For Family Of Christ PC(USA), Greeley, CO.
August 14, 2011
Isaiah 56:1-8
Matthew 15:21-28
It's interesting that these two texts came up in the lectionary on a Sunday that I was going to preach. I've spent a good bit of time with both of them, although I have studied them for different reasons.
One, the Isaiah text, is a text that I have loved for very personal reasons. Its oracle of radical inclusion, particularly of the inclusion of eunuchs is very important to me.
The time I spent with the Matthew text was less voluntary and personal. Part of the process of becoming a minister in the PC(USA) is a series of Ordination Exams. The standard path through the exams starts in your first year of seminary with the multiple choice Bible Content Exam, the most straight forward of the exams. In your third year you dig into the other four exams. There are three sit-down, limited time exams, Worship and Sacraments, Theology, and Presbyterian Polity. Each exam consists of three essay questions that you have three hours to answer. On the exam weekend, you take them on Friday morning, Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.
Then at noon Saturday comes the beginning of the last of the exams, the Biblical Exegesis Exam. This is a take home, open book exam that you have until 10:00am Thursday morning to finish. During those five days you do very little but study the text that has been assigned for the exam.
And guess what, this morning's Gospel text is the New Testament text that my Exegesis Ord was focused on. I have a 16 page scholarly paper already written about the story of the Canaanite woman, so I'm good to go on the sermon, right? Well, let's take a look at a section on the use of the verb Apoluson, shall we?
