Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the Homebrewed CultureCast) and Tripp Fuller (from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is Trinity Sunday. Christian takes a look at Isaiah 6:1-8, John 3:1-17, and Romans 8:12-17. He explains why he hears more of a Pentecost message in these texts, gives us an overview of the themes in this Sunday’s texts, how we are similar to Isaiah and what Isaiah can teach us today, not second-guessing God, leaving the ways we have viewed ourselves and others behind to make room for new life, the rebirth of Isaiah into a spiritual calling, Jesus inviting people into a similar calling, Paul’s explanation of the need to transcend the cycle of inheritance, and the breaking down of divisions and hierarchy. Plus, the connection to the Pentecost message, being mindful of our role as path-forgers, not gate-keepers, and tearing down barriers between humanity and the divine. Amy tackles John 3:1-17 and shares what Michaelangelo’s process for sculpting has to do with Nicodemus, the important context for John 3 which a lot of people overlook, what it means to be born of the Spirit, the uncertainty of God’s Spirit, and the shame that prevents us from being reborn.

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the <a href="http://patreon.com/culturecast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed CultureCast</a>) and Tripp Fuller (from the <a href="http://trippfuller.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed Christianity podcast</a>) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is Trinity Sunday. Christian takes a look at Isaiah 6:1-8, John 3:1-17, and Romans 8:12-17. He explains why he hears more of a Pentecost message in these texts, gives us an overview of the themes in this Sunday’s texts, how we are similar to Isaiah and what Isaiah can teach us today, not second-guessing God, leaving the ways we have viewed ourselves and others behind to make room for new life, the rebirth of Isaiah into a spiritual calling, Jesus inviting people into a similar calling, Paul’s explanation of the need to transcend the cycle of inheritance, and the breaking down of divisions and hierarchy. Plus, the connection to the Pentecost message, being mindful of our role as path-forgers, not gate-keepers, and tearing down barriers between humanity and the divine. Amy tackles John 3:1-17 and shares what Michaelangelo’s process for sculpting has to do with Nicodemus, the important context for John 3 which a lot of people overlook, what it means to be born of the Spirit, the uncertainty of God’s Spirit, and the shame that prevents us from being reborn.

Surviving The Bible: The One About The Trinity

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the Homebrewed CultureCast) and Tripp Fuller (from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is Pentecost. Tripp kicks of with a look at Acts 2:1-21. First, he gives some context for the text (just in case you haven’t been using the Acts texts the past few weeks), then explains how the Kingdom of God has always been the agenda of the Spirit in Luke-Acts, the ongoing investment of the Spirit in the world, how easy it is to get distracted by what Pentecost has come to mean, and our responsibility to the Spirit’s mission. Plus Tripp helps us not to get too freaked out about speaking in tongues by giving us 4 observations about glossolalia that help us in these divisive times. Christian takes a different look at the Pentecost moment. He shows the similarities between Pentecost and the Last Supper, the openness of the disciples to something from God happening to them, the commissioning of reconciliation, and Christian shares his own Pentecost moment. Amy is focusing on the Holy Spirit in John 15:26-27 and 16:4b-15. She draws upon 4 of her favorite sources for articulating the experience of and relationship to the Holy Spirit: Romans 8, her daughter Zoe, Richard Rohr, and Frederick Buechner, and asks – will we allow ourselves to be moved by the Spirit, or not? will we allow it to become a part of who we are?

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the <a href="http://patreon.com/culturecast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed CultureCast</a>) and Tripp Fuller (from the <a href="http://trippfuller.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed Christianity podcast</a>) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is Pentecost. Tripp kicks of with a look at Acts 2:1-21. First, he gives some context for the text (just in case you haven’t been using the Acts texts the past few weeks), then explains how the Kingdom of God has always been the agenda of the Spirit in Luke-Acts, the ongoing investment of the Spirit in the world, how easy it is to get distracted by what Pentecost has come to mean, and our responsibility to the Spirit’s mission. Plus Tripp helps us not to get too freaked out about speaking in tongues by giving us 4 observations about glossolalia that help us in these divisive times. Christian takes a different look at the Pentecost moment. He shows the similarities between Pentecost and the Last Supper, the openness of the disciples to something from God happening to them, the commissioning of reconciliation, and Christian shares his own Pentecost moment. Amy is focusing on the Holy Spirit in John 15:26-27 and 16:4b-15. She draws upon 4 of her favorite sources for articulating the experience of and relationship to the Holy Spirit: Romans 8, her daughter Zoe, Richard Rohr, and Frederick Buechner, and asks – will we allow ourselves to be moved by the Spirit, or not? will we allow it to become a part of who we are?

Surviving The Bible: The One About The Spirit

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the Homebrewed CultureCast) and Tripp Fuller (from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the seventh Sunday of Easter. Both Amy and Christian take a look at John 17:6-19 this week, but from very different angles. Christian focuses on the moment when Jesus asks the gospel messengers to be sanctified and asks: what’s so special about this moment? He talks about the challenge to dualistic thinking, the inseparability of the physical and the divine, where we seek wisdom, meaning, and purpose, accepting our divine role, and what happens when we treat morality like the spoon in the Matrix. Amy focuses on the very human experience of longing for wholeness. She talks about our desire of being one with God, the struggle we all have for wholeness, living out our unity with God, the highest calling for followers of Jesus, and the obstacles to unity and wholeness. What will make us whole? How do we grow into belonging?

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the <a href="http://patreon.com/culturecast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed CultureCast</a>) and Tripp Fuller (from the <a href="http://trippfuller.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed Christianity podcast</a>) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the seventh Sunday of Easter. Both Amy and Christian take a look at John 17:6-19 this week, but from very different angles. Christian focuses on the moment when Jesus asks the gospel messengers to be sanctified and asks: what’s so special about this moment? He talks about the challenge to dualistic thinking, the inseparability of the physical and the divine, where we seek wisdom, meaning, and purpose, accepting our divine role, and what happens when we treat morality like the spoon in the Matrix. Amy focuses on the very human experience of longing for wholeness. She talks about our desire of being one with God, the struggle we all have for wholeness, living out our unity with God, the highest calling for followers of Jesus, and the obstacles to unity and wholeness. What will make us whole? How do we grow into belonging?

Surviving The Bible: There Is No Spoon

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the Homebrewed CultureCast) and Tripp Fuller (from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the sixth Sunday of Easter. Tripp looks at Acts 10:44-48 and explains why this is such an important turning point in the life of the church. First, he helps to set the stage for this text by looking at Peter and Cornelius – the first conversion of a gentile who didn’t have to convert to Judaism first. Then, he gives us some historical context for the inclusion of gentiles and how it disrupted the life of the church, discusses how the Spirit of God moves against tradition and the assumptions of the community (including privileged assumptions about who is included), and what Peter’s courage can teach leaders today. Christian gets psychological this week. The theme? Growing up and living into the fullness of what we are made to be. Jesus is modeling and inviting us into this life.  what defines being a grown-up? why are we pursuing an obedience to God in the first place? what is our motivation?  Christian also talks about the shift from from focusing on bettering ourselves to improving others and the world, self-actualization, meta-cognition, and learning to introspect. Amy asks if it is possible to be a true friend and not also a servant. In John 15:9-17, Jesus calls his disciples friends. Amy looks at what is significant about this, the both/and of friendship and service, the challenge of true friendship in our society today, the covenant of love, and the consequences of choosing to live a life of love.

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the <a href="http://patreon.com/culturecast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed CultureCast</a>) and Tripp Fuller (from the <a href="http://trippfuller.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed Christianity podcast</a>) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the sixth Sunday of Easter. Tripp looks at Acts 10:44-48 and explains why this is such an important turning point in the life of the church. First, he helps to set the stage for this text by looking at Peter and Cornelius – the first conversion of a gentile who didn’t have to convert to Judaism first. Then, he gives us some historical context for the inclusion of gentiles and how it disrupted the life of the church, discusses how the Spirit of God moves against tradition and the assumptions of the community (including privileged assumptions about who is included), and what Peter’s courage can teach leaders today. Christian gets psychological this week. The theme? Growing up and living into the fullness of what we are made to be. Jesus is modeling and inviting us into this life. <ul> <li>what defines being a grown-up?</li> <li>why are we pursuing an obedience to God in the first place?</li> <li>what is our motivation?</li> </ul> Christian also talks about the shift from from focusing on bettering ourselves to improving others and the world, self-actualization, meta-cognition, and learning to introspect. Amy asks if it is possible to be a true friend and not also a servant. In John 15:9-17, Jesus calls his disciples friends. Amy looks at what is significant about this, the both/and of friendship and service, the challenge of true friendship in our society today, the covenant of love, and the consequences of choosing to live a life of love.

