Geocaching Scripture

John the Baptist worked in Bethany beyond the Jordan. Lazarus is from Bethany. To turning points in Jesus' public ministry. But there is no Bethany beyond the Jordan, so...?

Jesus always welcomed children, stopping everything to do so. Have you ever tried to "sort of" welcome a child? You can't! If you're going to welcome them, you have to drop everything. The Kingdom of God is the same way. 

A discussion of the ever-controversial Genesis chapter one. Christians have been fighting about this one long before Charles Darwin was even a one-celled organism, and the dialogue rages on. The temple dedication theory of Genesis, reading it as a dedication not a creation of the universe, is quite helpful. Here's a brief intro on stuff people much smarter than me have written on. 

Paul sends Titus instructions for going to the difficult area of Crete. One of their own philosophers called them all liars and brutes. Their local mythology was full of stories of their conniving, double-crossing deities. 

The Pericope Adulterae, or as we probably call it “Jesus and the Women Taken in Adultery”, is a bit of a homeless story. Most of the best manuscripts either don’t include it or don’t include it in this part of John. Despite this, many scholars believe it to be historical and it certainly seems like Jesus, leaning down next to the woman and doodling in the sand. That’s where the geocache is.

As with any human community, myths and rumors have a way of becoming "fact" in the echo chamber. Through Sunday school lessons and sermon illustrations, there are a few of these stories that have made their way into the Christian conversation. Our faith is rooted in history, and anything that comes between the history and our faith story may not be outright harmful but isn't too helpful.

Get on your oxygen tank and pack your best gear, this one's way at the top! Paul talks at length about meat offered to idols – not a conversation we’re used to having in the modern world, but a very everyday concern in Corinth. Paul writes to them about the hermeneutic of love, the driving principle that should determine your behavior as a community in Christ. A very localized pastoral discussion that still has application for us today. Also, you get to listen to me trip over my own tongue trying to pronounce Greek….

We've all heard the story that the rainbow was the symbol of God's promise to Noah, but have we looked closer at the actual text? As usual, it's got more dimension and color than we might have thought. God's promise, using some metaphorical imagery that would have made sense to the original readers, that he will always work with us and won't start humanity over again. 

The second in my guest star series! Financial advisor Paul West CFP®, CAP®, sits down to talk with us about stewarding money and serving the financial needs of families all across the financial spectrum. This episode is a tour de force of me talking with someone much smarter than myself about how money works, how philanthropy works and how to frame it all in faith. There's also a brief interlude about the '86 Chicago Bears. Enjoy.