Based on Genesis 37:3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50:15-21 Joseph’s story, like Abraham is a key story in Scripture.  And like Abraham, it is a long story, taking up many chapters of Genesis.  While Abraham’s story can be considered a type of origin of faith and faithfulness story, Joseph’s story is a different type of origin story.  It is a […] The post Stroll through Scripture for September 22, 2024 appeared first on ..read more

Carey Nieuwhof wrote an article in about how our politics aren’t the problem, but rather they are a symptom. I think he’s onto something. I would phrase it a bit different though.  I’d say that our politics aren’t the problem. Rather, our politics is the outward expression of our actual, core beliefs. Those are the […] The post Politics aren’t the Problem. Core Beliefs are. appeared first on ..read more

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ut24z-16d526f In Genesis 15:1-16 we hear about God making a promise to Abram.  Abram struggles with that promise.  There are decades in which he doesn’t hear from God.  That’s just like life.  So often we can’t see how things will turn out, but God is faithful and walks with us and keeps God’s promises.    The post God is Faithful appeared first on ..read more

For this episode I decided to do something a bit different – share some insights into books that I’ve read recently. I hope this inspires you to read some of these same books too. The post Impolite Company for September 15, 2024 – the book review episode appeared first on ..read more

Based on Genesis 15:1-6 The covenant with Abram is an interesting story.  It is familiar and foreign at the same time.  It is familiar in the sense of God calling a person, that person taking matters into their own hands, and God making and fulfilling a promise in spite of what humans do.  It is foreign because our […] The post Stroll through Scripture for Sunday, September 15, 2024 appeared first on ..read more

Why do humans make excuses for the idols they worship? Is it to sooth something within a person? Is it to make it seem like the false god that a person worships is not real? Is it to fool ourselves into believing that we just can’t be wrong and are therefore innocent? I don’t know. […] The post We make excuses for our idols appeared first on ..read more

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-x5xnj-16ca34e The second creation account and the accompanying story of the Fall are well known by many.  And the story sets up the rest of Scripture to tell of blessings and curses in so many ways.  It is an attempt to explain to people how we get to where we are.  Look around – see […] The post Blessings and Curses appeared first on ..read more

There was another mass shooting in a school. This time the horror was in Georgia. Last year several authors got together to write a fictional account of a mass shooting with the purpose of highlighting the humanity in the midst of such horror. The gun debate is often just people talking past each other with […] The post Another shooting…when will it end? appeared first on ..read more

Based on Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17; 3:1-8 This Sunday begins the new cycle for the Narrative Lectionary and so that means we start at the very beginning of Scripture with the story of creation and the Fall.  There are two creation stories in Genesis constituting the first couple of chapters of the book.  This version focuses primarily on […] The post Stroll through Scripture for Sunday, September 8, 2024 appeared first on ..read more

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-gb94x-16be650 People have been lamenting and crying to God with the question “How long, oh Lord?” It is the cry of people oppressed.  It is the cry of people who have suffered.  It is the cry of humanity exhausted by cruelty.  Daniel 12 doesn’t give us an answer so much as reminds us that nothing […] The post How Long, Oh Lord? appeared first on ..read more