FTLOL is a compendium, collection, amalgam, fusion, a grouping of the interweb’s deliciousness. Dig in and enjoy!

How do you read the Bible? On the surface that’s an odd question. But it is critical that us modern people think about the way we engage this ancient book. Robert Louis Wilken’s essay “How To Read The Bible” is a rich exploration of the way many Christians used to read the Bible. The good news is, it’s making a resurgence.

In a similar vein, Pauline Viviano teaches about the “Senses of Scripture” in this clear, concise, and enlightening article on reading Scripture the “medieval” way. — “The Senses of Scripture.” She provides a contemporary application of the senses of Scripture in her brief article, “Redeeming the Bible: Can Scripture be a Source of Unity and not Division?”

Some great thoughts from Scot McKnight on what Christian leadership is supposed to look like.

He was the creator of worlds and not only with his words. Author, painter, and Christian, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Paintings from Smithsonian Magazine.

Many of us have mixed feelings about evangelism. Both doing evangelism and having evangelism “happen” to us. Brad Jersak reflects on his experience. — Evangelism?

At this writing, the XIT Rodeo and Reunion is happening in my home town. Included in the celebration is the world’s largest free BBQ. (A mere 10,000 lbs. of beef) I have fond memories of serving pinto beans out of a 50 gallon drum. — World’s Largest Free BBQ is In Dalhart TX

You’ve probably seen his work. You can follow him on Instagram @scotthepainter Here is a video interview with him along with some of his work on the Stations of the Cross. — Stations in the City

Read about more expressions of the the intersection of art, faith, and mystery, in the journal Image.

Find more of Scot’s work on his substack — Scott Erickson

Bob, Kelly, and I have enjoyed working together on our recent series from the book of Colossians. Bob’s wrapping it up this Saturday. Here are the links to the previous week’s sermons. You can also listen to them on your favorite podcast app.

In honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration (every Aug 6). This is from Malcolm Guite, poet, priest, and rock and roller.

So far, the book of Colossians has reminded us that the most important thing for us to understand about God is Jesus. He is, “the image (icon) of the invisible God,” and, “all the fullness of the deity dwells in him bodily.” And the mystery of God is revealed in this human person, God incarnate, Jesus. When we get Jesus we get God. This has profound implications for the life we live “in the flesh.”

Simply put, if God becomes man in Jesus of Nazareth, then God is going to deal with humanity as we are and not as we “should” be.

So, when Paul riffs on some old Greco-Roman rules for how domestic life is supposed to operate (AKA the Household Codes), he’s highlighting the fact that God takes us just where we are.

Most importantly, Paul’s riff on the household codes has more to do with God’s willingness to come near to us than it does with rules for daily living. When Paul radicalizes these codes he’s telling us, God is going to work on this human thing, from the inside out. It is a marvelous example of how the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” or, as St. Eugene says, “moved into the neighborhood.”

For the Love of Links is a collection of interesting, entertaining, and sometimes useful material from the interwebs. This week: Theodicy in Texas, Superman, Struggling with prayer, Nephilim, Nebraska Churches cooperate, politics in church, and Stan says “Jesus Changes Everything.”

This question is unavoidable, especially when we hear about the young people who died at church camp on the Guadalupe River in Texas. Rod Dreher offers some thoughts on this horrible event, taking both God and the suffering seriously. — The Theological Mystery of Camp Mystic

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Dreher references the book The Doors of the Sea by David Bentley Hart. It is an excellent response to the question, “Where was God?” The article that spawned his book his here. I encourage you to give it your attention. — Tusnami and Theodicy

Lots of us listen to podcasts in the car, on the treadmill, and everywhere else. The Trinity Forum exists to help Christians think critically about the common good, and its collection of podcasts features insightful talks on faith, technology, politics, creativity, and service. You’ll hear from people like Jonathan Haidt, Karen Swallow Prior, Richard Foster, Beth Moore, Malcolm Guite, Makoto Fukimura, and Tom Holland (the historian, not the Spiderman character). — The Trinity Forum Podcasts

