Year B, Ordinary 20 (Proper 15, Pent +13), 2018 – Wise Guy!

Greetings!! You will hear a familiar voice in this week’s podcast that isn’t pre-recorded! Yes, we figured out a way to record the audio together over many miles and one time zone! Once we puzzled out some technical issues, we jumped into two passages that share a basic theme – wisdom. The theme shows up in the Kings passage when Solomon encounters God in a dream, asking him what he can give him as he assumes the throne. Solomon responds that he wants wisdom to lead God’s people. God is pleased with this and gives him even more! Wisdom is personified in Proverbs as a woman who invites people to a feast. On the menu is not only fabulous food but insight and maturity. Come and get it!   This week’s texts are:   1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 [timestamp] We begin with WORD smart and look at three components that help define wisdom; relational, ethical, and emotional. Developing these components allows wisdom to permeate our lives as we learn to be wise with God, one another, and our own selves. Turning to MATH smart, an essay at Journey with Jesus presented two different aspects of Solomon’s character in this story. We got to wondering if Solomon was acting humbly or with an eye toward getting an advantage over others. It’s possible that both are true and we look at a paradox called antimony that illustrates this. For BODY smart, we have a special effect that follows the idea that Solomon was entirely selfless. Try praying using posture matching Solomon’s humility as he makes his request. For PEOPLE smart, you could illustrate the complexity of the paradox with stories linked below. Invite your congregation to deepen their perspective about wisdom and knowledge.   Smarts – Word [time], Math [time], Body [time], Music [time], People [time] 1 Kings 2 worksheet Links in 1 Kings 2 WORD smart – commentary by Stan Mast at Center for Biblical Preaching MATH smart – commentary by Debi Thomas at Journey with Jesus This video shows three types of paradox; the last kind is appropriate to our purposes! MUSIC smart – Singing from the Lectionary – information overload!!! PEOPLE smart – commentary by Heidi Husted, Living By the Word (This essay is about Proverbs 9 but fits here, too!) Is Solomon being Shrewd or Manipulative? Here is a story about a shrewd thief that might work as an illustration by which we might judge Solomon. Here is another updated version. Perhaps both are based on Aesop’s fable, the Fox and the Crow.   Proverbs 9:1-9 [timestamp] Wisdom is a woman readying a feast. She wants people to come to her house and sends out servants to fetch them. Illustrate this using the video in EYE smart – or brush up on your own sign spinning skills! As a special effect, set a table! Don’t forget the bread and wine. Modern people tend to think of wisdom living in our heads but folks in antiquity considered the heart the seat of all reason. In BODY smart, compare these locations and how each one determines how wisdom regulates our lives. We go back to dinner parties in PEOPLE smart and think illustrating how the menu, decor, attire, and guest list reveal information about the host and the guests. How do meals shared in your congregation reveal your character? The Hebrew word listed below in SELF smart has been translated many ways. How do these different words connect to your own self discovery?  Smarts – Eye [time], Body [time], People [time], Self [time] Proverbs 9 worksheet Links in Proverbs 9 EYE smart – Wisdom sending servants out may be like people standing on corners spinning signs! Imitate Wisdom! Set a table! SELF smart – There are many ways to translate the Hebrew word, פֶּ֫תִי Pthiy (peth-ee’) Wisdom is a Mighty Girl!     Image Credit: Photo by Joao Tzanno on Unsplash