Surviving The Bible: The Second Pentecost

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the Homebrewed CultureCast) and Tripp Fuller (from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the fifth Sunday of Easter. Tripp takes a look at Acts 8:26-40 – the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. This is the first salvation story of a Gentile and demonstrates to us that the very heart of the gospel reorganizes our relationship to organized religion and tradition and pushes us into a more life-affirming stance. Tripp also offers some context for this story in the larger biblical narrative, the ways we justify excluding people, what this encounter is demonstrating, and how we sometimes serve the text before we serve the spirit. Christian addresses 1 John 4:7-21. Love, life, Jesus, and God are all intertwined in this passage. Christian draws out some connections between this text and the gospel text, the symbols of the grape vine and branches, and the vulnerability of God and God’s dependence on us, the importance of not just saying we love, but living it out, and helps us understand what perfect love might really mean (and a brief lesson in Greek). Last week Amy talked about sheep, and this week she’s talking about grapes and wine in John 15:1-8. Amy tells us about the importance of pruning for good fruit, how new vines are planted, and why that is important for reading this passage. Plus, she shares about times in her life when she’s been pruned, what happens when we focus on just one grape instead of the whole vine, and what it means to abide in God.

Welcome to the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the <a href="http://patreon.com/culturecast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed CultureCast</a>) and Tripp Fuller (from the <a href="http://trippfuller.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed Christianity podcast</a>) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the fifth Sunday of Easter. Tripp takes a look at Acts 8:26-40 – the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. This is the first salvation story of a Gentile and demonstrates to us that the very heart of the gospel reorganizes our relationship to organized religion and tradition and pushes us into a more life-affirming stance. Tripp also offers some context for this story in the larger biblical narrative, the ways we justify excluding people, what this encounter is demonstrating, and how we sometimes serve the text before we serve the spirit. Christian addresses 1 John 4:7-21. Love, life, Jesus, and God are all intertwined in this passage. Christian draws out some connections between this text and the gospel text, the symbols of the grape vine and branches, and the vulnerability of God and God’s dependence on us, the importance of not just saying we love, but living it out, and helps us understand what perfect love might really mean (and a brief lesson in Greek). Last week Amy talked about sheep, and this week she’s talking about grapes and wine in John 15:1-8. Amy tells us about the importance of pruning for good fruit, how new vines are planted, and why that is important for reading this passage. Plus, she shares about times in her life when she’s been pruned, what happens when we focus on just one grape instead of the whole vine, and what it means to abide in God.

Surviving the Bible: It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Biblical

Welcome to the first episode of the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the Homebrewed CultureCast) and Tripp Fuller (from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the fourth Sunday of Easter. Tripp looks at the Acts 4:5-12 story of Peter healing the lame man. He suggests that if you pay attention to the Acts passage from last week, this story becomes so much larger than how the last verse is usually understood. When understood in its context, it asks some pretty powerful questions, like, what does the word “saved” mean in this text? It brings to the surface the problems of empire Christianity, how the healing itself confronts ritual purity laws, the sociological category of “sinners,” and challenging to the content of faith, not the form of it. Christian gives us an overview of this week’s texts and points at some larger themes found therein. We just got through Easter – after a long slog through Lent – and yet here we are, already getting texts about death and darkness. He talks about the shift of leadership and how the sheep have now become the shepherds, disciples performing miracles and deemed a threat to the state, and how there’s so much more to Psalm 23 than just feeling comforted.   Amy tackles John 10:11-18. She gives us a quick lesson about sheep, explores social science about kids on playgrounds, and explains why that’s relevant. Plus, how challenging the boundaries is different than having them removed altogether, why having fewer choices might not be what we need, dismissing people as sheep, and the boundaries of the church (both the good and the bad).

Welcome to the first episode of the Surviving the Bible podcast. This is a lectionary podcast not just for pastors or preachers, but for Bible nerds everywhere. Each week Christian and Amy Piatt (from the <a href="http://patreon.com/culturecast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed CultureCast</a>) and Tripp Fuller (from the <a href="http://trippfuller.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homebrewed Christianity podcast</a>) explore the bible readings for the week. You’ll get three different perspectives on three different texts to help you survive reading the Bible. This week is the fourth Sunday of Easter. Tripp looks at the Acts 4:5-12 story of Peter healing the lame man. He suggests that if you pay attention to the Acts passage from last week, this story becomes so much larger than how the last verse is usually understood. When understood in its context, it asks some pretty powerful questions, like, what does the word “saved” mean in this text? It brings to the surface the problems of empire Christianity, how the healing itself confronts ritual purity laws, the sociological category of “sinners,” and challenging to the content of faith, not the form of it. Christian gives us an overview of this week’s texts and points at some larger themes found therein. We just got through Easter – after a long slog through Lent – and yet here we are, already getting texts about death and darkness. He talks about the shift of leadership and how the sheep have now become the shepherds, disciples performing miracles and deemed a threat to the state, and how there’s so much more to Psalm 23 than just feeling comforted. Amy tackles John 10:11-18. She gives us a quick lesson about sheep, explores social science about kids on playgrounds, and explains why that’s relevant. Plus, how challenging the boundaries is different than having them removed altogether, why having fewer choices might not be what we need, dismissing people as sheep, and the boundaries of the church (both the good and the bad).

Surviving The Bible: An Inconvenient Christianity

It’s Holy Week, and Tripp, Amy and Christian are here on the LectioCast to help you survive Easter. John 20:1-18 | Amy shares the Easter message she would preach, the calling out of Mary’s name and the importance of the act of naming, the significance of Jesus the gardener, opening ourselves to truth, being broken open by suffering, what we’ve missed about the resurrection, and how it relates to Genesis 3. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 | Tripp shares his frustration with this passage and how this (and others) are used to kick people out for not ‘believing’ the correct thing, the invitation to be resurrected, the urgency of the message, and can you believe God really does anything? Acts 10:34-43 | Tripp tries to convince Amy that this is the text she should preach on Easter, the resurrection as the rupture of Peter’s understanding of the gospel, how the proper affirmation of the resurrection removes the barriers to our embodied existence, and being witnesses to transformation. Plus, Christ is risen, he is risen indeed? Who are our Easter services for? And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

It’s Holy Week, and Tripp, Amy and Christian are here on the LectioCast to help you survive Easter. John 20:1-18 | Amy shares the Easter message she would preach, the calling out of Mary’s name and the importance of the act of naming, the significance of Jesus the gardener, opening ourselves to truth, being broken open by suffering, what we’ve missed about the resurrection, and how it relates to Genesis 3. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 | Tripp shares his frustration with this passage and how this (and others) are used to kick people out for not ‘believing’ the correct thing, the invitation to be resurrected, the urgency of the message, and can you believe God really does anything? Acts 10:34-43 | Tripp tries to convince Amy that this is the text she should preach on Easter, the resurrection as the rupture of Peter’s understanding of the gospel, how the proper affirmation of the resurrection removes the barriers to our embodied existence, and being witnesses to transformation. <a href="https://trippfuller.com/giveaways/common-english-bible-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Plus, Christ is risen, he is risen indeed? Who are our Easter services for? <a href="https://trippfuller.com/giveaways/common-english-bible-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible</a>.

#SurvivingTheBible for Lent: No Less Than Physical

This week is the Palm Sunday Edition of the LectioCast: the Triumphal Entry versus the Annunciation. Christian tries to convince Amy and Tripp that they should preach on the Annunciation texts, and not the triumphal entry, by showing how they’re connected. In Isaiah 7:10-14, Christian tells us about the scandal of particularity, and being participants in Easter without making it about us. Then Tripp and Amy turn to the triumphal entry in Mark 11:1-11 and how we’ve lost the significance of Palm Sunday, the messianic secret and the turn towards Jerusalem, the contrast between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the Roman Army’s entry before Passover, the real threat Jesus poses, and the conflict of two different types of power. Plus, how throwing a party that celebrates our ignorance is good news, David and Goliath as the opening match for Jesus and Pilate, the power at play in re-reading a text, and the anxiety surrounding our own agency and the possibility of transformation. And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

This week is the Palm Sunday Edition of the LectioCast: the Triumphal Entry versus the Annunciation. Christian tries to convince Amy and Tripp that they should preach on the Annunciation texts, and not the triumphal entry, by showing how they’re connected. In Isaiah 7:10-14, Christian tells us about the scandal of particularity, and being participants in Easter without making it about us. Then Tripp and Amy turn to the triumphal entry in Mark 11:1-11 and how we’ve lost the significance of Palm Sunday, the messianic secret and the turn towards Jerusalem, the contrast between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the Roman Army’s entry before Passover, the real threat Jesus poses, and the conflict of two different types of power. <a href="https://trippfuller.com/giveaways/common-english-bible-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Plus, how throwing a party that celebrates our ignorance is good news, David and Goliath as the opening match for Jesus and Pilate, the power at play in re-reading a text, and the anxiety surrounding our own agency and the possibility of transformation. <a href="https://trippfuller.com/giveaways/common-english-bible-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible</a>.

