Seine Net is the same reflection series I have been doing on Sundays, just a new name.
I wanted something a little more nautical oriented that also captured (get the pun?) the sense of my grabbing random bits of information to think about. Just as a seine net pulls up all sorts of things, some unexpected, so I think of this reflection post.
A Quick Note Regarding Thing Happening Behind the Scenes
I’ve moved back into parish ministry (serving as a pastor of a local congregation) rather than as the Executive Director for Winds of Grace.
This is partly why these Seine Net posts (and other written posts) have been lacking. I’ve been rather busy in getting back into the swing of things, especially at a new parish and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading Zoom worship was never even on the horizon while I was in seminary.
The Seine Net reflections might change a bit, in that they might take on a more “what I’m thinking about” in regard to preaching for the coming Sunday. I still hope they are something you will find interesting.
Enjoy & Blessings,
Rev. Joel
The Lectionary Readings for Sunday
Scripture Lessons for this Week: 22nd Sunday after Pentecost:
Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalm 126; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52
Reflections on A Scriptural Theme
[As I have mentioned, two of the books I highly recommend reading during the B Lectionary cycle are Ched Meyers. Binding the Strong Man and Wes Howard-Brooks Becoming Children of God. Both books are well worth checking out and reading closely. Meyers closely examines Mark while Howard-Brooks takes a close look at John.]
I’ve been preaching on the Gospel lesson since July (in this case Mark). This week’s text from Mark ends a series of “Journey Tales.” Jesus is now in Jericho, a day’s walk outside of Jerusalem. This would be the last stop on the pilgrim journey before entering the City of David.
Jesus has been teaching on Discipleship as a whole. It has been apparent that there are issues within the Markan Community, and that the Disciples just don’t get it. Leadership equates to the first being the last and a servant to all. There are themes of anti-patriarchy and treating women as subjects not objects. There are lessons on riches (with the rich young ruler) and generosity.
And then we have this week’s episode with Bartimaeus. Do you notice that this is the first named person (other than the disciples) we’ve come across? There is a strong juxtaposition between the unnamed Rich Young Ruler and a named blind beggar.
Who might Bartimaeus represent? And Bartimaeus, though blind, “sees” who Jesus is, and leaves everything to follow (no cloak means nothing to beg with, for the cloak would collect the generosity of others).
The sermon this week is exploring this alongside some things below.
Our Church’s Orange Banner
Our church (alongside another in town) is discussing and wrestling with what it means to be allies and partners with one of the local Salish Sea traditional peoples. As a part of that discussion, we decided that we would celebrate the month of October as Indigenous People’s month during worship.
Consequently, I’ve been looking for ways to pull the Gospel text into conversation with what is happening (or has happened) with the Indigenous Peoples of this region.
Alongside that, the Canadian Lutheran Indigenous Caucus asked for an orange banner to be flown or hung in repentance for the children found in the Boarding Schools. One of our members made the quilt banner to honor the children and repent for the harms that the church has done, often in God’s name. A God, who we believe would never call for this.
This weeks Seine Net thumbnail honors the children and people effected by this type of genocide.
Language as a Way to See the World
One of the realities of the Boarding School experience is the loss of the native language, with all of its nuances. Every language carries nuance. The nuances are what is hard to translate from one language to another. When the children have forgotten the language of their parents and the grandparents, how are the old traditional stories told and transmitted? If they have to be done in a new language (which both the adults and the children are learning) what nuances are lost in translation? Do we stop “seeing” the world in the old ways?
The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote an entire treatise on how language effects and affects the way we see the world.
Two Places to Explore This Theme of Language Further
Recently, I’ve come across two items on the ‘net that you might be interested in to explore this further.
The first is an article regarding what happens when you start to lose (can you lose entirely?) your mother-tongue. The short answer is that you can lose your mother-tongue. But the entire article is an interesting exploration of what we now know about language. And it all starts with a text from the author’s brother … “Can you lose your native language?”
The second is a YouTube video regarding the color blue. The video, too, follows along the same lines. Why the Ancient Greeks Couldn’t See Blue
Both have me wondering how our language and culture might be keeping us blind to the larger pictures of God’s Reign.
And a Reflection on How the Swinomish are Leading in Climate Action
I found this article interesting regarding climate action.
Jim Morrison, “An Ancient People with a Modern Climate Plan.” Washington Post.
A Quick Book Review
I’ve been reading Candace Wellman’s Peace Weavers: Uniting the Salish Coast Through Cross-Cultural Marriages (Washington State University Press, 2017). Wellman follows the lives of four women: Caroline, Mary, Clara and Nellie. While their husbands occur in the historical record of the Upper Northwest Corner of the United States, these women do not. Wellman has researched their stories through combing records, interviewing relatives, and painstaking research. In the process Wellman has painted a picture of how the marriages of Indigenous women to “pioneer” men spared this area from bloody conflicts. All the while, Wellman shatters the stereotypes of these relationships.
I highly recommend the reading of this book.
Blessed be
Currently I’ve still been reading Candace Wellman’s Peace Weavers: Uniting the Salish Coast Through Cross-Cultural Marriages (Washington State University Press, 2017).
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The art for the thumbnail is from Rev. Joel’s Instagram feed: Rev.Joel’s_art. Feel free to give the feed a like and a follow.
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