It’s almost Christmas!  We dive into the Magnificat.  The story where a teenage girl who recently found out she’s pregnant runs to her bestie to share the news.  In the words of Debie Thomas, “let’s linger here for a minute.”  Linger with Pastor Allison and Pastor A.J. in this moment of dangerous hope for the world to come!  Advent 4, December 22, 2024. 

Discussion Questions:

John the Baptist comes to share the good news of some fire and brimstone and pave the way for Jesus.  But is John really that harsh? Could it be that John is calling everyone into the kingdom of God rather than calling people out?  Check out this conversation with Pastor Becca Seely for Advent 3, December 15, 2024.

Discussion Questions:

Pastor Lori and Pastor A.J. talk about John the Baptist in our Advent 2 Gospel lesson. We dive into equity, our baptismal promises, and what repentance means in our lives today.  Join us for this conversation on Luke 3:1-6 for Sunday, December 8th, 2024.

Discussion Questions:

We are diving into our Gospel lessons from Luke for the Advent Season.  It’s quite apocalypsy and we are challenged by what Jesus says.  Is it the end of everything? Maybe not.  Maybe Jesus is just calling for the end of the empire.  What is the hope in this? What are we supposed to do with this message?  Dive into Luke 21:25-36 with us for Sunday, December 1, 2024.

Discussion Questions:

The pinnacle text of terror, buckle up.  Pastor Andrew and Pastor A.J. dive into our last installment of the Judges study with the hardest violence for us to wrestle with: violence where God does not show up.  What do we make of this in our faith and our lives? This discussion is about the Levite’s concubine in Judges 19.  Discussion guide is available at www.tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges

Discussion Questions:

Other notes:

In our 4th installment of our Judges Study, we take a look at the second part of Samson’s story: the part where Delilah tricks him, cuts his hair, and he commits mass murder with his own suicide.  Where does God fit into all of this? Join Pastor Bre and Pastor A.J. in this heavy conversation about Samson’s final vindictive act.  Discussion guide is available on our website: tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges

Discussion Questions:

We are in week 3 of our special Judges study about God-Ordained Violence.  We pick up this week with Samson.  Samson is a figure that has been held in high regard as a hero of Israel… but is he? Tune into this conversation with Pastor Elise to learn more about his story and the violence that surrounds this iconic biblical figure. Study guide for this episode is available at tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges

Discussion Questions:

1. What have you learned about Samson in Sunday School?  How did this reading and discussion change your image of Samson?

2. Do you see Samson as a deliverer? Why would God ordain Samson’s actions of violence?

3. The slippery slope, what is the point of all of these stories in our scripture?

4. Is this violence God’s way or is it our way?

5. God still cares for Samson through all of his ups and downs.  What does this tell us about how God relates to us?  

6. What does this tell us about God?

Downloadable discussion guide: tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges

In week 2 of our Judges: A Study of God-Ordained Violence, we pick up with the judge: Gideon.  Gideon has a large army to defeat their enemies but God wants them to do it with a smaller army to get all the glory.  Pastor Kyle gives us some great grace-filled insight into God and our relationship with the divine during troubled times.  Discussion guide at: www.tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you experienced the conditioning of men versus women and glorifying violence?

2. How do you hear that God wants them to get glory with a small army so they can’t have it themselves? Is this God ordaining this violence? Or is it what Pastor Kyle says, “if you want violence, I’ll give it to you,but it’s not what you need.”

3. “Power and violence are the things people want more than they want true wisdom, God offers the better and we keep taking the worse. We have as much free agency as we want and God says you can keep taking the bad as much as you want until you realize it’s just too bad for you.” Are these actions of God actually out of love?

4. Pastor Kyle introduces the threshing floor versus wine press metaphor. Are we trying to do it the wrong way and just missing God’s instructions?

5. Is God anti-violent or non-violent? Do you get that in the story of Gideon?

6. What does this tell us about God?

Rabbi Evan and Pastor A.J. dive into the first part of our new study of God-ordained Violence.  We outline some background information for Judges, talk about the specific story that takes place under the leadership of the Judge Deborah, including a tent stake through the head.  The next 5 weeks will include uncomfortable conversations around violence that happens in the Bible, God’s role in this, and how do we respond.  This episode talks about Judges 4:12-24.  You can download the study guide materials at https://www.tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges 

Discussion Questions:

1. Before we start, how do you perceive violence in the Bible?

2. How do you theologically understand “God-ordained” violence in the Bible?

3. How do you perceive Jael’s actions? Hospitality? Hospitality in times of war?

4. What is your theological understanding about the 5th commandment? In times of war?

5. Listening to Rabbi’s perspective on this violence, what differences do you notice in your own theology?

6. What does this tell us about God?

Other notes:

1. Visual for Song of the Sea/Song of Deborah: https://www.museumofthebible.org/magazine/collections/yom-va-yosha-and-the-song-of-the-sea  

2. ELCA Social Statement on Peace: https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/PeaceSS.pdf?_ga=2.58500010.1204821829.1726546425-502595238.1726546425

We have reached the end of season 3 and with it, some tough questions.  The "circumcised" or "uncircumcised"? Who is in, who is out, and who is closer to God?  Spoiler alert, no one.  The author of Ephesians draws us in to ask some very important questions of our time and face head on what it means to put the hostility in our world to death on the cross. This is no small feat.. join with us in this hard conversation.  Pastors A.J. and Bishop Gohl discuss Ephesians 2:11-22 for Sunday, July 21, 2024.

Discussion Questions:

1. What hostilities do we (you) need to put to death?

2. What do Paul's words say to us in our current reality?

3. How do we understand the grace that is given to both sides?

4. What is our role in the storm as followers of Jesus?

5. Where is the Good News?

DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded before the shooting at former President Trump's campaign rally. Though, I think it should be taken into consideration in light of these words from Ephesians.