#SurvivingTheBible for Lent: The Theological Theatre of Palm Sunday

This week on the LectioCast Tripp gives you your Bible-nerd fact of the day, you’ll hear about why David is like the Harvey Weinstein of the Hebrew Bible, what Mandy Moore has to do with the Psalms, and our avoidance of suffering. First up, Jeremiah 31:31-34. Tripp once again gives you many options for preaching this text: who has access to God in the new covenant? the tension between institutions and movements, the democratization of God, the deep political divisions latent in the passage, and how new life is stymied by needing to be right in that divide. In the Psalm (51:1-12) we see David’s internal struggle and our uncomfortability with God using someone like David for something good. For Hebrews 5:5-10, Tripp helps explain how the text can short-circuit latent penal-substitutionary atonement interpretations by noticing what it doesn’t say, how Jesus’ faithfulness helps re-frame our understanding of sin and salvation, and how Jesus changes the job description of high priest.  Lastly, in John 12:20-33, Christian and Amy talk about our inability to recognize the truth right in front of us, the requirements of transformation, what is truly necessary to be born again, and hurting for the right reasons. Plus, Amy gives some advice and reasons for engaging in contemplative practices. And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

This week on the LectioCast Tripp gives you your Bible-nerd fact of the day, you’ll hear about why David is like the Harvey Weinstein of the Hebrew Bible, what Mandy Moore has to do with the Psalms, and our avoidance of suffering. First up, Jeremiah 31:31-34. Tripp once again gives you many options for preaching this text: who has access to God in the new covenant? the tension between institutions and movements, the democratization of God, the deep political divisions latent in the passage, and how new life is stymied by needing to be right in that divide. In the Psalm (51:1-12) we see David’s internal struggle and our uncomfortability with God using someone like David for something good. For Hebrews 5:5-10, Tripp helps explain how the text can short-circuit latent penal-substitutionary atonement interpretations by noticing what it doesn’t say, how Jesus’ faithfulness helps re-frame our understanding of sin and salvation, and how Jesus changes the job description of high priest. Lastly, in John 12:20-33, Christian and Amy talk about our inability to recognize the truth right in front of us, the requirements of transformation, what is truly necessary to be born again, and hurting for the right reasons. Plus, Amy gives some advice and reasons for engaging in contemplative practices. <a href="https://trippfuller.com/giveaways/common-english-bible-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible</a>.

#SurvivingTheBible for Lent: The Democratization of God

This week on the LectioCast you’ll hear about snakes on a stick (Numbers 21:4-9), Eddie Izzard, and Princess Leia. Christian and Amy Piatt join Tripp to talk about some of the problems of reading this passage literally, the role this text plays in the relationship between God and Israel, those wilderness times in our lives, and what this has to do with a cake or death decision. They’ll also tackle the most important verse in the whole bible: John 3:16. Plus, those other ones nearby: John 3:14-21. Why do we so often life this passage out of context and use it as a test of faith? How can we avoid using this text to harass people? Plus the way John connects the cross with the snake in numbers. Lastly, Ephesians 2:1-10. What is the difference between grace and mercy? Do we often miss the really radical part of grace? How does this text help us shift our economic understandings of how grace and mercy work? And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible. If you want to join the Surviving the Bible for Lent group, it’s not too late! Sure, we all know Bible verses and may have even tried to read the “whole Bible,” maybe even more than once. But it can be confusing, contradictory and – if we’re being honest – really freaking boring in places. But there’s another way to approach scripture that can actually make sense, and might even be enjoyable. Join the CultureCast’s Amy and Christian Piatt, along with Tripp, in figuring out how to “Survive the Bible” together this Lent.

This week on the LectioCast you’ll hear about snakes on a stick (Numbers 21:4-9), Eddie Izzard, and Princess Leia. Christian and Amy Piatt join Tripp to talk about some of the problems of reading this passage literally, the role this text plays in the relationship between God and Israel, those wilderness times in our lives, and what this has to do with a cake or death decision. They’ll also tackle the most important verse in the whole bible: John 3:16. Plus, those other ones nearby: John 3:14-21. Why do we so often life this passage out of context and use it as a test of faith? How can we avoid using this text to harass people? Plus the way John connects the cross with the snake in numbers. Lastly, Ephesians 2:1-10. What is the difference between grace and mercy? Do we often miss the really radical part of grace? How does this text help us shift our economic understandings of how grace and mercy work? <a href="https://trippfuller.com/giveaways/common-english-bible-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible</a><a href="https://trippfuller.com/giveaways/common-english-bible-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>. If you want to join the Surviving the Bible for Lent group, it’s not too late! Sure, we all know Bible verses and may have even tried to read the “whole Bible,” maybe even more than once. But it can be confusing, contradictory and – if we’re being honest – really freaking boring in places. But there’s another way to approach scripture that can actually make sense, and might even be enjoyable. <a href="http://survivingthebible.club/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Join the CultureCast’s Amy and Christian Piatt, along with Tripp, in figuring out how to “Survive the Bible” together this Lent.</a>

#SurvivingTheBible for Lent: Snake on a Stick

Surviving the Bible seeks to get your sermon/service prep jumpstarted by homing in on crucial issues and themes in the passages and talking through possible opportunities and issues in preaching the various texts. We’ll aim for Lectionary commentary that is sharp and practical, maybe seasoned with a pinch of snark.Join Rev. Amy Piatt, Dr. Tripp Fuller, and guru impersonator Christian Piatt for some weekly fun.

I miss Dr. Daniel Kirk. The quality of this podcast has really dropped in his absence. It’s inconsistent, scatterbrained and lacking and intrigue.

I miss D. Kirk

It is Dr. Daniel Kirk. Of course it is good. And no, he did not pay me to write that.

Of Course It Is Great

Surviving the Bible seeks to get your sermon/service prep jumpstarted by homing in on crucial issues and themes in the passages and talking through possible opportunities and issues in preaching the various texts. We’ll aim for Lectionary commentary that is sharp and practical, maybe seasoned with a pinch of snark. Join Rev. Amy Piatt, Dr. Tripp Fuller, and guru impersonator Christian Piatt for some weekly fun.

Tripp Fuller

Jonathan Martin

In a world where people enact laws, run for office, vote, and protest as people of faith, how do we know when we are in the right? How do we know the Christian story when we see it? This week’s passages give us some pointers. They invite us to be the people who are entrusting our lives to Jesus, entrusting our lives to God as Jesus himself did when he laid down his life for his friends.  John 17:20-26 When Jesus prays for people who have to listen to boring academic sermons! Jesus challenges us with the hope and expectation that we will all be one—something to discomfort us as we find ourselves quite at home in our particular tribes. Jesus elevates his followers as bearers of God’s glory—as we follow him in laying down our lives for our friends. Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21  Are we, the bride, calling for Jesus to come? Or are we too content? Are we calling people to join us, as the Spirit calls out to them to join? Revelation unsettles us with its back-and-forth between being terrifying and comforting, calling us to works and calling us to Jesus’s death on our behalf. It leaves us with the question: how do we confront empire? Acts 16:16-34  “The wrong spirit can say the right thing.” Preach, brother Jonathan. “How many of us would put up with a Jesus who took away our way of making money?” Stop preaching, brother Daniel. Then there’s the jailer—who washes the wounds of the apostles. Psalm 97  The story can’t be contained: what God is doing in Israel is for the sake of the world. Make sure you grab your tickets to Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, North Carolina on July 7-10! We’ll be recording and I’d love to meet more LectioCastians.Jonathan Martin is sacramental hillbilly Pentecostal mystic. He is the author of the forthcoming How to Survive a Shipwreck and Prototype. He serves as teaching pastor at Sanctuary Church in Tulsa, OK, where he now resides. He is a graduate from Gardner-Webb University, has an MA from Pentecostal Theological Seminary, and a ThM from Duke University. His website is http://www.jonathanmartinwords.com. He tweets at theboyonthebike. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of a pair of books, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is off to the printers. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

