Text: Exodus 16:1-8, Matthew 4:2-4, Deuteronomy 8:1-8 This week, as we continue our journey in the wilderness, we come to the first of three temptation stories. Three trials. Three decision points. Three opportunities to be shaped by God. The first is about a basic necessity for life: food. Jesus has been fasting for forty days…
The Wilderness: Learning to Lean on the Lord
Text: Exodus 15:22-27, Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-2a, 4:14-15 This year, we are taking a journey through the wilderness during the season of Lent. Most years, we spend one Sunday, if that, focused on the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. However, the wilderness is not something to be glossed…
The Wilderness: Can These Bones Live?
Yesterday was my Sabbath day. I wore pajamas all day long. I curled up in a chair and played video games. I watched five episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on the DVR. I was a sloth. I was exhausted. I needed to stop moving, stop thinking, to simply be. But there is a fear that when…
General Conference Reflections #gc2019
I knew that whatever decisions we made or didn’t make during this past week in our General Conference that this Transfiguration text would be appropriate to frame our conversation. You see, in the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke – the three that see together – the Transfiguration represents a turning point. Where…
Surrounded #gc2019
I’ve been here in St. Louis for two days now because of some committee responsibilities and it is hard to imagine that we are here and ready to get started. We have been talking about this special called conference for a long time. And a big part of me really just wants to be on…
Bible 101: Art, Science, History of Interpretation
Text: Luke 11: 27-28 Over these last few weeks in Bible 101, we have explored how our scriptures were put together, translated, and some of the creative tension that was baked into the text itself. Today, our focus is on interpretation. Once we understand what a scripture meant in the time and place it was…
Bible 101: Pulling Meat Out of a Text
Text: Hebrews 5:11-6:3, Revelation 3:15-16 The author of Hebrews doesn’t seem very nice. The people they are writing to are called lazy. They are compared with babies, needing milk instead of solid food. And… the author is impatient because they aren’t sure the people have been listening at all. Well, maybe I might snap just…
Bible 101: From the Septuagint to the Message
Text: John 1:1-14, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 First question I have for all of you… how many of you felt like last week’s discussion of quantum mechanics and elephants was a tiny bit over your head? That’s okay! Each week we are going to explore a different way of approaching the bible and a different part…