Year C, Ordinary 29, 2019 – Persistence Pays Off

More Than Hearing

Welcome everyone! David tells the story that I once told him that I liked dancing with him because he “doesn’t give up.” He seems to think I was commenting on his ability; I was commenting on his willingness to actually get his butt out on the dance floor without having been lubricated by beer. Since I’m writing this, I’m right. Heh. Anyway, the passages for this week emphasize persistence, particularly of the faithful. Jacob wrestles all night long. Paul encourages Timothy to remember where he came from and what he learned in order to bolster his ministry. The Psalm shows the faithfulness of God, which is the basis for our persistence. Jesus tells a short parable demonstrating how persistence pays off.

Three years ago, we used the Jeremiah passage instead of Genesis. We also found illustrations and special effects for all eight intelligences. You can see what we did at this link.

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Smarts of the Week [01:58]

Be sure to check out the link to Howard Gardner’s work at the top right corner of this page. We also have a link to a resources page. I’ve added some websites where you can find music useful for Lectionary Sundays. Some concentrate on global and contemporary music, too!

MUSIC smart – [02:50]Download

NATURE smart – [04:42]Download

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The Week’s Texts

Genesis 32:22-31 – [06:11]

Since marrying David, I’ve become a fan of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. The musical style is a snapshot of late 60’s / early 70’s rock, but the story endures! As we discussed setting this story to an opera style, we agreed that the whole Jacob cycle would be an excellent source for opera. Someone get on that!! Otherwise, for MUSIC smart you could use one of the linked hymns below, or check out the new music addition to the resources page.

For NATURE smart, think about the persistence of animals wrestling with one another. For some of them, the wrestling may mean one of them will die, so the persistence has a life or death quality to it. In a way, Jacob’s all night bout did result in the death of his former identity; he received a new name and may have found the resolve to cross the river and face his estranged brother.

• MUSIC smart – [07:11]
  • Bless Me, O My Father, Bless Me – B. W. R. Taylor, (c. 1920)
  • O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go
  • Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face
  • Freedom is a Constant Struggle– spiritual
  • The story could be a grand opera …..
  • …. or a singspiel
• NATURE smart – [11:40]
  • wrestling animals!
    • Mongoose vs. Cobra
    • Mongoose vs. Black Mamba
    • Walrus tusk wrestling
    • Two koalas
    • Kangaroo boxing
    • 10 animal fights

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Psalm 121 – [14:50]

For NATURE smart, think about the hills in your region. (Or, if you live in a very flat spot, think about the lofty structures in your area.) How does the geography of your place influence how you perceive “lifting your eyes to the hills”? For David, growing up in western Pennsylvania, hills were everywhere! For me, growing up with the front range of the Rocky Mountains always to the west, they locked in my location wherever I went. Moving away from them presented some problems in the first year or so!

This psalm has a lot of musical adaptations, so for MUSIC smart try one of the songs listed below. I’ve taught VBS music for several years and have discovered that we all learn the words to music more thoroughly if we anchor it with movement, so incorporate some BODY smart sign language, too.

• NATURE smart – [15:25]
  • Show this or a similar geographic map of Israel.
• MUSIC smart – [19:27]
  • This psalm is a “song of ascents”.
  • I to the Hills Will Lift Mine Eyes
  • I Lift My Eyes – SonicFlood
  • Psalm 121 – All Sons and Daughters
  • Teach some simple and broad sign language

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2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 – [21:58]

For MUSIC smart, see the listed hymns below. David had a great illustration idea from the movie musical Singin’ in the Rain. In the middle of the movie, Gene Kelly has an extended dance sequence of a young man who comes to the big city because he’s “gotta dance.” Paul is telling Timothy that he’s “gotta preach.” Can you think of any other musical numbers that encourage persistence?

For NATURE smart, list some of the more resilient and persistent creatures here on earth. We have camels and rats and cockroaches, and a truly remarkable little critter called a tardigrade. You could also talk about how very resilient our own bodies are and with the advances of medical and health support, we live a lot longer and with greater vigor than our ancestors did (BODY smart bonus).

• MUSIC smart – [23:28]
  • Lord, Speak to Me
  • O Word of God Incarnate
  • Take My Life and Let it Be
  • an excerpt from the Gotta Dance and Broadway Melody Ballet (because WOW) from Singin’ in the Rain
• NATURE smart – [26:08]
  • Here’s a list of 10 resilient and persistent creatures on earth

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Luke 18:1-8 – [29:36]

David found a lot of videos of persistence in the animal kingdom for NATURE smart. The longer video of the squirrel working its way through the outer hull of a black walnut reminded me of the time I heard a very strange grating sound right outside our second story bedroom window. I looked and there sat a squirrel working on a black walnut. It looked at me looking at it and went right back to its meal.

The musical offerings for MUSIC smart are about praying, which Jesus encourages his disciples to do. The parable is about persistence, which made me think of the chanting and singing that protestors do when out in the streets. We heard a lot of interesting chants when we went down to DC for the Women’s March on January 21, 2017. Some cannot be repeated here, but the crowds broke out into song and chants often. Give the widow voice, and write a chant or a protest song for her.

• NATURE smart – [30:50]
  • persistence in nature = a squirrel working on a walnut
  • and another longer one (and the time-lapse version)
  • A woodpecker banging on a tree; and another
  • A beaver gnawing a tree
• MUSIC smart – [34:09]
  • O Lord, Hear My Prayer – Taize
  • Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying – Ken Medema
  • Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
  • Seek Ye First

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Photo from Mark Dixon, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, 2015, and thus used by permission.

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