Word Processing

Many cultures today spend a significant amount of time, energy, and money attempting to guard against, avoid, ignore, and distance ourselves from all forms of suffering and sorrow, making many people ill-equipped when inevitably met with times of both. One author has noted that "increasingly we lack the social practices, words, and concepts necessary to grasp our pain by the horns and stare it in the face. We have been robbed of a vocabulary of grief, and we suffer for it." Thankfully, God's word provides an inspired corrective. The same author states, "The book of Lamentations accosts us by the wayside as a stranger who offers us an unasked-for, unwanted, and yet priceless gift—the poetry of pain. We would be wise to pay attention" (Parry, Lamentations, 1).

And, with help, pay attention we will strive to do. Dr. Matthew McAlack teaches Bible, theology, psychology, and youth and family ministry at Cairn University in Langhorne Manor, Pennsylvania. He’s also recently contributed a chapter to the book Surveying the Old Testament Prophets in which he explored the biblical book of Lamentations, the topic of our discussion today.

At first glance, the book of Jeremiah is a tough read. It's long, prophetic, and largely sorrowful. In fact, A. W. Streane opens his work on the book this way: "It is difficult to conceive any situation more painful than that of a great man, condemned to watch the lingering agony of an exhausted country, to tend it during the alternate fits of stupefaction and raving which precede its dissolution, and to see the symptoms of vitality disappear one by one, till nothing is left but coldness, darkness, and corruption."

Yikes. Jeremiah's ministry was hard, thankless, (apparently) fruitless, and exhausting. Yet, this prophet has much to teach the people of God throughout all generations, calling for repentance and holiness and adding to the growing anticipation of the coming Messiah and a New Covenant.

To help us traverse this potentially overwhelming text we've recruited the help of Dr. Lissa Wray Beal. Dr. Wray Beal is professor of Old Testament at Providence University College and Theological Seminary where she teaches the Hebrew Bible as a witness to God’s character, and as preparatory for Christ. She has written a number of articles and booksincluding a work-in-progress commentary on the book of Jeremiah.

Another year is quickly coming to its conclusion, and with it, this season of Word Processing. Today Josiah and Andrew take a look back at the year: the joys and trials, and what God has been teaching them through it all. Be sure to stay tuned for new episodes of Word Processing coming in January, 2022; and in the meantime, follow along with our Cover-to-Cover series which will continue each week. We hope and pray you have a joyous Christmas season and we'll be back in the new year!

We've got our work cut out for us this week as we arrive in our study at the impressive and prophetic book of Isaiah. "Of all the books in the OT, Isaiah is perhaps the richest. Its literary grandeur is unequaled. Its scope is unparalleled. The breadth of its view of God is unmatched. In so many ways it is a book of superlatives. Thus it is no wonder that Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the NT, and along with Psalms and Deuteronomy, one of the most frequently cited of all OT books. Study of it is an opportunity for unending inspiration and challenge" (Oswald, 3).

To help us get our minds around this massive and important section of Scripture we welcome to the podcast Dr. Jim Harmeling. Dr. Harmeling and his wife, Jacqui, moved to Singapore in 2018 as missionaries to train pastors in Asia in expository preaching and church leadership. Together they serve under Shepherds International based in North Carolina. They have five grown children living in the United States.

After months of lockdowns and restrictions and shockingly quiet roadways, it seems like, for many of us, life has gotten busy again! And in the midst of trying to balance work, family, serving, and anything else we have going on, it's not uncommon to spend some time thinking about rest.

Well after a refreshing time away, Josiah rejoins the podcast today to discuss this at-times-confusing subject, including the way the Bible defines rest, and the ways we as believers can find rest. 

Discussing God's view of human sexuality and marital intimacy can be like driving somewhere wonderful along a highway bracketed by two steep and dangerous ditches. One ditch is characterized by flippancy, irreverence, and crassness. With this error, sex is trivialized and all its sacred beauty is stripped away. The second ditch, however, is just as dangerous and is characterized by silence, awkwardness, and joylessness. On this side of the road, sex is cloaked in shame and the good gift is hidden from view. Both ditches are erroneous, idolatrous, and unnecessary.

