Do our good deeds count for anything? Is there a difference between a wicked person and a person who behaves correctly most of the time? What does it mean to be a child of Abraham? Who get’s what inheritance? What is the inheritance of those who do not keep the Law? No, you guessed wrong….
Category: The Bible as Literature
It’s All About the Shepherd
In this week’s episode, Richard and Fr. Marc discuss the parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 and the importance of hearing the Bible in its proper historical context. Where modern disciples tend to impose a Hellenistic worldview on the story, this podcast invites listeners to consider the mentality of the ancient shepherd. Where…
O How the Mighty Have Fallen
Time travel, alien tyrants, world domination, epic battles, post-apocalyptic cities, sudden drought, unnatural trees reaching above the clouds…despite what you are thinking, this week’s podcast is not about Dr. Who or an old episode of Stargate SG1; it’s about Ezekiel 31. Who knew the Bible could be so much fun? (Episode 39)
Lamentations
The book of Lamentations offers a series of poetic reflections on the destruction of Jerusalem. Abandoned by God, hungry, homeless, and bereft of hope, once a queen among the provinces, Jerusalem had become a slave. Ridiculed by enemies, cast aside by lovers and betrayed by elders and priests, the city of sacred stones had itself…
Richard Goes to OCF
What is the purpose of campus ministry? What do we hope for our youth? What do we expect of them as they enter adulthood? In a contemporary setting, where campus ministry tends to emphasize social issues, religious identity, and topical theology, how can teachers engage college students with the serious study of the Bible? In…
Whose wife or whose son?
A parable, like a short story, has a beginning, a plot, a set of characters, a complete thought, and an ending. With such a clear, simple structure, its tempting to take these stories on their own, outside the context of the broader story. To help illustrate this point, in this week’s podcast, Richard and Fr….
Happily Ever After?
In this week’s episode, Richard and Fr. Marc reflect on the parable of the wedding feast in the gospel of Matthew. When the host’s invitations are rejected by his would be guests–some of whom went so far as to mistreat and then murder his servants–it seems obvious why some are chosen and others are cast…
Out of Egypt
What does the nation Egypt represent in the Bible? When Scripture mentions Egypt, Assyria, or any country, is it talking about historical empires, or is something more going on? What happens when we understand the nations mentioned in the Bible as characters in a story? Is Egypt a good or a bad character? What is…
Are You Rich?
This week, Fr. Marc and Richard reflect on the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19. Why was it wrong for the young man to call Jesus “good?” Beyond the obvious problem of greed, what does the young man’s wealth reveal about the aims of false religion? Why wasn’t Jesus pleased to hear…
Live from St. Cloud
In this week’s episode, Fr. Marc and Richard discuss the way in which St. Paul uses the categories “weak” and “strong” to undermine human judgment in 1 Corinthians. This sets the stage for God to shame the church in Roman Corinth with the foolishness of Paul’s weakness. It also set the stage for a lecture…