Winn Collier leads the Eugene Peterson Center at Calvin College. A great writer, he wrote the official biography of (St.) Eugene Peterson. This is a brief article on prayer that I think you’ll really enjoy. — For Those Who Struggle

He’s back! I didn’t know he was gone, but there’s a new one now. Now that the latest iteration of the Superman story has hit the screens, Russel Moore wonders aloud why Superman is so important. His conclusion may not be what you think. — Why Superman Matters

Michael Bird is a top-notch scholar and a fun presenter. In this post, he has two interviews with N.T. Wright and a presentation of his own on Jesus and Judaism. — “Amorous Angels” and Ask N.T. Wright

AN Wilson was a famous British atheist. Now he’s not. (an atheist or famous?) But the road back has been slower than he imagined. - AN Wilson, Why I Believe Again

Maybe Christians can get along better than we thought? Hinged pews help a lot. From Nebraska Stories.

A recent decision by the Supreme Court suggests that churches are now free to endorse political candidates. It’s probably not that simple. This brief article from First Things sheds some fresh light. — No, Churches Still May Not Endorse Candidates

Stanley Hauerwas is growing older but he’s still sharp-tongued, sharp-minded, and sharp-willed. Here’s a long conversation about his latest book with Stan and Brian Zhand. A much briefer version is below.

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For the Apostle Paul, the “mystery” of God is no secret. It is Jesus of Nazareth, God become man who remains man, taking up into his life all of our human experience.

In this message, we look at some of Paul’s “throwaway” lines in Colossians 2, with a little help from Tobias, the Archangel Raphael, and a fish

Kelly Chewning teaches us that the real rebellion is found in the hidden and human presence of Christ. She compares the Galactic Empire to the Roman Empire, prompting us to ask: what does Andor have to do with Colossae? (Let the reader/viewer understand.)

Wouldn’t you rather give it all at once for something real, than to carve out useless pieces until there’s nothing left? - Luthen Rael, Andor

Once again, Kelly artfully helps us recognize that following the incarnate God, Jesus of Nazareth, is the most anti-Empire act in any universe.

Negative theology is an approach to studying God by naming what God is not, rather than naming what God is. This approach assumes that God’s transcendence prevents us from actually knowing him, as Scripture says, God lives in “unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” (1 Timothy 6:16)

Yet, we call out to God; we not only speak about God, we speak to him! And the reason for this is that God has revealed himself to us in Jesus. And Jesus Christ is the “image of the invisible God.” (Col 1:15) Jesus is the “eikon/icon” of the God we cannot see because he is so transcendent, so completely other, “dwelling in unapproachable light.”

As the perfect imprint of God, the icon of the invisible God, Jesus is healing our marred and broken images from within the image itself.

Drawing on the stories of Elisha, Elijah, John the Baptist, and Ron Burgundy (¡?¿!), Bob has done a masterful job drawing together the stories of these unusual Old Testament prophets with the present ministry of Jesus.

When Elijah threw his mantle (cloak) over Elijah, he didn’t say anything. But in that act he set the course for Elijah’s life. The “mantle” of prophet had fallen on the young man and he would never be the same.

Walter Brueggemann asks three valuable questions relating this event to our lives. Who threw the mantle over you? What did they expect of you? And, how are you doing? And, another question worth adding is, who have you thrown this mantle of empowerment and expectation over?

Walter Brueggemann was one of the biggies in the world of biblical studies. The Old Testament scholar died earlier this month. He will be missed, even by those who couldn’t follow him to all of his conclusions. He did an especially good job linking the roles of the Old Testament prophets to the ministry of the modern church. Each of us may not be an Elijah, but together we share in Elijah’s work.

He’s the preeminent prophet of the Old Testament and there are more accounts of Elijah’s power encounters, proclamations, and oracles than any other prophet (except Moses). And it’s with Moses that Elijah appears along with Jesus in the story of the Transfiguration.

However, at low ebb, Elijah found himself running across country in need of supernatural refreshment. So God gives him a jar of water. Prophetic work is tough, and if the Church is going to follow in Elijah’s footsteps, we may need to eat a Snickers.