Month: April 2019
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A Deeper Look at the Book of Job
I did some extra reading on the book of Job over the past month. Here’s what I learned: Job is an unusually complex book, even for the Bible. It includes clear and possibly perplexing divisions in the text: the narrative prologue and epilogue in chapters 1-2 and chapter 42; the carefully structured speeches of the […]
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Study Notes – Romans 3 21-31
We are studying Romans 3:21-31 for Sunday, May 5. This is the first of four selections from this important Pauline letter. Most Christians, most Protestant Christians for certain but really most Christians, will find that our foundational theology stems from this text. [Discussion questions on the text are here.] Here are my notes on this […]
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Second Sunday of Easter
The Preacher says there’s a time for everything. You know: “A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance,” etc. etc. Ecclesiastes 3. “Turn turn turn.” A time to meet, and a time to say good-bye. We’re adults, we understand, we do. We understand that people […]
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Matthew 28 16-20 and Acts 1 6-8
We are studying two short texts, Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:6-8, for Sunday, April 29. Both concern Jesus’ last instructions to “the eleven,” after his resurrection and just prior to his ascension. [Some notes on these texts are here.] Here are a few questions about these texts we might want to consider before or during […]
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What Kind of Free Do We Want to Be?
Alexander J. McKelway. The Freedom of God and Human Liberation. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990. [An Installment of the “Read Me” Project; discussions of earlier chapters of McKelway’s book are here, here, and here.] Alexander J. McKelway concludes his reflections on The Freedom of God and Human Liberation with a consideration of human freedom: what […]
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Study Notes – Matthew 28 16-20 and Acts 1 6-8
We are studying Matthew 28:16-20 along with a little bit of Acts, Acts 1:6-8, for Sunday, April 28. The Matthew text is what we often think of as “the Great Commission.” The Acts text is a portion of Luke’s account of the ascension that corresponds to Jesus’ statement in Matthew. One way to think about […]
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Easter Sunday
This morning started out foggy and damp, but ended up brilliantly sunny and warm. There were a dozen or so colored eggs in the landscaping by the front door of the church that hadn’t been there the last time – surprise! This gave the front of the church a bright, festive look. About a third […]
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Matthew 28 1-15
We are studying Matthew 28:1-15 for Easter Sunday, April 21 – appropriately, perhaps, since it’s Matthew’s account of the first day of resurrection. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are a few questions we might want to consider before or during class: Two sets of characters, the Marys and the guards, witness the […]
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How Do We Read the Word of a Free God?
Alexander J. McKelway. The Freedom of God and Human Liberation. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990. [An Installment of the “Read Me” Project; discussions of earlier chapters of McKelway’s book are here and here.] The project of The Freedom of God and Human Liberation is to demonstrate that only divine freedom provides an adequate ground for […]
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Study Notes – Matthew 28 1-15
We are studying Matthew 28:1-15 for Sunday, April 21 – Matthew’s account of the events of the first Easter morning, just in time for Easter Sunday. [Some questions for the text are here.] Here are my notes on the text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: This is the next-to-last text in a series from Matthew’s gospel. What […]
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Palm/Passion Sunday
Yesterday was one of those days that never end. That didn’t make it a bad day – far from it. But it didn’t end until long after it ended. On the church side, our pastor talked about how nature worships God. The elements of nature worship and praise God by being what they are, what […]
Matters of Interpretation 