Acts. 2:14-, 22-32 Ps. 16, I Peter 1:3-9 first cuts

As many of us are reminded when they look at the calendar, the lectionary shifts away from OT after Easter for a while. we do still get a psalm.
Acts

1) If you are so inclined to research,  some good work has been done on speeches, rhetoric, in Acts. to get a good sense of a comparative religion approach see the recent award winning book by Luke Timothy Johnson on Greco/Roman approaches to religion. Let's say that this was written 50-60 years after the death of Jesus. What reactions would Luke wish to see, what reactions could there be to Peter speaking in this way?
2) Notice though, that this is packed with a series of Scripture citations.For instance the oath to David is Ps.132:11
3) Some folks wonder if vv.22-4 are a little catechism on Jesus. If so, what are your early memories of learning in the faith?
4) Next is a classic example of how a reading such as Ps 16 gets transformed in an Easter context.
5) Do you think the psalmist was predicting the resurrection?

 

I Peter 1:3-9
  At the outset, I admit that I am not as aware of this epistle as I should be.

 

1) The use of diaspora puts us in a Jewish context, i would think. However, the theme of exile/homelessness could apply toward economic, political, and indeed spiritual conditions as well.

for a while, we have endured the metaphor of exile being applied to the state of  cultural church disestablishment, for instance, and minority voices will use it withing a particular setting to emphasize their estrangement: right or left wings within the church for instance-notice some rare words for instance newly begotten (my translation) in 3, reserved/kept is closer ot preserved-v. 5 shield has the sense of being in a fort or garrison-v7 proved genuine- comes from metal testing-

2) what is this inheritance in heaven?
3) Notice that it does not promise a rose garden-trial/temptation/testing will continue
4) I don;t do well with the refining of character image to expose the gold beneath-how about you?
5)

Ps. 16 has great images for path/ the way, if you are looking for a sermon with geographic imagery.
1) It is cited as the early church used it as a way to come to grips with the meaning of resurrection.

2) I would think v. 2 was important after the ascension. think of Jesus scaring Peter in John 13's footwashing where he says that Peter will have no part in him without the ritual.

3) vv 5-6 seem to me to be worth working with for a while, and they could be productive of all sorts of ideas. I do think of how salvation in Israel had the sense of plenty of elbow room

4) At the end, what are the guideposts for the path of life? Where does it lead/ Pilgrim's Progress offers all sorts of ways to create a geography here. think also of Norris. Dakota or the Lindvall book on spiritual geography.