The Second Sunday in Advent is traditionally associated with peace. There are two Advent sermons on the blog focusing on peace as well as a three-part series entitled “Shalom” I wrote in August of 2021. In today’s article I want to share insights on shalom by Walter Brueggemann, the greatest… Continue reading
Read the Scripture Sometime around 760-750 BCE a man from the kingdom of Judah was called by God to become a prophet. This call marked the beginning of Israelite Classical Prophecy, one of the most amazing and influential religious movements in the history of the world. The prophet was a… Continue reading
Throughout our study of these opening chapters of Genesis we have discovered traditions with roots going back many, many years. We have also seen how some of the stories in these chapters may have been used at various junctures of Israel’s history. For example, the Adam and Eve story at… Continue reading
The Protestant Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. My Ph. D. is in Biblical studies with a focus on the “Old Testament.” Like most serious students of the Bible, I prefer calling the earlier part of the Scriptures “the Hebrew Scriptures.” The term… Continue reading
My fellow liberal Christians are puzzled by one aspect of my approach to theology. I have always had an interest in eschatology and believe that it is a vital and indispensable part of our faith. Liberals on the whole see little need to speculate about “the Last Things.” In fact,… Continue reading
(22 minutes) Around 760 BCE in a small, insignificant village in Judah, a most monumental event occurred. A shepherd was called by God to prophesy in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This shepherd did not belong to any of the prophetic guilds—in other words, he had no “professional” training. But… Continue reading
Imagine if you will that you are a teenage boy some 2600 years ago in the Kingdom of Judah and God’s word comes to you in a powerful and unmistakable way. God says, “You are to be my prophet to the nations.” Like Jeremiah you would probably protest–“I am too… Continue reading
