[Pentecost +3]

[hermionesviolin]

In his [Father's Day] sermon, Jeff M. said that the idea that "Abba" means "Daddy" was made up in 1966, scorned by scholars, and later retracted by the person who had initially put it forward. Apparently the current scholarly consensus is that "Abba" is just Aramaic for "Father."
In the Receiving Line, Jeff M. asked if I was upset about the Abba thing because he knows I'm really fond of it. I said I was glad to have more accurate information, and we agreed that I could/would still feel free to use Mommy-Daddy language for God. Jeff said he figured I wouldn't have any problem referring to God in whatever way felt comfortable to me since "your Jesus is a lesbian woman." I was like, "Not mine, exactly..."

+

Megan K. M. asked me if I had recommendations for an introduction to Biblical study -- she doesn't know which scholars are good, so she has no idea where to start.

Off the top of my head I mentioned Who Wrote the Bible? (from my Intro Old Testament class in college) as an intro to source-criticism (and on reflection I could look at the assigned books from the "Jesus and the Gospels" class I took with Helmut Koester).

I can feel good about recommending Amy-Jill Levine, John Dominic Crossan (Megan's in the Reading the Bible Again for the First Time book study with me, so she has some familiarity with Marcus Borg) but my theology reading has been so piecemeal that I don't have a lot to draw on as far as recommendations for an intro...

I emailed some of you, but anyone have any suggestions/recommendations?

+

Things I was reminded of today:

I need to not stay in social spaces forever just because I feel mean bailing. I could feel my introvert energy decreasing, and I had things I had intended to do with my afternoon. Just because I am not experiencing active negativity re: the conversation happening around me doesn't mean I have to stay.

***

"Joy Sadhana is a daily practice in the observation of joy."
-mylittleredgirl [more info]
Thus says God to these bones: "I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am God." (Ezekiel 37:5-6, NRSV, alt.)

Good things about today:

Things I did well today:

• picked up muffins for my housemate
  
• CWM bulletin edits (with assistance from la bff)
  
• made lunch for tomorrow
  
• did dishes

Things I am looking forward to (doing [better]) tomorrow:
["anything that you're looking forward to, that means you're facing tomorrow with joy, not trepidation," as Ari says]

• supper with Roza
  
• Sacred Eros: Asexuality