Comments on: Midnight Oil http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/11/04/midnight-oil/ Artist and writer Jan Richardson explores the intersections of word & image & faith. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:48:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Martha Cohen http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/11/04/midnight-oil/#comment-564 Martha Cohen Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:21:04 +0000 http://paintedprayerbook.com/?p=520#comment-564 This is good material for the UCC in Canton Lectionary Scripture Discussion. There's a few things I wonder about in this lesson. Did the bridesmaids with empty lamps need the oil to attend? Or, was the lack of oil a reflection of resistance and/or a sense of unworthiness to meet the bridegroom? If we flip the idea from the call to be ready which generates little gratitude - to a call of pondering our own unreadiness yet invited as you touched on above, do we get a sense outrages grace? I wonder if the foolish bridesmaids were foolish because they thought they needed the oil to be able to trust the invitation? Maybe the wise bridesmaids were wise because they said yes? This is good material for the UCC in Canton Lectionary Scripture Discussion.

There’s a few things I wonder about in this lesson. Did the bridesmaids with empty lamps need the oil to attend? Or, was the lack of oil a reflection of resistance and/or a sense of unworthiness to meet the bridegroom? If we flip the idea from the call to be ready which generates little gratitude – to a call of pondering our own unreadiness yet invited as you touched on above, do we get a sense outrages grace? I wonder if the foolish bridesmaids were foolish because they thought they needed the oil to be able to trust the invitation? Maybe the wise bridesmaids were wise because they said yes?

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