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Connecting Scripture and Life

Connecting Scripture and Life

by Connecting Scripture and Life

Religion & Spirituality

Episode 115: The Story of Sarah - throughout Genesis 12-20

The story of Sarah is a complicated one as is the woman herself. She endured captivity, barrenness, humiliation, and ultimately the greatest gift from God, to be the mother of a people and nation that extends to our day and beyond. She is the arrow of time of the Hebrew people, bringing us from the past into the promise of an unending future. She is a woman who is scarred and faith filled. She lived a very human life and God remained with her throughout. Please join us in our conversation about this extraordinary woman and her time that is not so very unlike our own.

Episode 114- Be a Blessing - Genesis 12

Lekh Lekha opens chapter 12 and the beginning of Abram's journey from his father's house to the land that God will show him.It means go for yourself or to yourself to be a blessing. In the journey to becoming who we are created to be we become a blessing for everyone we encounter. To follow the call of God to the place He will show us is to trust fully in the promise that we will be blessed, and that we will be a blessing. It is a fearful journey into the unknown that has pitfalls and at times suffering, but in the end we are home. Like Abram we are not alone. We sometimes follow and are blessed and preserved by the people who are with us. Lekh Lekha.

Episode 113: Confounded Blessing - Genesis 10-11

In the final act of the creation of the world we tackle the story of the Tower of Babel. It is preceded by the genealogy of the descendents of Noah and for each one it says about the people, "according to their clans and languages, by their lands and nations." The introductory verse to the tower story is, "Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words." We have heard over and over God tell the people to go out all over the earth and multiply. This singularity of the people causes God to see that they are not living out the blessing and He separates them, he confounds their language to renew the blessing. This blessing is fearful and challenging. How do we accept and live God's blessing in our lives today?

Episode 112: Where is God? - Genesis 9:18-27

This is a strange and somewhat disturbing vignette that happens after the covenant is secured of our hero Noah becoming drunk, getting naked and passing out. His youngest son, Ham, sees him, then tells his brothers about it. Shem and Japheth hide their eyes and cover their father's nakedness. When Noah awakens he curses Canaan, the son of Ham, to be the slave of his brothers and their progenitors. God is not mentioned in this story that deals with the excesses of wine and the effect it has on succeeding generations. How do we find God in the times of tribulation and difficulty? Who are we in this story of three siblings dealing with a drunken parent? How does this scene tell the story of our past, present, and future? Please join us.

Episode 111: The Arrow of the Heart - Genesis 9:9-17

In this episode, we talk about the Covenant between God, Noah, and all life on earth. We always understand the sign as a rainbow, but the Hebrew word for bow usually denotes the archer's bow. Mystically, the Arrow of Time pulls back the bow and shoots from the heart. It encompasses the soul of all that has passed and draws it through the present to carry us into the future. God sets his bow, and when he sees it in the clouds he will remember his covenant. The arrow from the heart of God to ours.

Episode 110: The Sweet Aroma of Gratitude - Genesis 8

In this chapter the story of the raven and dove opens the cover of a message that leads to a profound expression of love and gratitude. The ark landed on Ararat but the earth is still covered with water. Noah releases first the raven then after the waters dry up he releases the dove that comes and goes until at last it does not return and it is then that God tells Noah to open the ark, bring out his family and all the creatures to fill the earth and multiply. Noah's first act when he steps on dry land is to build an altar and give thanks. The aroma of the offering leads God to say never again will the earth and all flesh be wiped away by flood. In our conversation we explore the meaning of these acts of faith and trust, love and gratitude. Please join us.

Episode 109: Not a Formless Void - Genesis 7-9

We continue our exploration of the Noah story with Noah, his family, and the creatures of the earth drifting on the flood waters. We talked about it as a new creation but is creation the right word to describe what comes after? In this story there are people, animals, birds, creepy crawly things, and mountains that are covered over. Noah's family and the contents of the ark have the ru'ah, the breath of life in them. And Noah has knowledge. How then do we describe what it is after God blows wind over the waters to reveal dry land that lay beneath? Please join our conversation.

Episode 108: The Ark of God - Genesis 6

In our first conversation about the Flood story and Noah we talk about the sadness and tragedy of lawlessness, sin, and consequence. We also share about God's sadness of heart and his sparing of the family of Noah and the beasts of the earth. There is a profound sense in this story of consequence and suffering not only for those who are left to die in the flood but for Noah who must witness the tragedy, and for God who inflicted it. It is God who shuts the door to the ark and that sets in motion the journey of new creation. This in some way completes the creation story of Genesis 1-2. The earth and all flesh are not utterly destroyed and God promises never again. Often portrayed as a children's story, this Flood saga is deeply adult and makes us face harsh realities in order to be created anew. Please join us as we find hope in trusting God for those who walk with Him.

Episode 107: Choose Life, Choose Love - Numbers 13-14

In this episode we talk about the story of the men, one from each tribe, who are sent by Moses to scout the promised land. After forty days they return laden with clusters of grapes too bountiful to carry and yet they reject it because the inhabitants were, in their eyes, threatening. Only Caleb of the tribe of Judah and Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim believed the promise of God and said with confidence they could overcome any obstacles. The other eight riled up the people who became a mob and tried to stone the ones who told the truth. Because of the obstiance they were punished with their own desire, to die in the desert rather than risk death in the land of milk and honey. We are joined in this podcast by a special guest and together we try to understand how the ancient Israelites, and we today, give over so easily to our fear and reject the abundant blessings of God. We look most especially to Caleb who is a biblical hero, someone unknown who stands before the maddened crowd and speaks of God's goodness and grace. Please join us for this deep and meaningful conversation.

Episode 106: Jethro - Transformation and Wisdom

In this continuation of our conversation about Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, we explore the interior experience of the Midian priest who hears what God has done for Israel and seeks out Moses in the wilderness. He brings Moses's family and listens to Moses tell the story of how God freed his people from the Egyptians. Jethro makes a pronouncement that of all the gods, the God of Israel is the greatest, and he makes a sacrifice. What is this sacrifice and its meaning? Jethro offers his wisdom to Moses and establishes a "pyramid of hierarchy" that is at once to benefit Moses and the people of God. Then he departs. Please join us as we explore this important character who so briefly enters our story yet leaves a profound and lasting mark.

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