discuss sex in the Bible within marriage.  They explicit teachings found in Titus; 1 Corinthians 7; and Exodus 21.  They also review some comments on marriage and sex (or the lack thereof) found in Genesis and Proverbs.  Finally, they reference works by Miguel de la Torre (Lilly Among the Thorns) and Jennifer Wright Knust Unprotected Texts).

Following a brunch with friends in Mesa, Rev. Abby & Jim discuss sex in the Bible outside of the context of marriage.  They discuss Genesis chapters 1 and 2; Deuteronomy 22; Ruth; Song of Songs; and Matthew 19.  We also reference works by Miguel de la Torre (Lilly Among the Thorns) and Rebecca Voelkel (Carnal Knowledge of God).