In a world where people enact laws, run for office, vote, and protest as people of faith, how do we know when we are in the right? How do we know the Christian story when we see it? This week’s passages give us some pointers. They invite us to be the people who are entrusting our lives to Jesus, entrusting our lives to God as Jesus himself did when he laid down his life for his friends.  John 17:20-26 When Jesus prays for people who have to listen to boring academic sermons! Jesus challenges us with the hope and expectation that we will all be one—something to discomfort us as we find ourselves quite at home in our particular tribes. Jesus elevates his followers as bearers of God’s glory—as we follow him in laying down our lives for our friends. Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21  Are we, the bride, calling for Jesus to come? Or are we too content? Are we calling people to join us, as the Spirit calls out to them to join? Revelation unsettles us with its back-and-forth between being terrifying and comforting, calling us to works and calling us to Jesus’s death on our behalf. It leaves us with the question: how do we confront empire? Acts 16:16-34  “The wrong spirit can say the right thing.” Preach, brother Jonathan. “How many of us would put up with a Jesus who took away our way of making money?” Stop preaching, brother Daniel. Then there’s the jailer—who washes the wounds of the apostles. Psalm 97  The story can’t be contained: what God is doing in Israel is for the sake of the world. Make sure you grab your tickets to <a href="http://wildgoosefestival.org/landing-page/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Goose Festival</a> in Hot Springs, North Carolina on July 7-10! We’ll be recording and I’d love to meet more LectioCastians. Jonathan Martin is sacramental hillbilly Pentecostal mystic. He is the author of the forthcoming <a href="http://amzn.to/1rrAvds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Survive a Shipwreck</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/1SX4fnS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prototype</a>. He serves as teaching pastor at Sanctuary Church in Tulsa, OK, where he now resides. He is a graduate from Gardner-Webb University, has an MA from Pentecostal Theological Seminary, and a ThM from Duke University. His website is <a href="http://www.jonathanmartinwords.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.jonathanmartinwords.com</a>. He tweets at <a href="https://twitter.com/theboyonthebike" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">theboyonthebike</a>. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of a pair of books, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is off to the printers. He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://jrdkirk.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Trusting Jesus with Our Lives with Jonathan Martin #LectioCast

this is NOT the good Dr. Kirk The good Doctor Daniel Kirk is on a road trip across the country with Clan Kirk, but no need to fear your Lectiocast is still here! It is an honor to fill in for Daniel and talk some lectionary goodness. We will see how long it takes before Daniel quits his trip and gets me off the show, but for now I am excited. During the podcast I discuss the four lectionary texts for the week and the questions I imagine inspiring my sermonizing…if I was still working in a pulpit. For each of the texts I pulled out some questions that could drive a sermon. Here’s a few of them. Matthew 28:16-20 * Where is Galilee today? * Does our worship hold space for doubt? * What kind of disciples are we making? * Where is God with us now? * What is the church’s relationship to the kin-dom?  Psalm 8 * How does the world become creation? * What are the habits and boundaries that structure space for creativity? * God-spotting. * Eco-stewardship  Genesis 1:1-2:4a * Go Keller * Don’t conquer chaos, it’s where the spirit-filled living happens.

this is NOT the good Dr. Kirk The good Doctor Daniel Kirk is on a road trip across the country with Clan Kirk, but no need to fear your Lectiocast is still here! It is an honor to fill in for Daniel and talk some lectionary goodness. We will see how long it takes before Daniel quits his trip and gets me off the show, but for now I am excited. During the podcast I discuss the four lectionary texts for the week and the questions I imagine inspiring my sermonizing…if I was still working in a pulpit. For each of the texts I pulled out some questions that could drive a sermon. Here’s a few of them. Matthew 28:16-20 * Where is Galilee today? * Does our worship hold space for doubt? * What kind of disciples are we making? * Where is God with us now? * What is the church’s relationship to the kin-dom? Psalm 8 * How does the world become creation? * What are the habits and boundaries that structure space for creativity? * God-spotting. * Eco-stewardship Genesis 1:1-2:4a * Go Keller * Don’t conquer chaos, it’s where the spirit-filled living happens.

Questions for Trinity (Sunday) #LectioCast

Luke 10:25-37 The well-known parable of the Good Samaritan wants to challenge our assumptions about who is worthy of our love. The challenge for us might be owning up to the ways in which we have decided to direct our love to some and not to others. Colossians 1:1-14 Paul celebrates a faith that does more than think certain things. Here, too, love is at the heart of the message. Faith looks like love. And power looks like patience.  Amos 7:7-17 In the middle of a stark picture of God’s judgment Amos shows us what it is to be a faithful prophet. Seduced by neither religious nor political power, Amos faithfully speaks God’s words. Psalm 82 This psalm offers a call for judgment that can only come from a full understanding of the depths of injustice in the world. Do we understand injustice enough to ask God for judgment? Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, will be out soon. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Luke 10:25-37 The well-known parable of the Good Samaritan wants to challenge our assumptions about who is worthy of our love. The challenge for us might be owning up to the ways in which we have decided to direct our love to some and not to others. Colossians 1:1-14 Paul celebrates a faith that does more than think certain things. Here, too, love is at the heart of the message. Faith looks like love. And power looks like patience.  Amos 7:7-17 In the middle of a stark picture of God’s judgment Amos shows us what it is to be a faithful prophet. Seduced by neither religious nor political power, Amos faithfully speaks God’s words. Psalm 82 This psalm offers a call for judgment that can only come from a full understanding of the depths of injustice in the world. Do we understand injustice enough to ask God for judgment? Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, will be out soon. He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://jrdkirk.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

True Love #LectioCast

It’s a great week to get fired! So preach Leviticus 19 and tell people what it actually says.  Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 We all know the command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But what does that love look like? And how might that love manifest itself in subversion of the expectations of market capitalism? Psalm 119:33-40 The Psalm has a place. It is spoken by a power. And it invites us to call God to account. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 What, or who, is the temple of God? And how does the answer to that question subvert our view of the world and our response to it? Matthew 5:38-43 Revisionist interpretation brings us to dangerous ground. In a world where people are abused and lynched, what does faithfully turning the other cheek look like? And, #HeresyAlert Jesus might have a thing or two to learn about Gentiles before this story is through.  Books mentioned this week: Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne by Wil Gafney.  The Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of Daughters of Miriam: Women Prophets in Ancient Israel and co-editor of The Peoples’ Bible and The Peoples’ Companion to the Bible.  She is an Episcopal Priest canonically resident in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and licensed in the Diocese of Fort Worth. A former member of the Dorshei Derekh Reconstructionist Minyan of the Germantown Jewish Center in Philadelphia, she has co-taught courses with and for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Seminary in Wyncote, PA. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

It’s a great week to get fired! So preach Leviticus 19 and tell people what it actually says.  Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 We all know the command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But what does that love look like? And how might that love manifest itself in subversion of the expectations of market capitalism? Psalm 119:33-40 The Psalm has a place. It is spoken by a power. And it invites us to call God to account. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 What, or who, is the temple of God? And how does the answer to that question subvert our view of the world and our response to it? Matthew 5:38-43 Revisionist interpretation brings us to dangerous ground. In a world where people are abused and lynched, what does faithfully turning the other cheek look like? And, #HeresyAlert Jesus might have a thing or two to learn about Gentiles before this story is through.  Books mentioned this week: <a href="http://www.wjkbooks.com/Products/066423903X/womanist-midrash.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne</a> by Wil Gafney.  The Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of <a href="http://amzn.to/2l1LKZN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daughters of Miriam: Women Prophets in Ancient Israel</a> and co-editor of <a href="http://www.apple.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Peoples’ Bible</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/2kQEtK4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Peoples’ Companion to the Bible.</a>  She is an Episcopal Priest canonically resident in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and licensed in the Diocese of Fort Worth. A former member of the Dorshei Derekh Reconstructionist Minyan of the Germantown Jewish Center in Philadelphia, she has co-taught courses with and for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Seminary in Wyncote, PA. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

What Neighbor Love Looks Like with Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney #LectioCast

The Spirit enables Jesus’s followers to speak to all the devout Jews, reconfiguring our understanding of “devout,” forcing us to reimagine who it is that belongs to the inner circle of the people of God. Acts 2:1-21 The Spirit of God comes as an image of eschatological judgment and of eschatological salvation, surprising us all with its redefinition of the people of God. 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 God’s disassembly of our presumed social hierarchies begins with God’s own involvement with the people and extends through our being united to each other and transformed in the body of Christ. Numbers 11:24-30 The uncontrollable nature of the Spirit of God has always been a characteristic of its work. As much as we might want to control it, God wants it to burst beyond our expectations. So, of course, it does. Psalm 104:24-34, 35b God’s spirit is the breath of life. God’s presence is an earth-shattering event. John 20:19-23 In John’s “Pentecost,” the disciples are equipped by the Spirit for a mission of self-giving love and representation of God to the world.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

The Spirit enables Jesus’s followers to speak to all the devout Jews, reconfiguring our understanding of “devout,” forcing us to reimagine who it is that belongs to the inner circle of the people of God. Acts 2:1-21 The Spirit of God comes as an image of eschatological judgment and of eschatological salvation, surprising us all with its redefinition of the people of God. 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 God’s disassembly of our presumed social hierarchies begins with God’s own involvement with the people and extends through our being united to each other and transformed in the body of Christ. Numbers 11:24-30 The uncontrollable nature of the Spirit of God has always been a characteristic of its work. As much as we might want to control it, God wants it to burst beyond our expectations. So, of course, it does. Psalm 104:24-34, 35b God’s spirit is the breath of life. God’s presence is an earth-shattering event. John 20:19-23 In John’s “Pentecost,” the disciples are equipped by the Spirit for a mission of self-giving love and representation of God to the world.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Pentecost: The Spirit Has a Surprise for You #LectioCast

