Religiosanity

In this epic final episode in the "Sane Christmas" series, Pastor Andrew finishes taking us through the wonderfully absurd alternate nativity story, "Protoevangelium of James," featuring bitter water, mid wives, frozen time, and "R-rated material!" And he challenges us to embrace the humor and folly of these stories.

Pastor Andrew takes us through a sort of "Christmas pageant for adults" that is "Protoevangelium of James," (from 150 CE)a sometimes wild and, perhaps unintentionally, humorous origin story of both Mary and Jesus. In this first part, we learn about the miraculous way Mary was born and how she met Joseph that takes a radical departure from the circumstances found in the gospels yet still at times attempts to merge the gospel stories.

Decoding ancient mysteries of Jesus’ birth.

In the Gospel of Luke Jesus shares miraculous birth with Hellenistic heroes.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus’ birth is even more enigmatic and remarkable. The Announcement of his birth goes beyond 700 years earlier prophecy all the way to 1,200 years older Cuneiform text of Late Bronze Myth from Ugarit.

Join us talking why and how Mary became a virgin again.

In this third installment of the "Sane Christmas" series, Pastor Andrew takes us on a deep dive into the three different layers of virginity of Mary in relation to the birth of Jesus: virginal conception, virginal birth, and immaculate conception; plus highlights some passages that give us clues into Mary's significance, and also, on the other hand, the power we can find in her unremarkable-ness.

In this second episode in the "Sane Christmas" series, Pastor Andrew illustrates how two Gospels handle "the Bethlehem problem," in other words, how do we get Jesus born in Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecy from Micah?

Pastor Andrew contrasts Christmas celebration traditions in Europe to the odd Santa-fication (Santa-fixation) that has formed in America due to commercial and secular influences.

How American #ReligiousIgnorance together with ravenous consumerism and greedy capitalism gave us Santa Claus abomination.

#SantaAbomination

This is part one of a special "Sane Christmas" series.

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Don't be afraid - here is a foretaste of #BibleClass at Rutgers Church. It is informed by the solid and most recent scholarship but is not afraid to include our personal experiences, current events and #geopolitical context.

This is just about one pericope - interpreting the story of the #Demoniac of Gerasa

#Healing #Demonism #Occupation #militaryOccupation #Demon #SocialGospel

#Demythologisation #Demythologization

Pastor Andrew recounts his recent trip to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and surrounding area, and talks about its pueblos, kivas and the importance of valuing the history of Indigenous people.

On this festive 13th episode, Pastor Andrew talks about the beautiful Celtic holiday of Samhain, the rituals and activities that were involved in it, and how it was watered down and commercialized into the holiday we know as Halloween.

Pastor Andrew reads his own dynamic equivalence translation of The Lord's Prayer and discusses his wording choices that bring Jesus' radical prayer into modern times and helps us reconnect with its original meaning.

From Pastor Andrew's Blog:

Loving God of the highest authority:

In other words - heavenly parent. But “father” in the Ancient Near East context was primarily a figure of authority, especially if that figure was situated in the heavenly realm.

May what you stand for be the measure for everything.

That is an attempt to convey the concept of holiness and divine kingdom.

May the world be shaped as your love will have it:

Translating a petition which asks for divine rule to come from Heaven down on Earth.

Preserve for us and future generations enough for everyone to live:

with fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink, a blue planet to inhabit.

In the Ancient Near East devastating famines were a regular occurrence and for many people in Jesus’ times their food security was a daily concern.

In our world the food security is also a painfully reality, but is ever more associated with an environmental devastation.

May our society be organized fairly, without anyone crushed by debt or need.

The original text clearly spoke about the debt-forgiveness. All other words (sins, trespasses etc.) are attempts to translate the original Aramaic word חובא which was debt/obligation/anything owed. Our translation is an idiomatic attempt to provide similar meaning of forgiveness of debts and social justice.

(By the way, the medieval “trespassing” was primarily aimed at destitute serfs who were driven to poaching in the vast holdings of their lords.)

Let the police and courts treat people justly, regardless of their class, nationality or race.

The original text requests protection from “being handed over to judgement/trial” either to the corrupt Jewish authorities or to the occupying Roman power. In our times when prisons are disproportionally full of black men, the poor and the mentally ill (not to mention recent highly problematic detention of Mesoamerican migrants), I think this is an accurate contextual translation.

With thanks we now submit ourselves under your bright and loving rule for ever.

And together we say - Let it be so!

The closing doxology is not biblical and I took freedom to translate it from the broader Greek context translating “kingdom, power and glory” and final “amen”.