So, how do we keep the car on the road when exploring this super-important, always-relevant, and constantly-pressing issue? Thankfully, we've recruited an able guide to help us steer.

Dr. Mark McGinnis is the professor of Old Testament literature, language, and exegesis at Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. He spent twenty-seven years in full-time pastoral ministry, serving the same church in which he first trusted Christ. He has experience as a youth pastor, senior pastor, and Christian school principal. In addition to publishing many journal articles, Dr. McGinniss has written and contributed to books exploring the theology the Song of Songs and on the theology of the story of Scripture as a whole.

As a local church grows in size (or is forced apart because of a virus!) it can become increasingly difficult to actually know everyone in the community and, thus, to be blessed by everyone in the community. This is unfortunate because there are no unnecessary members (1 Corinthians 12:7), none who are ungifted (Romans 12:6), and not one who isn't called to the "work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" unto spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11–13). Said another way, we need one another as Spirit-indwelled conduits of God's grace to propel us toward holiness and, when unable to be around one another and to know one another, this process is hindered. 

With that in mind, we're going to try and "shrink the church" a bit today and, hopefully, provide an opportunity for one particular Oakridge family member to "build up the body of Christ" from afar. On this episode, Andrew chats with Nate Vellekoop about his walk with Christ, the greatest struggles in his Christian life, lessons he's learned along the way, and much more.

Says David Hubbard, "Anyone to whom the book of Ecclesiastes is not a puzzle has not yet read it” (Beyond Futility, 7). This admission from a seasoned scholar is as honest as it is truthful. While this inspired text grapples with the perennially relevant aches for meaning and purpose with which every thoughtful human being is familiar, it does so in ways that are unavoidably humbling, probing, and, at times, puzzling. But to those who endure in prayer and study, the rewards for such effort are great. 

Today we welcome back to the podcast Dr. Christopher Cone. Dr. Cone has served as the president of a number of theological institutions over the years. He’s a scholar and theologian, professor and preacher, and currently serves as the president and CEO of AgathonEDU educational group. Dr. Cone has also written, contributed to, or edited over a dozen books, one of which is a study in the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, the topic of our conversation today.

As a local church grows in size (or is forced apart because of a virus!) it can become increasingly difficult to actually know everyone in the community and, thus, to be blessed by everyone in the community. This is unfortunate because there are no unnecessary members (1 Corinthians 12:7), none who are ungifted (Romans 12:6), and not one who isn't called to the "work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" unto spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11–13). Said another way, we need one another as Spirit-indwelled conduits of God's grace to propel us toward holiness and, when unable to be around one another and to know one another, this process is hindered.

With that in mind, we're going to try and "shrink the church" a bit today and, hopefully, provide an opportunity for one particular Oakridge family member to "build up the body of Christ" from afar. On this episode, Andrew chats with Alice Popovich about her walk with Christ, the greatest struggles in her Christian life, lessons she's learned along the way, and much more.

Today, in our trek through the pages of Scripture, we come to the unique book of Proverbs, a text that calls for the pursuit of and describes the benefits of true wisdom. As one author describes it: "The Book of Proverbs is a book of moral and ethical instructions, dealing with many aspects of life. The teachings in this book guide its readers in how to lead wise, godly lives and how to avoid the pitfalls of unwise, ungodly conduct. It has a broad, timeless appeal because of its great variety of subjects and their relevance to everyday life. Proper and improper attitudes, conduct, and characteristics are referred to repeatedly and in succinct, penetrating ways. Proverbs is God’s book on 'how to wise up and live.' It is His treasure book of wisdom" (S. Buzzell, "Proverbs," BKC, 900–901).

To help us grapple with this Old Testament book we welcome to the podcast Dr. David Merkh. David and his wife, Carol Sue, have served the Lord as missionaries since 1985 and have been stationed in Brazil since 1987. There, Dr. Merkh is a professor at the Word of Life seminary and pastor of Bible Exposition at his local church. He speaks frequently at family conferences and leadership training seminars throughout Brazil and around the world and has a Portuguese radio program called (in English) Word and Family. Dr. Merkh and his wife have also authored sixteen books and counting.