“Some Dude” (Expect the Unexpected)
November 25, 2007
by j. Snodgrass
Matthew 24:42-44 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
The Lord, breaking into your house at night. Expect the unexpected.
My wife is in medical-school, and has learned that in Emergency rooms across the country, legends abound to tell the exploits of that mythological character known only as “Some Dude.” “Yeah, I was just minding my own business, and some Dude shows up with a baseball bat and starts whaling on me.” “Yeah, this lady asked me to hold her purse for her, and I was, and then some Dude came up out of nowhere and beat me down, and gave the purse back to the lady…who had asked me to hold it.” “Yeah, I was just having a smoke outside my building and some Dude shot me five times.”
Oddly enough, if Emergency Rooms had existed in the times of the book of Genesis, Jacob would probably have showed up with the following story: “Yeah, I was just crossing the river with my two wives, two girlfriends, eleven sons and all my stuff, when some Dude jumped me! And he beat on me all night, and pulled my hip out of its socket. I never saw his face, ’cause it was dark. As the sun came up he said ‘alright, I’ve gotta go,’ but I said ‘Dude, you’re going nowhere till you’ve blessed me.’ And the dude said, ‘Alright, from now on your name is Israel.’ And then he was gone.”
True story, paraphrased from Genesis 32. The name he was given by this mysterious Dude was “Israel,” meaning “Struggled with God.”
God jumped Jacob. Expect the unexpected.
Earlier in the book, Genesis 19, a man named Lot was living with his wife and two daughters in the city of Sodom… And looking out his doorway one day he sees these two guys walking around and invites them into his house. But the Sodomites see the guys go in, and a great mob gathers – they start banging on Lot’s door, demanding the opportunity to give these visitors a proper Sodomite welcome. Lot says everything he can think of to make the mob go away, but it’s no use.
Genesis 19:9-11 They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.
It turns out these two Dudes happened to be angels of the Lord. I can just see the scene in the Sodom Hospital Emergency Room – “Yeah, we just wanted to give these dudes some presents and they blinded us!” Of course, the Sodom Emergency Room would have had bigger concerns, what with the entire city being destroyed later that evening.
Expect the unexpected. Is this going to unexpectedly tie in with the theme of Advent?
I don’t know what kind of prenatal care they had in Bethlehem around the time of Jesus’ birth…I know he was eventually born in a barn. But it must have been a fascinating scene when Mary told her fianc?© Joseph she was pregnant with the son of the Most High God. “Yeah, I was just minding my own business when some Dude showed up, told me I’d be getting pregnant by the Holy Spirit.” Somehow I doubt that Joseph was so impressed with this – in fact, according to the Gospel of Matthew, old Joe started hatching plans to let her go. Couldn’t call that unexpected. But a few days later, Joseph came to Mary and said “Hey, everything’s cool. We can still get hitched and then we need to leave and hide out in Egypt for a while, because the powers that be are gonna be looking for this kid.”
That was unexpected. Joseph? The Biblical character best known for what he didn’t do? And just how did Joseph come across this information?
Yup. Some Dude told him so.
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Written for the Marble Collegiate Church, Marble Connection (Young Adults in Their 20s & 30), Sunday Conversation, November 25, 2007
Thanksgiving & Holy-days
November 18, 2007
As the holy-days draw near again, here’s our calendar for the next five weeks. Advent, the season of expectation leading up to Christmas, is one of our favorite liturgical times of year. We’d love to see you at any or all events. Blessings, Bowie
THIS WEEK – from Katherine Lee -
Hi there,
So I’m thinking of doing a ritual Wednesday based around the themes of gratitude and thankfulness, but instead of being thankful for exterior things, which are all very well and good (e.g. family, friends), I’m coming up with a ritual that will hopefully turn our gratitude inwards. It’s not often that we give thanks for our own gifts, and I think taking stock in what we are good at in the context of serving others can be a transformative experience.
Let’s say 7:30-ish at my place? Please email me for directions (kcl232@gmail.com), and I’ll make a main dish. BYOB or sides/dessert welcome.
K
UPCOMING CALENDAR
Thurs, Nov 29th – Bible Study at Floridita’s, 3219 Broadway at 125th Street
Wed, Dec 5th – Advent Transmission, theme and location TBA
Thurs, Dec 13th – Bible Study in Union Square, led by Renata
Wed, Dec 19th – Advent Transmission, theme and location TBA
Bible Study: Why ‘THE’ and not ‘A’ Good Samaritan?