The promise of new creation bursts through with images of wholeness, shalom, restoration, and God’s relentless passion for God’s beloved people. And when a bystander tries to get Jesus to say that the time has finally come for it, Jesus says, “Actually, it’s about to get a whole lot worse.” Isaiah 65:17-25 New creation looks like a holistic picture of human thriving and flourishing. It’s shalom. It’s the dignity of meaningful work. It’s God delighting in each of us. Isaiah 12 We celebrate a God whose identity is tied to our own. We celebrate a God who only “is” in relation to us, who “becomes” in relationship to the doings God promised to do. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Get to work. That is all. Luke 21:5-19 No, that new creation thing isn’t on the cusp of happening. In fact, things have to get a whole lot worse, first. But take courage–God can save your whole self even if you lose your life.   Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

The promise of new creation bursts through with images of wholeness, shalom, restoration, and God’s relentless passion for God’s beloved people. And when a bystander tries to get Jesus to say that the time has finally come for it, Jesus says, “Actually, it’s about to get a whole lot worse.” Isaiah 65:17-25 New creation looks like a holistic picture of human thriving and flourishing. It’s shalom. It’s the dignity of meaningful work. It’s God delighting in each of us. Isaiah 12 We celebrate a God whose identity is tied to our own. We celebrate a God who only “is” in relation to us, who “becomes” in relationship to the doings God promised to do. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Get to work. That is all. Luke 21:5-19 No, that new creation thing isn’t on the cusp of happening. In fact, things have to get a whole lot worse, first. But take courage–God can save your whole self even if you lose your life.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

 A Glorious New Creation! After Things Get Really, Really Bad #LectioCast

Sean Gladding

Hosea 11:1-11 A story of a deeply conflicted God: a God who has to discipline, but a God who has treated Israel with tender lovingkindness in its history—that sounds a note of hope for the future. God is the one who always longs to get God’s people out of Egypt—and Egypt out of God’s people. Psalm 107:1-9, 43 A psalm of tangible trust: supplying real, tangible goods for our real, tangible needs. But are we willing to be the provision of God? Colossians 3:1-11 How do we participate in the new humanity? Well, let’s talk about sex. Luke 12:13-21 There are some kinds of fairness, justice, and judgment that Jesus doesn’t want anything to do with. Yes, we should be offended. We have a lot of stuff, so Jesus is talking to us. This week we talked about the book Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most by Mark Scandrette.   Sean Gladding is a storyteller, pastor, writer, speaker, backyard chicken keeper, community gardener, and YMCA soccer coach. He is married to Rebecca, is father to Maggie and Seth, and they live, love, work and play in the MLK neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky. He is the author of The Story of God, the Story of Us and TEN: Words of Life for an Addicted, Compulsive, Cynical, Divided and Worn-out Culture. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA. He is also serving as pastoral director for the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, will be out soon. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Hosea 11:1-11 A story of a deeply conflicted God: a God who has to discipline, but a God who has treated Israel with tender lovingkindness in its history—that sounds a note of hope for the future. God is the one who always longs to get God’s people out of Egypt—and Egypt out of God’s people. Psalm 107:1-9, 43 A psalm of tangible trust: supplying real, tangible goods for our real, tangible needs. But are we willing to be the provision of God? Colossians 3:1-11 How do we participate in the new humanity? Well, let’s talk about sex. Luke 12:13-21 There are some kinds of fairness, justice, and judgment that Jesus doesn’t want anything to do with. Yes, we should be offended. We have a lot of stuff, so Jesus is talking to us. This week we talked about the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2a9EZjc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most</a> by Mark Scandrette.  Sean Gladding is a storyteller, pastor, writer, speaker, backyard chicken keeper, community gardener, and YMCA soccer coach. He is married to Rebecca, is father to Maggie and Seth, and they live, love, work and play in the MLK neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky. He is the author of <a href="http://amzn.to/2a9kzri" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Story of God, the Story of Us</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/29SIOKQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TEN: Words of Life for an Addicted, Compulsive, Cynical, Divided and Worn-out Culture</a>. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA. He is also serving as pastoral director for the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, will be out soon. He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://jrdkirk.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Slavery and Food, Sex and Money with Sean Gladding #LectioCast

Daniel Kirk

This episode is a crossover episode with the Good Doctor Daniel Kirk (of the LectioCast fame). How high was the early church’s Christology? Daniel is on this podcast to talk about his new book A Man Attested by God, and answers this very question. This book is a bit oppositional. The Good Doctor is taking on very trendy New Testament scholars and early church theologians around the emergence of a high Christology early in the history of the church. He discusses:  Why have these early high Christologies become so popular? What is the place of Jesus’ humanity? How did we even end up with these gospels in the first place? And what makes Jesus unique and distinct?  Tripp also has three very big concerns about Daniel’s book, since Daniel had three very big concerns about Tripp’s book (which you can purchase in ebook form for $2.99 along with the HBC Guide to God and End Times…) Are you a youth minister? Make sure to sign up for the FREE Open and Relational Youth Ministry video course. You also text OPENYOUTH to 44222 to get all of the content to help you overcome the biggest challenges you face as a youth minister. If you want to help support the podcast, head over to homebrewedcommunity.com now and become a member today. Not only will you get a sweet ecclesiastical title, but you’ll also get all sorts of perks and insider access to Homebrewed content. If you become a member in April you’ll get the Process Theology Bootcamp Tripp did with John Cobb and Jay McDaniel. That’s over six hours of zesty goodness. Plus, you’ll get to experience the joy of supporting the only theology podcast that gives you ingredients to brew your own faith.#TheologyBeerCamp Summer Edition is coming to Denver and Oklahoma City this August. Head over to theologybeercamp.com to get your tickets. You won’t want to miss Tripp and Peter Rollins dueling in the process vs. radical theology battle of the summer. Plus, we might convince Pete to sing karaoke…

This episode is a crossover episode with the Good Doctor Daniel Kirk (of the LectioCast fame). <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-Attested-God-Synoptic-Gospels/dp/0802867952" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>How high was the early church’s Christology? Daniel is on this podcast to talk about his new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-Attested-God-Synoptic-Gospels/dp/0802867952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1491968154&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=a+man+attested+by+god" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God</a>, and answers this very question. This book is a bit oppositional. The Good Doctor is taking on very trendy New Testament scholars and early church theologians around the emergence of a high Christology early in the history of the church. He discusses: <ul> <li>Why have these early high Christologies become so popular?</li> <li>What is the place of Jesus’ humanity?</li> <li>How did we even end up with these gospels in the first place?</li> <li>And what makes Jesus unique and distinct?</li> </ul> Tripp also has three very big concerns about Daniel’s book, since Daniel had three very big <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-Attested-God-Synoptic-Gospels/dp/0802867952" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>concerns about <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Homebrewed-Christianity-Guide-Jesus-Lunatic-ebook/dp/B01771880I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1491968766&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=guide+to+jesus+tripp+fuller" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tripp’s book</a> (which you can purchase in ebook form for $2.99 along with the HBC Guide to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Homebrewed-Christianity-Guide-God-Everything-ebook/dp/B01MQ60BT3/ref=pd_sim_351_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=ZDEMDRRDW76BD2544TNN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">God</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Homebrewed-Christianity-Guide-God-Everything-ebook/dp/B01MQ60BT3/ref=pd_sim_351_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=ZDEMDRRDW76BD2544TNN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">End Times</a>…) Are you a youth minister? Make sure to sign up for the FREE <a href="http://tinyurl.com/openyouth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Open and Relational Youth Ministry video course</a>. You also text OPENYOUTH to 44222 to get all of the content to help you overcome the biggest challenges you face as a youth minister. If you want to help support the podcast, head over to <a href="http://homebrewedcommunity.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">homebrewedcommunity.com</a> now and become a member today. Not only will you get a <a href="http://theologybeercamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>sweet ecclesiastical title, but you’ll also get all sorts of perks and insider access to Homebrewed content. If you become a member in April you’ll get the Process Theology Bootcamp Tripp did with John Cobb and Jay McDaniel. That’s over six hours of zesty goodness. Plus, you’ll get to experience the joy of supporting the only theology podcast that gives you ingredients to brew your own faith.#TheologyBeerCamp Summer Edition is coming to Denver and Oklahoma City this August. Head over to <a href="http://theologybeercamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">theologybeercamp.com</a> to get your tickets. You won’t want to miss Tripp and Peter Rollins dueling in the process vs. radical theology battle of the summer. Plus, we might convince Pete to sing karaoke…

