NOTES: 1]Read the Hebrew Bible in the light
of our understanding of God in Jesus.2]
Amos, one of the 'Twelve
Minor Prophets', is a sheep farmer (1:1) called to be a Prophet
in
the mid 700s BC. He crusades against corruption, exploitation,
injustice, & insincerity.Then,
you were either rich or poor. A 'middle class' as we know it is recent,
intoduces shades of grey into society, & makes leisure more widely
available. 4] A reminder that
an 'a', 'b', or
'c', after the number of a verse means the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd part,
or sentence, of that verse. 5]
In v.1, Zion (Jerusalem) was capital of the southern kingdom of Judea,
& Samaria of the northern one of Israel which was destroyed by the
Assyrians in 721BC. 6] The
omittted verses are very localised & of that
time in their references.
WARMING UP: What's our
favourite leisure pursuit?
TREASURES OLD & NEW:
Identify God at work in anything this week?
ENTERING INTO THE STORY: 1a
If by encompassing south & north Amos means the whole country is
guilty of the pleasure seeking & self indulgence he goes on to warn
them about, is the same true of our country? Or is it more
localised geographically, or to some sections of society &
not others? Is it either foolish, or sinful, to take our ease too much?
Do we know when & where to 'draw the line'? Given feeling 'secure'
is a huge political issue at the moment, nationally &
internationally, because of terrorism, are governments panicking &
setting restrictions too high, or is that a penalty of living in our
time? Is there a particular 'Christian' view on the conflict or balance
between
security, human rights, & freedom?
4-7 Is
there such a thing as a detached view of any of the excesses Amos
complains about here, or are all of us who enjoy a high standard of
living caught up in them too? What's wrong with lounging around &
eating well? Is it again a matter of knowing where to draw the line
between necessity & indulgence? Maybe we're still living in ongoing
reaction to those kill-joy Puritans all those years ago, not to mention
today's ones? Do those of us who 'live well' have any
responsibility to those who don't, in our own society or elsewhere? Do
any of us, should any of us
feel guilty when we have plenty, whether we
over-indulge or not?
Has music
of various kinds become an over-indulgence in its own right?
Is there anything wrong with 'every kid' wanting to play a guitar, play
in a band, & the rest of us wanting to be concert pianists or opera
singers? Is over-indulging in music of any kind any more or less
'blameworthy' than in rock n'pop etc.?
Does the
fact that some countries (including our own?) have an alcohol
problem (drugs weren't an issue in Amos' day) mean abstinence,
restriction, & prohibition should be back on the agenda? Just for
some? Is it
people who have a problem, not a country? Is the fact that in Oz at the
moment there
seems to be an obsession with finer, better, & more expensive Olive
Oils in itself a sign of indulgence, over prosperity? When is
enough enough in the eating, drinking, making merry, oil, or any other
such scenes? Given Amos sees the over-indulgences of his time as
evidence of
'the ruin of Joseph' (i.e. Israel) should we be
grieving for any looming destruction of our own land & society? Do
Christians have any specific role to play in alerting people to this,
or is it too late, people are too 'deaf'? Are we too much seen as
speaking from outside a situation, rather than as part of it, from
within? Does all need to be doom & gloom? What light does Jesus'
story of the rich man & Lazarus in today's Gospel throw on our
situation? Might Jesus be 'making connections' with Amos' preaching?
What connections can we be making with both of them?
