Can I Just Skip This?

I couldn't read the words aloud to the congregation. I paused when I got to the phrase, then I skipped over it. Just didn't say it. I couldn't.

I was recently invited to serve as a liturgist at my church. So, I was assigned to read Scripture, to offer a Pastoral Prayer, and to invite people to give during the offering. The assigned Scripture reading was John 20:19-31, a passage typically read on the Second Sunday of Easter. It's about Doubting Thomas.

Here's the opening verse of that passage, an immediate challenge:

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." (John 20:19, NRSV)

"For fear of the Jews."

The phrase sits there in John, supposedly explaining why the disciples have locked the doors. But, of course, the disciples are Jewish themselves. So is Jesus. Why the fear?

So, why did John add this detail? Most New Testament scholars are quick to explain that the disciples are afraid of the Jewish authorities or leaders. But that's not what the passage says, and it is not what the congregation hears on a Sunday.

My concern at the moment is not actually the exegetical issues involved with interpreting this passage. Many New Testament scholars have addressed John's words within their historical context. There are ways to interpret this passage that help contemporary readers understand first-century Judaism. We can interpret.

My concern is with the actual reading aloud and hearing of phrases like this one in our Christian worship spaces. Folks come to church mostly unaware of which Scripture reading they will hear. They have not sat with the biblical passage all week. They are hearing it again as for the first time.

The congregation hears the reading, not a helpful interpretation of the reading. If the sermon doesn't provide an interpretation, then we are left merely with the reading.

So, should we read it aloud?

It seems to me that we are accountable for what is read aloud in our churches. We have an ethical obligation to explain or interpret certain odd or offensive or off-putting rhetoric.

Summer Reading – Steinbeck's East of Eden

Join us this summer in this space as we read together John Steinbeck's masterpiece, East of Eden. The novel powerfully considers human nature and retells the Cain and Abel story in Genesis. It's a beautiful read. It's a compelling search for what it means to be human.

We will kick off the 8-week series on Monday, June 1, with an introduction to the book and the series. No need to read ahead before June. The weekly newsletter will include notes and theological ponderings throughout June and July. More information coming soon!

A Benediction (Or Miscellaneous Thoughts)

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