A Man Attested by God with Daniel Kirk

Tim Conder

Tim Conder joins the LectioCast to talk about lament, finding our role in the biblical stories, and understanding how Jesus confronts and overthrows the oppressive power structures of the world.  Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 The lament we need to embrace if we want to celebrate the comedy of the gospel. The right answer does not silent the cry of the people. This is a great chance to explore multiple voices, the truth of emotive experience, and the importance of empathy. Psalm 79:1-9 Taking a step back to read our own narrative in solidarity with those who are struggling with God and deeply enmeshed in lament. We have the opportunity to name ourselves as an exilic people and therefore a people who are complicit in society’s failure. 1 Timothy 2:1-7 A text that we need to read with a full apprehension of how ancient people understood powers and how expansive patriarchy was. Here, the humanity of Jesus makes him the mediator and opens a new way to be human—including a reconfiguration of powers. Luke 16:1-13 What do we do with this, one of the most troubling parables in the whole Bible?  Tim Conder is the founding pastor of Emmaus Way in Durham, NC. He is also the author of Free for All: Rediscovering the Bible in Community and The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture. He Vice-Chairs Durham’s MLK Steering Committee, co-leads the Clergy Caucus of Durham CAN (Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods), serves on the Ethics Committee of the Duke Medical Center, and is a Trustee at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. In addition to his work at Emmaus Way, Tim is a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA. He is also serving as pastoral  director for the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Tim Conder joins the LectioCast to talk about lament, finding our role in the biblical stories, and understanding how Jesus confronts and overthrows the oppressive power structures of the world.  Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 The lament we need to embrace if we want to celebrate the comedy of the gospel. The right answer does not silent the cry of the people. This is a great chance to explore multiple voices, the truth of emotive experience, and the importance of empathy. Psalm 79:1-9 Taking a step back to read our own narrative in solidarity with those who are struggling with God and deeply enmeshed in lament. We have the opportunity to name ourselves as an exilic people and therefore a people who are complicit in society’s failure. 1 Timothy 2:1-7 A text that we need to read with a full apprehension of how ancient people understood powers and how expansive patriarchy was. Here, the humanity of Jesus makes him the mediator and opens a new way to be human—including a reconfiguration of powers. Luke 16:1-13 What do we do with this, one of the most troubling parables in the whole Bible? Tim Conder is the founding pastor of <a href="http://www.emmausway.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emmaus Way </a>in Durham, NC. He is also the author of <a href="http://amzn.to/2cjw7IY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free for All: Rediscovering the Bible in Community</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/2cfm5aY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture</a>. He Vice-Chairs Durham’s MLK Steering Committee, co-leads the Clergy Caucus of Durham CAN (Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods), serves on the Ethics Committee of the Duke Medical Center, and is a Trustee at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. In addition to his work at Emmaus Way, Tim is a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA. He is also serving as pastoral director for the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Finding Gospel Comedy in a Tragically Broken World with Tim Conder #LectioCast

Doug Pagitt

Will we be able to recognize God when God appears? We tend to look “up,” but perhaps we need to look down. Isaiah 49:1-7 The work of the servant is playing out in plain sight: but God’s people aren’t seeing it, and God doesn’t seem to be honoring it. Will we know the work of God when we see it? God makes God’s glory and light known in people. Psalm 40:1-11 Does God require sacrifice? Psalm 40 takes sides in this intratestamental dispute. God doesn’t need it! Do we demand it? 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 First Corinthians keeps us grounded. Where do we look to find the work of God? The holy ones are all around us. John 1:29-42 John’s energy opens the story up for us, casting massive vision that explodes beyond the borders of our careful word-smithing. But what sort of Lamb is Jesus?  Fine literature discussed this week: Doug Pagitt, Flipped Richard B. Hays, First Corinthians Gordon Fee,  The First Epistle to the Corinthians (rev. ed.) Anthony Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NIGTC) J. R. Daniel Kirk, A Man Attested by God  Doug Pagitt is the founding pastor of Solomon’s Porch, A Holistic Missional Christian Community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a national Initiator with Convergence a collective of faith-engaged organizations, individuals, institutions, and networks who seek to embody a generous and just Christian ethos leading to constructive collective action in the United States. Doug is a speaker and consultant for churches, denominations, and businesses throughout the United States and around the world on issues of Inventive Age culture, social systems Christianity, and Leadership. He is the author of books on spirituality, Christianity and leadership including, Flipped, Preaching In the Inventive Age, and A Christianity Worth Believing. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Will we be able to recognize God when God appears? We tend to look “up,” but perhaps we need to look down. Isaiah 49:1-7 The work of the servant is playing out in plain sight: but God’s people aren’t seeing it, and God doesn’t seem to be honoring it. Will we know the work of God when we see it? God makes God’s glory and light known in people. Psalm 40:1-11 Does God require sacrifice? Psalm 40 takes sides in this intratestamental dispute. God doesn’t need it! Do we demand it? 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 First Corinthians keeps us grounded. Where do we look to find the work of God? The holy ones are all around us. John 1:29-42 John’s energy opens the story up for us, casting massive vision that explodes beyond the borders of our careful word-smithing. But what sort of Lamb is Jesus?  Fine literature discussed this week: Doug Pagitt, <a href="http://amzn.to/2j5Yvm3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flipped</a> Richard B. Hays, <a href="http://amzn.to/2hYc1ry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Corinthians</a> Gordon Fee,  <a href="http://amzn.to/2iMp3Wu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The First Epistle to the Corinthians (rev. ed.)</a> Anthony Thiselton, <a href="http://amzn.to/2iMqh3Z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The First Epistle to the Corinthians</a> (NIGTC) J. R. Daniel Kirk, <a href="http://amzn.to/2iMujt3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God</a> Doug Pagitt is the founding pastor of <a href="http://www.solomonsporch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solomon’s Porch</a>, A Holistic Missional Christian Community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a national Initiator with <a href="http://convergenceus.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Convergence</a> a collective of faith-engaged organizations, individuals, institutions, and networks who seek to embody a generous and just Christian ethos leading to constructive collective action in the United States. Doug is a speaker and consultant for churches, denominations, and businesses throughout the United States and around the world on issues of Inventive Age culture, social systems Christianity, and Leadership. He is the author of books on spirituality, Christianity and leadership including, <a href="http://amzn.to/2j5Yvm3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flipped</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2hPCXZ7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Preaching In the Inventive Age</a>, and <a href="http://amzn.to/2iMIxJW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Christianity Worth Believing</a>. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

1st Sunday After Epiphany with Doug Pagitt #LectioCast

Christ is king. That’s the week on the liturgical calendar, it’s the promise of God. And it’s our hope in a time when we have figured out that our earthly shepherds are not going to fulfill God’s visions of justice and righteousness.  Jeremiah 23:1-6 God will shepherd God’s people. God will raise up a faithful shepherd to do it through. And God will see to it that humanity gets to flourish, free from fear, as God created us to do. Luke 1:68-79 Zechariah prophesies over the ministry of John and anticipates the work of Jesus. It’s a vision of grand, earthy salvation, realized in the forgiveness of sins. God’s promise to work through a human king is coming to pass. Colossians 1:11-20 Forgiveness leads to a kingdom in which Christ is king. Christ is king as humanity was supposed to be at the beginning: God’s image-bearing rulers of the earth. And God’s reconciling work bursts beyond the boundaries of God’s people to include the entire cosmos. This happens on the cross. Luke 23:33-43 The shocking culmination of Reign of Christ week: we end with Jesus on the cross. But here, paradoxically, we discover the salvation that Jesus brings as king and messiah.   Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Christ is king. That’s the week on the liturgical calendar, it’s the promise of God. And it’s our hope in a time when we have figured out that our earthly shepherds are not going to fulfill God’s visions of justice and righteousness.  Jeremiah 23:1-6 God will shepherd God’s people. God will raise up a faithful shepherd to do it through. And God will see to it that humanity gets to flourish, free from fear, as God created us to do. Luke 1:68-79 Zechariah prophesies over the ministry of John and anticipates the work of Jesus. It’s a vision of grand, earthy salvation, realized in the forgiveness of sins. God’s promise to work through a human king is coming to pass. Colossians 1:11-20 Forgiveness leads to a kingdom in which Christ is king. Christ is king as humanity was supposed to be at the beginning: God’s image-bearing rulers of the earth. And God’s reconciling work bursts beyond the boundaries of God’s people to include the entire cosmos. This happens on the cross. Luke 23:33-43 The shocking culmination of Reign of Christ week: we end with Jesus on the cross. But here, paradoxically, we discover the salvation that Jesus brings as king and messiah.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Take Heart: Christ is King #LectioCast

The baptism of Jesus is one of the most perplexing, challenging passages in the Gospels. We can shine a little light on it, but only if we’re willing to distinguish Jesus from God, recognizing God as the empowering agent who also marks with the Spirit as God’s beloved children. Isaiah 42:1-9 The servant in whom God is pleased receives the Spirit, brings justice, heals the sick, and eventually suffers and dies. In this, the covenant with Israel shines forth for the good of the nations. Psalm 29  The God who speaks at Jesus’ baptism the king who sits enthroned above the waters. God’s voice is powerful—and that power is bestowed on Jesus. Acts 10:34-43 The arrival of God’s Spirit tells us that God has accepted, and celebrated, the people to whom it comes. This is true of those who believe the message as it was, first, about Jesus. Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus begins his public ministry in solidarity with other people, and receives Spirit and power and sonship and divine approval that he will share in solidarity with us.   Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

