Bibdig - Christianity for grownups

If it weren't for the explosions of supernovas, life would not be possible anywhere in the Universe. Andy Weeks, a pastor of the Berean Bible Students Church of Lombard, Illinois is also an avid amateur astronomer. In our interview, he likens the dance of a white dwarf and red giant around each other, followed by a massive explosion of the white dwarf, to  how the difficulties in our lives are used by God to create life. Our spiritual growth -- the most important part of our lives as Christians, is nurtured and shaped by the tragedies and hardships of our lives.

Andy and Owen discuss the challenges of serving people, mistakes he has made, and the ways in which God has equipped him for this work.

The 2nd half of my time with Christian provocateur and Christocentric Universalist Jim Henderson wraps up our discussion of his 3Practices.com methods and training. Then we launch into a discussion of his question, "What if God actually LIKES us?" He also tells us about his efforts to promote the No Joke Project and other forays into civility in this polarized, toxic time.

Toward the end I ask him his favorite scripture, and he gives me two very interesting verses that we don't think about every day... and interviews our waitress.

I think you will enjoy this high-energy conversation with one of the most prolific Christian thinkers of the last decade.

Every Christian has a story, and sometimes the "seeker" just stumbles into the light, so to speak. But others simply won't take no for an answer. They are on a quest for something that feels right, something that feels large, loving, and all-encompassing -- a set of answers that seem worthy of a God who calls himself "the Almighty". That's the kind of story Kathy Rosenberg tells. Interested in God, drawn to the Bible as a small child, she led her family from church to church until she found answers that felt right.

Kathy tells me her story, and then we discuss her expectations for how comprehensive and all-inclusive the love of God for the human race will be, as she finds it described in the Bible. At the end of our conversation Kathy shares one of her new favorite passages, from 1 John chapter 2. 

Tim Krupa of Cannon Beach, Oregon looks back on the experiences of his life that made him look for what is simple, what is the essence, what is the core of Jesus' teachings and the Apostle Paul's power. 

The discussion starts with a meditation on eternity, inspired by the ocean outside his window, and then settles into a deep discussion of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, then John, then Romans, Colossians and Ephesians. 

Tim is one of the most effective Christian preachers Owen has met, and the conversation is as entertaining as it is informative and thought-provoking.

Part 2 of my interview with George Pantalos. We consider the importance of blood for bringing oxygen to every part of every vertebrate's body -- and also for removing waste chemicals and transmitting heat. Beyond that, we discuss the spiritual implications of blood -- especially when one person gives of their own blood to help another person live.

We also George's work for the last decade to help the FDA protect the integrity of the blood supply at the same time that they are making blood donation possible for all people whose blood is healthy. 

George Pantalos has been floating around, studying blood flow and heart function for forty years. With degrees in both aeronautical engineering and human physiology, Dr. P has been a participant in the study of blood flow in space travel. 

In this episode George shares his research, from his years as a student at Ohio State to his 17year stint in the biomedical engineering faculty at the University of Utah, and 20 years at the University of Louisville. George has also flown 45 times in NASA's parabolic weightlessness simulator aircraft, developing experiments that can be used in Zero G's to study the impact of weightlessness on the human body. I think you'll be as excited as I am to learn about the latest discoveries that George and his research teams have made in the area of human survivability on a multi-year trip to Mars and back.

I met Linda Lawson Miller when we worked together on a workshop of the Israel Leadership Institute in Columbus, Ohio in February. She is a deeply committed supporter of Israel. She shares many aspects of her life including the impact of Christian school and Christian ministry on her children, and her own vision for understanding and writing about Israel. This dramatically different interview shows the flip side of critiquing the Church -- focusing instead on what is true, what is real ... and recognizing that all human efforts at religion will naturally fall short because of the impact of power and politics upon our lives.
She lives by Golda Meir's motto: Show up. Pay attention. Speak from the heart. And don't be attached to the outcome.

Randy Hughey joins me for the conclusion of our high speed chase through the tunnel of life. After recounting what felt like the utter death of faith at the hands of a beloved church community, in this episode we trade perspectives on the pathway home. What, after all, is the purpose we are called for?

Are we supposed to be engaged in a quest for prophetic and doctrinal truths? Or is our largest challenge to understand peace and pursue excellence?

Where is God leading us, and what does he have in mind for the world? Are things supposed to be burned up? Is Armageddon a real thing? Is it in our hands? Is it the end of everything, or only of a few bad things, and the beginning of a great many wonderful things?

Towards the end Randy floored me by launching into a powerful quote of one of my favorite scriptures: Micah 6:6-8:

With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Owen interviews Randy Hughey during a pandemic, after a catastrophic loss of faith. Sounds ominous but both the personal and the world-wide apocalyptic troubles reveal a great deal -- not only the faults of our nations and our churches, but also the reality of good mixed with bad in our own hearts.

Is the purpose of Christian fellowship to help individual disciples with the pursuit of truth? Is truth an objective reality or a subjective perception without the necessity of facts, observation, and rigorous testing? These questions underscore the process in Randy Hughey's life that led him from seeking participation with others in the quest for truth, to focusing primarily through meditation and personal research to find a vetted sense of reality in his own heart.

Evidence of a positive future plan from the very beginning. A deep conversation with Chris Miller, Professor of Bible at Cedarville University. In this wide-ranging discussion we look at the threads of wisdom, redemption, good character, and bad character that are woven throughout the Old Testament narrative. "There aren't 66 books. It's just one book." Chris shares his love of the book of Judges, insights from the lives of Joseph, Samson, David, and many others. Owen confesses his heresies, and Vern Culp sings the song he wrote with Rosie Palof: "It's time to turn around." Chris has been teaching the Bible, primarily Old Testament, full time for 39 years -- 29 at Cedarville. Currently he is also writing a commentary on the book of Matthew.