November 12, 2007
…And who ARE/WERE these Samaritans anyway that even Jesus would only concede that ONE of them was any good? ¬†In this week’s Transmission Bible Study, we’ll be polling the prophets (Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Etc.) enlisting the Histories (1 & 2 Kings) and hassling the Nazorean to shed some light on the Bible’s view of Samaritans, only one of whom was supposedly good¬†…at least in theory.
This meeting will take place at John, Elizabeth & Jackson’s¬†apartment at Union Theological Seminary (Broadway @ 121st).¬† This Thursday evening at 8:15.¬†We’ll go dutch on chinese take-out. ¬†Please RSVP by 4PM Thursday to magyardomo@gmail.com and John will¬†send you instructions on how to get in.
Past Always Changing, Creation in Proverbs – 10/25
October 22, 2007
THE FUTURE IS CERTAIN – IT’S THE PAST THAT’S ALWAYS CHANGING
Another view of Creation in Proverbs 8:22-36
- Gather for dinner & social time 7pm @ Floridita’s, 3219 Broadway (1 train to 125th, cross 125th St, Floridita’s is at end of block)
- Due to Mr. Snodgrass’s academic schedule, the Bible-study will begin at 8:15
Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. – George Orwell.
Scholarly studies have demonstrated that Genesis 1 is not the oldest creation narrative in the Bible. At least half a century before the Torah took its final shape, the book of Proverbs showed our familiar patriarch assembling the Earth – with the help of a feminine partner. This Thursday’s Bible Study will focus on the Bible’s first creation story (Proverbs 8:22-36), with an eye toward how it shaped the Genesis creation, the creation in John 1, and our understandings of the patriarchal “way of the world.”
TRICK OR TREAT – TWO CHANCES to participate in EXORCISMS & INVOCATIONS ritual
- Bowie is working on a Halloween Ritual for Wed October 31st exploring the power of language to impact reality! More info to follow.
- SATURDAY, Oct 27th from 11am-1pm, she’ll be doing this ritual with City Lights, another emerging church community in NYC, and would LOVE to have a couple other Transmissioners come along! If you’re available on Saturday and would like to help out with the planning for our Halloween ritual, please email bowiesnodgrass@gmail.com. Thanks!
Thurs, 10/11 – High Priest haute couture in Exodus 28
October 8, 2007
“Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques.” РWikipedia
Well, that pretty much sums up the excesses of fashion detail in Exodus 28, describing garments for the great high priest. Wikipedia calls this “one of the least readable potions of the Torah”, but I think it’s truly fabulous and can’t wait to bible study it with you all…
This THURSDAY @ 7pm
Coffee Shop, 29 Union Square West
Ask for Transmission or call 646 245-7346
I’ll bring copies of the text (which you can also read ahead of time online), illustrations of the garments described, and discussion points…
- Do we believe making “sacred garments” can “give dignity and honor”? Ex 28:2
Have you ever head of the Urim and Thummim? Ex 28:30 They were special objects of divination… which make appearances on Yale’s shield (along with their popular Latin translation Lux et Veritas, for Light and Truth), in Joseph Smith’s account of how he found the Book of Mormon, and in Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist.
What clothes do you know which incorporate sound in their design? Exodus 28:33-35 gives instructions for pomegranates and bells to be alternated around the hem of the high priest’s robe, that will be heard when he enters the Holy Place, so that he will not die! Today, POM Wonderful just tells us to drink their pomegranates so that we will not die…
- And what are your thoughts on special undergarments, like the ones that must be worn by high priests in holy places “so that they will not incur guilt and die”? Ex 28:43
Bible Study is a Go!
September 24, 2007
Ok, Transmission has spoken, and for the next month we’ll alternate the Bible Study between an uptown and a downtown location.¬† We’ve also officially chosen to have our study sessions on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.
This week, we’ll be meeting at Mi Floridita, which is located at 3219 Broadway, just north of 125th.¬† That’s this Thursday, September 24, at 7pm.¬† I’ll be leading us through the first chapter of Ruth, which I think is one of the most interesting books of the Bible.¬† I encourage you to read the chapter ahead of time and come with some thoughts.
Also, we need a name for this thing we’re doing because “Bible Study” sounds kind of nerdy.¬† Personally, I’m a fan of “text and the city,” but that joke is dated.¬† Have any suggestions?¬† Post them here!