2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

I'm going to assume you've heard of the ark. It's the one from Exodus. It's been around. Joshua carried it across the Jordan. It was taken by the Philistines and they got it back. It was fashioned when God moved with the people and their tabernacles were in tents. It's a symbol of unity of the tribes so David bringing it to Jerusalem is a symbol of him as a unifier. There is a little trouble in paradise though as his wife, Michal is not too happy with the un-kingly behavior.

Amos 7:7-15

Amos doesn't get covered much, but this passage gets covered twice. Check out Year C for a little more context. Amos speaks in what Cornel West calls the prophetic tradition. I've never heard a great definition from him of that, but I hope I do it justice here. A church can be a club, where people in white gloves talk amongst themselves about how righteous they are. Churches can also become mouthpieces for the state or whatever oligarchic authority is dominating the landscape. Neither of those can speak prophetically and guide either people or society toward the call of justice. When someone like a Martin Luther King Jr. tries to do that, speaking either about sending soldiers to unjust wars or not protecting the workers, they will get branded as a traitor. This is the situation Amos finds himself in.

When Amos speaks of justice, he uses Biblical language, so you have to wade through a lot of that, but his reasons can be found, as in verse 5:10-12 found in the link to Year C. Archaeology confirms that Bethel was doing well, with an ivory palace surrounded by splendid houses, but the valleys were filled by tiny houses to support those few. Amaziah reveals how he has become a tool of the elite when he says Amos can't prophesy at Bethel because it is the temple of the kingdom. Apparently freedom of speech is not something he values. I see no better argument of churches being separated from the state. When only one voice can be claimed to be holy, then the voice of a higher power, one that is above human ideals, has lost its meaning. Of course, if you don't believe in a higher power, the argument is even stronger.

Mark 6:14-29

Mark gives us another contrast of the elite versus the peasants, similar to Amos, in this and the stories that follow. When the elite get together, you get treachery and violence. There is some sordid family politics going on here when the girl asks her mother what gift she should ask for. John the Baptist has been saying things against them, and she wants it taken care of. Herod doesn't want to upset his people any more than he has to, but he gets tricked by his own boasting and has to follow through.

Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians includes the infamous line, "slaves, obey your masters". The good news is, it is widely believed Paul didn't write this. Oh, if only we could just dismiss it based on that. In today's passage, we are told we are marked with a seal and destined to be adopted by Jesus. I don't have any history on when this was written or by whom, but anyone who claims that this is some sort of proof that Christians are special should be required to produce that. Even finding a consistent message in the Bible in the half dozen or so references to predestination would be difficult.

Instead, read this with the focus on grace. Grace leaves a lot of room for failure and missteps but always with an eye toward something better. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The arc of history bends towards justice."