Lighthouse Faith

Renowned theologian and pastor Dr. Timothy Keller takes a look at the well-known story of Jonah and the Whale in his new book, The Prodigal Prophet. The narrative of Jonah in the Old Testament is an account of a the prophet who was swallowed whole by a great fish. The story seems improbable, until its deeper spiritual meaning is exposed. Jonah's running from God, according to Keller, is a universal understanding of rebellious anger at God, lessons about racism, nationalism, self-righteousness, and political power. This is not your Sunday School take.

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Renowned theologian and pastor Dr. Timothy Keller takes a look at the well-known story of Jonah and the Whale in his new book, The Prodigal Prophet. The narrative of Jonah in the Old Testament is an account of a the prophet who was swallowed whole by a great fish. The story seems improbable, until its deeper spiritual meaning is exposed. Jonah's running from God, according to Keller, is a universal understanding of rebellious anger at God, lessons about racism, nationalism, self-righteousness, and political power. This is not your Sunday School take.

A miserly old man who hates Christmas is Charles Dicken's classic story that has been made into a myriad of film, stage and TV adaptations. But the narrative of Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption is filled with Christian symbolism that most versions miss or just cut out. Pastor Cheryl Kincaid shares the details of her research for her book, "Hearing the Gospel Through Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol" showing the biblical meaning of Scrooge's first name, Tiny Tim's illness as a social commentary, and how the three ghosts who visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve animate the Church's Advent Lessons about the true meaning of Christmas. Scholars have debated whether Charles Dickens was really a Christian, but Kincaid lays that controversy to rest. She also talks about how it was Tiny Tim's words that helped her after a car accident rendered her partially paralyzed. She says, "He thought it might be pleasant if people saw him in church, that they might remember who made the lame people walk and blind people see. And it touched my heart because he wasn't asking to be healed. He was asking for God to use him where he was at."  It was those words that sent her on a journey to discovering the hidden meaning of "A Christmas Carol."

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Christmas is a time for caroling, and there's hardly a more known writer of Christian music than Keith and Kristyn Getty. Each year they have a Christmas Concert tour, "Sing! An Irish Christmas" that has grown to be one of the largest and most popular Christmas concerts in the country.  This year's concert is part of his larger movement called 'Sing' to bring caroling and hymn singing back to churches. Music has the power to heal the wounds of the soul like no other salve there is. Keith will take you to the depths of music's power and give you a new understanding to the sounds of music.

Christmas is a time for caroling, and there's hardly a more known writer of Christian music than Keith and Kristyn Getty. Each year they have a Christmas Concert tour, "Sing! An Irish Christmas" that has grown to be one of the largest and most popular Christmas concerts in the country.  This year's concert is part of his larger movement called 'Sing' to bring caroling and hymn singing back to churches. Music has the power to heal the wounds of the soul like no other salve there is. Keith will take you to the depths of music's power and give you a new understanding to the sounds of music.

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Children all over the world hang their stockings up in wild anticipation of Santa's visit on Christmas eve.  Whether you call him St. Nick, Kris Kringle, or Santa Claus, there was a real St. Nicholas that started it all. He was a Greek Orthodox priest who was born in 280 AD, in the early days of Christianity. He was present at, and participated in the Council of Nicaea, where Christian bishops debated the tenets of the faith from which came the Nicaean creed, which Christians still recite today. So how did we go from St. Nicholas to Jolly Old St. Nick in a red suit, black belt and shoes and a snowy white beard? Bestselling Author, William Federer has the fascinating answers.

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Children all over the world hang their stockings up in wild anticipation of Santa's visit on Christmas eve.  Whether you call him St. Nick, Kris Kringle, or Santa Claus, there was a real St. Nicholas that started it all. He was a Greek Orthodox priest who was born in 280 AD, in the early days of Christianity. He was present at, and participated in the Council of Nicaea, where Christian bishops debated the tenets of the faith from which came the Nicaean creed, which Christians still recite today. So how did we go from St. Nicholas to Jolly Old St. Nick in a red suit, black belt and shoes and a snowy white beard? Bestselling Author, William Federer has the fascinating answers.

JJ Wright brings to audiences a new vision of religious music. No longer is glorifying God confined to specific  lanes of either hymns or popular praise music, or even Gregorian Chant. Wright, a native of Buffalo, NY and a music professor at Notre Dame, has combined them all including jazz, to create his new work called Vespers for the Immaculate Conception. It's the kind of work the Advent Season has yet to see. And on this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, you can get a sample of some of the sounds of the work. Vespers will get a New York Premiere tonight, December 5th, 2019,  at the famous and iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue under the baton of Dr. Jennifer Pascual, the music director of St. Patrick's, who has directed the Cathedral music in front of two Popes. Before you listen to the podcast, check out the trailer for the creation of this new piece.

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As a journalist I've written a lot about Pope Francis, the Shepherd of the Catholic Church. But like hundreds, if not thousands like me, I have never interviewed him, much less met him. But author Austen Ivereigh has had the privilege of spending some quality time with the Bishop of Rome, and so his new book, Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and His Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church, takes on more meaning and purpose. Ivereigh understands the man, Jorge Bergoglio, the first Latin American pope. What's more, he understands what Francis wants for Catholicism and Christianity. Francis, according to Ivereigh, is singularly focused on putting Christ first in the Church; that means converting its members to know and understand the "man of sorrows, wounded for our transgressions" as the prophet Isaiah said. While media and armchair Catholic watchers focus on whether divorce Catholics or pro-abortion politicians should receive Communion, or priests should be allowed to marry. Francis is trying to put Christ back in Christianity, of making Jesus the head of the Church in people's hearts. But it's taken a toll on him. Grumblings that he's at odds with the American bishops, or that he's far too liberal for the conservative wing have made him a lonely figure. Hence, the wounding of the shepherd. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, Austen Ivereigh talks about his time with Pope Francis; about what he wants, what he knows and where he's trying to take the Catholic Church.

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The New Testament in the Bible is relatively short compared to the Old Testament; it's about half or less its length.  Yet its where the whole of Christianity is based.  And if you're confused, don't be. N.T. Wright, British scholar and Anglican bishop, has written a nearly thousand page book on the New Testament, that will tell you about everything you need to know about it.  However, in this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Dr. Wright highlights some of the bullet points of how the Old and New Testament relate; why Christmas -- the birth of Jesus-- was such an earth shattering and life-altering event for humanity, and why the claims of Christianity are embedded not just in faith but in history. His book, "The New Testament in Its World" takes us back to first century culture, to Jewish culture under Roman rule, to see how impossible it was for Jews with their worldview of centuries of Mosaic law --the Law presented to them through Moses-- could suddenly start worshipping a person, Jesus. This is a must hear and must read for any armchair theologian as well as for those who just want to know more about the Christian faith.

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