Jeremiah Week 7
Bad, Bad News
Our political mythologies celebrate the hero who persists despite all odds. When things look their bleakest, the hero perseveres, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Full reading and audio »
Our political mythologies celebrate the hero who persists despite all odds. When things look their bleakest, the hero perseveres, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Full reading and audio »
The Talmud is a collection of rabbinical entitled the Makkot (23b–24a) there is a famous debate seeking to reduce duties of faith to the most basic principle… Full reading and audio »
Hebrews is a strange read, as exemplified by the appeal to the obscure Old Testament figure of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17–20). To frustrate us further, we are made aware that this reference to Melchizedek underwrites the importance of the Son’s priestly mediation during the covenant community’s long journey toward the future Promised Land. Full reading and audio »
In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, a rich heiress named Portia sets a test for her prospective suitors. She will consent to marry whoever passes the test. Three suitors in a row choose between gold, silver, and lead caskets. Full reading and audio »
The contents of this Lectio can be summarized briefly as follows: Saul dies and David rises to power. David is not yet king over all Israel; that will take place in next week’s selection of text. But these chapters contain what we knew would happen. Full reading and audio »
As we continue in the book of Leviticus, we encounter another text that takes some work to understand. At first read, this is a strange text, filled with details about animal sacrifices, burning incense, and sprinkling blood. Full reading and audio »
Often church historians say that the first major split in Christianity occurred between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054. That is not quite accurate. Before there were Western and Eastern Christians, there were Jewish and Gentile Christians … Full reading and audio »
This week’s reading finds Jesus continuing the task of forming his new community by instruction and example as he makes his way to the cross. After glancing at the final narrative scenes from Chapter 17, we’ll spend most of our time studying the fourth sermon in Matthew, the sermon on community. Full reading and audio »
Isaac comes into focus once his parents die. Abraham’s other children reflect good fortune, but only Sarah’s child, Isaac, counts in terms of God’s agenda. Pointedly, Abraham keeps his other offspring separated from Isaac. Full reading and audio »
In business and organizational life we often begin by thinking about the end. What do we hope to accomplish? How will the world be different if we’re successful? Full reading and audio »
Take a couple of deep breaths! We have traveled wide and far through this visionary world over the last couple weeks. The risen Jesus commanded John to write down the revelation that would disclose the past, present, and future history of God’s restoration of all creation. Full reading and audio »
If you watch commercials and storefronts in the U.S. at Valentine’s Day, you might believe that you can develop a recipe for love with three simple ingredients: buy a sweet and/or funny card, add some flowers, and finish it off with some chocolates. Full reading and audio »
Psalms 79 and 80 are communal laments, whereas Psalm 81 is a glorious psalm of worship. All three psalms are connected to Asaph, about whom little is known except that he, or at least his family, is involved in priestly and liturgical ministry. Full reading and audio »
In this Lectio series, we are examining four themes that figure prominently in Old Testament Wisdom Literature. Weeks 2–5 were devoted to the “orthodox” treatment of those themes given in the oldest of the Bible’s Wisdom writings, the book of Proverbs, and Weeks 6–9 to questions and criticisms raised by later Hebrew sages against the orthodox positions. Full reading and audio »
I owned a leather Bible once, its edges gilded in gold, Jesus’ words printed in red, and its pages crinkled from the dew that moistened it when I set the Bible down in the grass to jump onto the swing set, where I waited for my two older sisters to daub on their makeup before church. Full reading and audio »
Some people thrive on data. Maybe you don’t! Here’s just enough data to launch us into a parable-rich section of Luke. Full reading and audio »
Trust. For some the word may seem antiquated. They may say, “Trust [in others] is for the naïve, the foolish, the weak. Trust will only lead to disappointment and hurt. Suspicion and autonomy are for the strong. The only one you can trust is yourself.” Full reading and audio »
In our longest passage to date, Paul addresses a key question facing the Corinthian believers: Should we eat food that has been sacrificed to idols? A burning question for the Corinthians in more ways than one! Full reading and audio »
About seven chapters of the latter part of the book of Joshua detail the distribution of the land of Canaan to the tribes of Israel. You will not hear many riveting sermons on these chapters or read gripping theological books based on them. Full reading and audio »