The baptism of Jesus is one of the most perplexing, challenging passages in the Gospels. We can shine a little light on it, but only if we’re willing to distinguish Jesus from God, recognizing God as the empowering agent who also marks with the Spirit as God’s beloved children. Isaiah 42:1-9 The servant in whom God is pleased receives the Spirit, brings justice, heals the sick, and eventually suffers and dies. In this, the covenant with Israel shines forth for the good of the nations. Psalm 29  The God who speaks at Jesus’ baptism the king who sits enthroned above the waters. God’s voice is powerful—and that power is bestowed on Jesus. Acts 10:34-43 The arrival of God’s Spirit tells us that God has accepted, and celebrated, the people to whom it comes. This is true of those who believe the message as it was, first, about Jesus. Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus begins his public ministry in solidarity with other people, and receives Spirit and power and sonship and divine approval that he will share in solidarity with us.  <a href="https://trippfuller.loc/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/danielkirk.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

The Baptism of Our Lord: A Man Anointed by God #LectioCast

Jason Micheli

The waiting game begins again. But we’re not waiting for the Messiah to be born. We’re waiting for him to reappear. We’re looking and longing for the new creation that was promised with the reign of God’s faithful servant. And so we watch for an hour whose coming we cannot anticipate. And so we become the future for which we hope. Isaiah 2:1-5.  When God exalts God’s people, the economy of the world is transformed. The military industrial complex surrenders to the agricultural economy of life-giving work. This word goes out and the peoples come in. Psalm 122 Celebrating God’s presence as: a place, a place where righteous judgment is administered, a place where our sisters and brothers dwell, a place where my “neighbor” is anyone in need of mercy. Romans 13:11-14 Waiting looks like becoming in Christ who we already are in Christ. The light looks like Jesus. Matthew 24:36-44 The surprise of the Son of Man’s arrival takes everyone by storm. But might this simply be an iteration of the ministry of Jesus itself? Jason offers a fascinating interpretation.  Jason’s book: Cancer is Funny: Keeping Faith in Stage-Serious Chemo  Jason Micheli is a United Methodist pastor in Northern Virginia. He claims that his years in the academy have done him not a whole world of good, claiming, “I’m now the least well-rounded person in the world, having studied theology at UVA and from Princeton. Seriously, I’ve got no skills apart from parsing Greek nouns and obscure theological categories.” You can find his writing at tamedcynic.com and his book, Cancer is Funny, on Amazon. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

The waiting game begins again. But we’re not waiting for the Messiah to be born. We’re waiting for him to reappear. We’re looking and longing for the new creation that was promised with the reign of God’s faithful servant. And so we watch for an hour whose coming we cannot anticipate. And so we become the future for which we hope. Isaiah 2:1-5.  When God exalts God’s people, the economy of the world is transformed. The military industrial complex surrenders to the agricultural economy of life-giving work. This word goes out and the peoples come in. Psalm 122 Celebrating God’s presence as: a place, a place where righteous judgment is administered, a place where our sisters and brothers dwell, a place where my “neighbor” is anyone in need of mercy. Romans 13:11-14 Waiting looks like becoming in Christ who we already are in Christ. The light looks like Jesus. Matthew 24:36-44 The surprise of the Son of Man’s arrival takes everyone by storm. But might this simply be an iteration of the ministry of Jesus itself? Jason offers a fascinating interpretation.  Jason’s book: <a href="http://amzn.to/2fRwU2j" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cancer is Funny: Keeping Faith in Stage-Serious Chemo</a> Jason Micheli is a United Methodist pastor in Northern Virginia. He claims that his years in the academy have done him not a whole world of good, claiming, “I’m now the least well-rounded person in the world, having studied theology at UVA and from Princeton. Seriously, I’ve got no skills apart from parsing Greek nouns and obscure theological categories.” You can find his writing at <a href="http://tamedcynic.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tamedcynic.com</a> and his book, Cancer is Funny, <a href="http://amzn.to/2fRwU2j" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on Amazon</a>. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Advent: Waiting for the Messiah with Jason Micheli #LectioCast

We are the light of the world. And the very things we do in service to God can be the darkness that obscures the light just as easily as the light that dispels the gloom. Isaiah 58:1-12 Don’t be hoodwinked by acts of piety that don’t bring life to your neighbor. Psalm 112:1-9 Celebrating people who are… like Isaiah suggests. Are they like us? 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) When crucifixion becomes an adverb the wisdom of God is at work. Matthew 5:13-20 Time to retrieve the southernism “Y’all,” and get about the business of being the kind of people who put God’s glory light on display.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

We are the light of the world. And the very things we do in service to God can be the darkness that obscures the light just as easily as the light that dispels the gloom. Isaiah 58:1-12 Don’t be hoodwinked by acts of piety that don’t bring life to your neighbor. Psalm 112:1-9 Celebrating people who are… like Isaiah suggests. Are they like us? 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) When crucifixion becomes an adverb the wisdom of God is at work. Matthew 5:13-20 Time to retrieve the southernism “Y’all,” and get about the business of being the kind of people who put God’s glory light on display. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

People of the Light #LectioCast

Corinna Guerrero

Sometimes the chaos of the world compels us to call on God to set all things right. Sometimes the chaos of the world compels us to delight in God’s presence in the midst of hardship. Can we take hold of both? Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 A cry for justice in a time of uncertainty. And a renewed cry when God answers wrong. A call for patience as we await geopolitical transformation. Psalm 119:137-144 Here we find righteousness not in a transformed world but in the Torah that God has given. Perhaps a call to find peace and joy in the presence of God even in the midst of geopolitical turmoil. Luke 19:1-10 Did Jesus bring repentance to the house of Zacchaeus? Or did he recognize that Zecchaeus was already a child of Abraham? What message do we need to hear with respect to our own money? Comfort or challenge? Do we need to be chastised for our crowd-like presumption and grumbling? 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 Faith needs to get worked out in horizontal and vertical dimensions. And suffering is to be expected for those living out the story of the crucified Christ.  Corinna Guerrero is currently the MTS Online Program Coordinator (Berkeley, Campus) and Lecturer in the Religious Studies Department at Santa Clara University. She holds these positions while writing her dissertation on motifs of atrocity in the Book of Judges.  To read some of Corinna’s popular work see her cover article “Costly Scripture” for America Magazine and her essay “I am CHURCH” in Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. He is also serving as pastoral director for the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Sometimes the chaos of the world compels us to call on God to set all things right. Sometimes the chaos of the world compels us to delight in God’s presence in the midst of hardship. Can we take hold of both? Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 A cry for justice in a time of uncertainty. And a renewed cry when God answers wrong. A call for patience as we await geopolitical transformation. Psalm 119:137-144 Here we find righteousness not in a transformed world but in the Torah that God has given. Perhaps a call to find peace and joy in the presence of God even in the midst of geopolitical turmoil. Luke 19:1-10 Did Jesus bring repentance to the house of Zacchaeus? Or did he recognize that Zecchaeus was already a child of Abraham? What message do we need to hear with respect to our own money? Comfort or challenge? Do we need to be chastised for our crowd-like presumption and grumbling? 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 Faith needs to get worked out in horizontal and vertical dimensions. And suffering is to be expected for those living out the story of the crucified Christ. <a href="https://www.scu.edu/jst/about/people-of-jst/staff/corinna-guerrero/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Corinna Guerrero is currently the MTS Online Program Coordinator (Berkeley, Campus) and Lecturer in the Religious Studies Department at Santa Clara University. She holds these positions while writing her dissertation on motifs of atrocity in the Book of Judges.  To read some of Corinna’s popular work see her cover article “<a href="http://americamagazine.org/issue/costly-scripture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Costly Scripture</a>” for America Magazine and her essay “I am CHURCH” in <a href="http://amzn.to/2eqwzbu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay</a>. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. He is also serving as pastoral director for the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

The Contemplative Practice of Faithfulness to God with Corinna Guerrero #LectioCast

