Shannon Kelly

Proper 24, Year B, Old Testament

Scripture: Job 38: 1-7, 34-41

 Job has asked to speak with God because he would like to ask him many questions about his great misery. He has endured pain and grief from losing his health, his family, and his servants. Job’s friends have questioned his faith to God and Job has defended his beliefs. God’s answer to Job comes in an unexpected manner. God asks Job question upon question in a fast series of rhetorical inquiries. God questions Job about creation, the cornerstone laying, nature, and how all are provided for. God’s authority and source of all wisdom allows Job to gain a new perspective in his own suffering.

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LPTW Proper 24, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 24, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Proper 23, Year B, Old Testament

Scripture: Job 23: 1-9, 16-17

Job is in physical pain and his friends have told him to repent for his sins. They believe that Job must have sinned greatly because he is experiencing so much pain. This to them is the idea of God’s cause and effect – you do something bad so God makes you suffer, or you do something good and God blesses you. Job dialogues with his three friends and this part of the reading is his dialogue with Eliphaz. Job decides that he needs to speak with God face to face. He wants to present his case to God because he feels that he has been so faithful to God that he deserves a fair hearing before God. Job feels that God is absent because God does not immediately respond. Job feels alone and terrified and he would rather die. He has grown tired of defending his faith to his family and his friends.

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LPTW Proper 23, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 23, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Proper 22, Year B, Old Testament Lesson

Scripture: Job 1:1; 2:1-10

God and Satan are looking to solve a dispute between themselves when God shows Job to Satan and tells him that he is a very faithful servant of God’s. God allows Satan to wreak havoc on Job’s life in order to show Satan just how faith filled Job is. Satan believes that Job will turn against God in his misery. Job gets sores all over his body and his family loses what many would see as favored (by God) status. Job’s wife questions his continued faithfulness toward God. Job speaks harshly to his family about his continued faith in God. Job believes that in order to be a true believer and follower of God one must take the good as well as the bad.

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LPTW Proper 22, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 22, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Proper 21, Year B, Old Testament Lesson

Scripture:Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22

This reading is set during the Persian Empire (539-333 BCE). Queen Esther stands up for her people to King Ahasuerus at Mordecai’s urging. She stands up for her Jewish faith and the result is an edict that allows Jews to assemble and defend themselves. This leads to a great celebration that the Jews observe through Purim. Purim celebrates the liberation of the oppressed and this festival meal forbids mourning during its remembrance.

The Book of Esther is popular with members of the Jewish faith because it gives a historical account of their plight during the Persian Empire. Queen Esther, a Jew, chose to speak up for her people after her father urged her to. The daughter of Mordecai, Esther, is the former Queen’s replacement, chosen through a contest. Esther refuses to bow to the second in command, Haman. Haman wants King Ahasuerus to kill all Jews. Mordecai encourages Queen Esther to stand up for her people. King Ahasuerus favors Queen Esther and he honors her plea for her life and that of the Jewish people. Haman is hung where he had hoped Mordecai would be hung. A new edict is signed by King Ahasuerus that allowed the Jewish people to assemble and defend themselves. This led to the creation of the Jewish Holy Day, the festival of Purim. This festival is still celebrated in the present day. This Holy Day for the Jewish community is one of celebration and allows for fun filled days and noise making. In observance of Purim, the Book of Esther is read at the synagogue and noise is made every time Haman’s name is mentioned. This is believed to help eradicate his name. Purim helps Jews celebrate their unity as a people. This Holy Day also includes the care of those less fortunate. Jews are asked to give money or food to needy people. In addition, Jews send food as gifts to their friends. Lastly, Purim is celebrated among family and a large feast is included.

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LPTW Proper 21, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 21, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Proper 20, Year B, Old Testament

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31

The Old Testament reading today is the third of three in the Book of Proverbs. Today we read about another portrait of Lady Wisdom. Lady Wisdom is both woman and wife. In this scripture we are asked to marry Wisdom. With Wisdom as our spouse, we will have a blessed and abundant life. Wisdom is generous to all, including the poor and the needy. She receives honor and praise from her husband and children. One way to think about this reading is that everyone plays a different role in the family. The family as a whole depends on its member, because everyone is important.

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LPTW Proper 20, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 20, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Proper 19, Year B, Old Testament

Scripture: Old Testament: Proverbs 1:20-33

The Old Testament reading today is the second of three in the Book of Proverbs. In this section of Proverbs, Wisdom is a woman, also known as, Lady Wisdom. She is standing at a street corner and telling those passing by that they will suffer because they do not follow wisdom’s way.  Lady Wisdom is heard everywhere because she does not only impart her wisdom to the rich, but she shares it with everyone that will listen. This passage in Proverbs reminds us that we need to listen to the wise. Listening to the wise people around us helps us to better ourselves, as well as, learn from others. Sometimes we are too proud to listen to others and this lesson helps to remind us that others may be speaking to us for God.

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LPTW Proper 19, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 19, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Proper 18, Year B, Old Testament Lesson

Scripture: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

The Old Testament reading today is the first of three in the Book of Proverbs. This section of Proverbs allows us to be mindful of how we treat others. We are asked to not be unjust to the poor or to crush the afflicted. This also means that we should not give preferential treatment to those that are wealthy. God is seen as the great defender of the poor and afflicted and being unkind to these groups of people would bring us in opposition to God.

Many people in our world have forgotten what the poor and afflicted are going through. God wants us to treat the poor and afflicted in a kind way, and to also be helpful to them. Finding things that are in common between the rich and the poor are important to help us bridge the gap that currently exists in our two-tier society.

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LPTW Proper 18, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 18, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Season after Pentecost, Proper 17, Year B, Old Testament

Scripture: Song of Solomon 2:8-13

We continue to remember Israel’s leaders and how they strived to serve God. Each had their own challenges and gifts. The need for faithful leadership continues today and we seek wisdom from how these leaders sought the welfare of their people and showed their devotion to God.

We do not hear from this book of the Bible very often. It is filled with love songs, some of them erotic. This passage describes a time of renewal and issues an invitation to love. We can read this as an invitation to enjoy the Reign of God already present through loving and serving God, to experience the harmony of nature and relationships in this realm, and to explore the goodness God promises and its similarity to the land of Eden at Creation. Tradition suggests that this was written by King Solomon.

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LPTW Proper 17, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 17, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Season after Pentecost, Proper 16, Year B, Old Testament

Scripture: I Kings 8: 22-30, 41-43

We continue to remember Israel’s leaders and how they strived to serve God. Each had their own challenges and gifts. The need for faithful leadership continues today and we seek wisdom from how these leaders sought the welfare of their people and showed their devotion to God.

Solomon is remembered for building the Temple and for his prayerful dedication of it to God. We are reminded of the importance of sacred space even as we know that God is with us everywhere.

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LPTW Proper 16, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 16, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament

Season after Pentecost, Proper 15, Year B, Old Testament

Scripture: 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14

We continue to remember Israel’s leaders and how they strived to serve God. Each had their own challenges and gifts. The need for faithful leadership continues today and we seek wisdom from how these leaders sought the welfare of their people and showed their devotion to God.

As we move from King David’s reign to King Solomon’s, we see that Solomon had different gifts, tasks and leadership style. Each man sought to serve God, each in his own way.

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LPTW Proper 15, Year B, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 15, Year B, Older Children, Old Testament