Break Open the Word

The Fourth Sunday in Lent I Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5:8-14 Saint John 9:1-41                                                                                         BACKGROUND: Samuel The books attributed to this prophet, judge, military leader, and kingmaker in the Hebrew Scriptures were most likely not written by him.   There is the evidence to too many hands, and with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there are significant variants.   The book, however, is important in our understanding Israel as it moves from a loose...

The Third Sunday in Lent Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 95 Romans 5;1-11 Saint John 4:5-42                                                                                         St. Elias BACKGROUND: Background: The Books of Moses IV The second of the strands that formed the Five Books of Moses is the E strand, which stands for the Elohist.  This editor uses another name for God, Elohim, which is usually translated as “God” in most English Bibles.  The E tradition is a northern tradition.  After the Davidic kingdom split, around 922 BCE, a whol...

The Second Sunday in Lent Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm 121 Romans 3:1-17 Saint John 3:1-17                                                                                         Michelangelo - Adam BACKGROUND: Background: The Books of Moses III Last week, I mentioned the Yahwist (J) and that particular strand of the Books of Moses.  Someone sent me an email wondering why I had spelled YHWH as JHWH.  Hoping to make the connection between the name of God and the strand author/editor “J”, I used the Germanic spelling.  J is deeply connected to ...