Doug Pagitt breaks it down: the problem is Second Grade. Just wait. Isaiah 9:1-4 Overcoming gloom: a beautiful picture of hope. But the reality is… Second Grade. Am I right? Psalm 27:1, 4-9 There’s a rhythm of salvation and distress. And maybe a bit of uncertainty about whether that rhythm will recur. Then there’s the question of how we don’t get caught in a Temple/attractional model of discovering the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Living out of an abundance narrative is a cornerstone of avoiding tribalism. Scarcity and tribalism are destroying us. First Corinthians might have some answers. Matthew 4:12-23 A series of portraits about what the light looks like. A different kind of kingdom bigger than Cesar and Temple. Israel will not circumscribe the work of the Messiah. Fine literature discussed this week: Doug Pagitt, Flipped Shalom Auslander, Foreskin’s Lament J. R. Daniel Kirk, A Man Attested by God Doug Pagitt is the founding pastor of Solomon’s Porch, A Holistic Missional Christian Community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a national Initiator with Convergence a collective of faith-engaged organizations, individuals, institutions, and networks who seek to embody a generous and just Christian ethos leading to constructive collective action in the United States. Doug is a speaker and consultant for churches, denominations, and businesses throughout the United States and around the world on issues of Inventive Age culture, social systems Christianity, and Leadership. He is the author of books on spirituality, Christianity and leadership including, Flipped, Preaching In the Inventive Age, and A Christianity Worth Believing. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Doug Pagitt breaks it down: the problem is Second Grade. Just wait. Isaiah 9:1-4 Overcoming gloom: a beautiful picture of hope. But the reality is… Second Grade. Am I right? Psalm 27:1, 4-9 There’s a rhythm of salvation and distress. And maybe a bit of uncertainty about whether that rhythm will recur. Then there’s the question of how we don’t get caught in a Temple/attractional model of discovering the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Living out of an abundance narrative is a cornerstone of avoiding tribalism. Scarcity and tribalism are destroying us. First Corinthians might have some answers. Matthew 4:12-23 A series of portraits about what the light looks like. A different kind of kingdom bigger than Cesar and Temple. Israel will not circumscribe the work of the Messiah. Fine literature discussed this week: Doug Pagitt, <a href="http://amzn.to/2j5Yvm3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flipped</a> Shalom Auslander, <a href="http://amzn.to/2jF4fPE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Foreskin’s Lament</a> J. R. Daniel Kirk, <a href="http://amzn.to/2iMujt3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God</a> Doug Pagitt is the founding pastor of <a href="http://www.solomonsporch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solomon’s Porch</a>, A Holistic Missional Christian Community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a national Initiator with <a href="http://convergenceus.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Convergence</a> a collective of faith-engaged organizations, individuals, institutions, and networks who seek to embody a generous and just Christian ethos leading to constructive collective action in the United States. Doug is a speaker and consultant for churches, denominations, and businesses throughout the United States and around the world on issues of Inventive Age culture, social systems Christianity, and Leadership. He is the author of books on spirituality, Christianity and leadership including, <a href="http://amzn.to/2j5Yvm3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flipped</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2hPCXZ7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Preaching In the Inventive Age</a>, and <a href="http://amzn.to/2iMIxJW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Christianity Worth Believing</a>. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

“The Second Grade Problem,” with Doug Pagitt #LectioCast

From Abram to Jesus to the inclusion of the Gentiles we are called into a story of utter dependence on God: trusting God to do for us what we would otherwise try to do for ourselves.  Genesis 12:1-4a Abram has to leave behind everything that should provide for him. God promises a blessing that is too big for Abram to control or contain.  Psalm 121 A psalm of trust in God’s holistic care. Where does our help come from? Are we willing to give ourselves to the God who made heaven and earth? Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 The inclusion of the Gentiles means rereading the story of Abraham. Abraham is blessed through his trust. Abraham trusts the God whom Paul preaches: the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. Matthew 17:1-9 Remember when Jesus refused to bite during those satanic temptations to explore what “son of God” might mean for him? God honors that trust, and will honor it again in Jesus’s resurrection. John 3:1-17 Nicodemus gets Jesus talking. Dependence on God, trust in God, comes to its ultimate manifestation in the need to be born from above, by the Spirit, in order to see the Kingdom. Scary as that might be, it’s a stipulation held in the hands of the God who sent His Son into the world to save it, rather than condemn. This God can be trusted. Books discussed this week: JRD Kirk, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

From Abram to Jesus to the inclusion of the Gentiles we are called into a story of utter dependence on God: trusting God to do for us what we would otherwise try to do for ourselves.  Genesis 12:1-4a Abram has to leave behind everything that should provide for him. God promises a blessing that is too big for Abram to control or contain.  Psalm 121 A psalm of trust in God’s holistic care. Where does our help come from? Are we willing to give ourselves to the God who made heaven and earth? Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 The inclusion of the Gentiles means rereading the story of Abraham. Abraham is blessed through his trust. Abraham trusts the God whom Paul preaches: the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. Matthew 17:1-9 Remember when Jesus refused to bite during those satanic temptations to explore what “son of God” might mean for him? God honors that trust, and will honor it again in Jesus’s resurrection. John 3:1-17 Nicodemus gets Jesus talking. Dependence on God, trust in God, comes to its ultimate manifestation in the need to be born from above, by the Spirit, in order to see the Kingdom. Scary as that might be, it’s a stipulation held in the hands of the God who sent His Son into the world to save it, rather than condemn. This God can be trusted. Books discussed this week: JRD Kirk, <a href="http://amzn.to/2m6fy6b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a>. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Lent Week 2: Utter Dependence #LectioCast

In a world in which “you can’t always get what you want,” whether it’s justice, abundance, equality, or a decent political candidate, how do we continue to place our hope in God? Why should we place our hope in God? Haggai 1:15b-2:9 In the midst of grave disappointment God says, “Don’t give up on me yet.” The presence of God is the promise of God’s acts in the future. Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 God is worthy of praise. Do we tell enough stories about what God has done that we know this to be true in the depths of our hearts? 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Don’t worry: you haven’t missed the awesome thing that God is going to do, because God has that awesome thing in store for you. We can continue to hope, even if the present isn’t panning out like we expected. Luke 20:27-38 The life to come is not just like this one. It offers freedoms and life that blow up all our categories. So when things seem to be hopeless, there is a hope beyond imagining still waiting.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

In a world in which “you can’t always get what you want,” whether it’s justice, abundance, equality, or a decent political candidate, how do we continue to place our hope in God? Why should we place our hope in God? Haggai 1:15b-2:9 In the midst of grave disappointment God says, “Don’t give up on me yet.” The presence of God is the promise of God’s acts in the future. Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 God is worthy of praise. Do we tell enough stories about what God has done that we know this to be true in the depths of our hearts? 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Don’t worry: you haven’t missed the awesome thing that God is going to do, because God has that awesome thing in store for you. We can continue to hope, even if the present isn’t panning out like we expected. Luke 20:27-38 The life to come is not just like this one. It offers freedoms and life that blow up all our categories. So when things seem to be hopeless, there is a hope beyond imagining still waiting. Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Living in Hope (on the Brink of an Election) #LectioCast

After Jesus got that resurrection body, God wasn’t done. The resurrected Jesus is exalted, enthroned, and glorified. Because Jesus receives God’s glory, we get to as well.  Acts 1:6-14 God might not be restoring the kingdom to Israel, but God is restoring the kingship of the earth to humanity. The disciples will know it when they receive the same power Jesus had at their baptism by the Spirit. Psalm 68:1-10, 33-35 The idea of God having enemies to conquer doesn’t sound that great, until we realize that they’re the ones who kept the orphans homeless and the widows penniless. The God who rides on the clouds finds echoes in the ascension of Jesus. 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 People who follow Jesus should expect to embody the Jesus story. That means suffering and resurrection. That means having to trust God when we would otherwise be anxious. Same thing. John 17:1-11 God restores Jesus’s glory. The heavenly future comes down into the present. And we, too, get to bear the glory of God in Christ. We, too, get to know the oneness of the divine union.   Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

After Jesus got that resurrection body, God wasn’t done. The resurrected Jesus is exalted, enthroned, and glorified. Because Jesus receives God’s glory, we get to as well.  Acts 1:6-14 God might not be restoring the kingdom to Israel, but God is restoring the kingship of the earth to humanity. The disciples will know it when they receive the same power Jesus had at their baptism by the Spirit. Psalm 68:1-10, 33-35 The idea of God having enemies to conquer doesn’t sound that great, until we realize that they’re the ones who kept the orphans homeless and the widows penniless. The God who rides on the clouds finds echoes in the ascension of Jesus. 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 People who follow Jesus should expect to embody the Jesus story. That means suffering and resurrection. That means having to trust God when we would otherwise be anxious. Same thing. John 17:1-11 God restores Jesus’s glory. The heavenly future comes down into the present. And we, too, get to bear the glory of God in Christ. We, too, get to know the oneness of the divine union.  Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book <a href="http://amzn.to/29f2VUk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels</a>, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080286290X/?tag=homebrechrist-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/080103910X/?tag=homebrechrist-20+kirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul?</a> He blogs regularly at <a href="http://storiedtheology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StoriedTheology.com</a>  (<a href="http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology</a>). You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jrdkirk</a> and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jrdkirk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/jrdkirk</a>.

Jesus is Glorified, And So Are We #LectioCast

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