This weekend in Bible School we taught on apocolyptic literature in the intertestamental period with a focus on the visions of Daniel (chapters 7-12). The vision of the four beasts in chapter 7 is explained later in that chapter as identifying four kingdoms. Like everything in Bible interpretation, the identities of the kingdoms is debated. … Continue reading In the Jaws of the Beast
Transformation from the Inside Out
This is a sermon I prepared for my home church, Knox Presbyterian Church in Spokane, WA. The topic is transformation and the text is Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana. This turned out to be a really fun way to "preach in transit".
Perceiving Well (Mk 8 22-26)
https://youtu.be/08I6ShmHtNI
Ruths Solution 3:3 – Winning Strategies
Until now, I have spent most of my time setting the scene and - I hope - dramatizing the tensions that are written between the lines of Ruth's story. But the real magic of the story is not encoded in the setting or the narrative or even the social positions and potentials of the various … Continue reading Ruths Solution 3:3 – Winning Strategies
Ruths Solution 2:3 – Power and Influence
"Power and Influence" My present interest in Ruth's story arises in part from a hypothetical interest in what it would take to truly integrate a refugee into a foreign community. But I am also intrigued by the possibility that simple relational strategies enabled a relatively small social success that contributed directly to the rise of … Continue reading Ruths Solution 2:3 – Power and Influence
Ruths Solution 1:3 – Introduction
In the history of every community, there are points when the future success of the many hangs on the behavior of the few. These moments may be dramatic and perilous, like the cold December morning in 1237 AD when Russian emissaries from the walled city of Ryazan turned their backs on an army of Mongol warriors who had demanded their … Continue reading Ruths Solution 1:3 – Introduction