Eat meat, don’t eat meat. A look into Paul’s holy ambivalence.
Episodes
Scripture Unplugged: Psalm 77
Reading the scripture as most people encounter it. How does it hit you?
Good Advice from Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” (Amen).”Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” (Amen).
Resource: A Modern Affirmation of Faith
A modern Affirmation of Faith, for use at funerals or other times.
The love of God is immeasurable, seeking all depths and knowing no bounds. We are sure of this: neither life, nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation can finally separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Skipping the Debates: Cowardice, Wisdom, or Just Trump Being Trump?
We do not and will not make a lot of posts about partisan politics. We see very little value in talking about personality-driven statecraft stagecraft. One of the nice things about this space is that we get to say what we really think: the two-party system in the United States is rotten, almost to the core.
That said, and in case you couldn’t tell, we’re not Trump supporters here. Even so, we think something is being intentionally missed in the conversation about him refusing to participate in the Republican debates.
First of all, why should he? Second of all, why would he?
This the situation in practical terms:
His premise is “I’m up by 65 points, why should I?” He’s not afraid to debate; to him, debating is just saying whatever and calling names. That’s his wheelhouse.
The incredible thing is that he’s listening to legal consul saying “If you debate, you’re going to have to watch what you say about all of these indictments, investigations, etc.” He knows he can’t trust himself. Honestly, it’s the smart move. The incredible thing is that he’s showing discipline. He might be afraid of going to prison (why wouldn’t he be?) but, all things being equal, he’s not afraid to debate. He probably also thinks that doing the debates only platforms the other candidates, all of whom are running pitifully behind.
That’s the situation. For once, he’s heeding conventional wisdom. That might be the scariest thing of all.
Prayer Based on Psalm 130:1-2
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD
You part the waters of chaos,
you restore me with fresh springs of life.
Lord, hear my voice!
Master of Seas, you hear through the crashing of waves
Convince me that you are enough in the storm.
Let your ears be attentive
(Let my mind be open)
to the voice of my supplications!
(to your words of healing.)
Amen.
Who Do We Think We Are? (Season 2 Edition)
It’s a great idea, putting the word “worst” at the very beginning of your podcast’s name. Best for forward and all of that. But here’s what it means to us:
We named this podcast after two realities: the first was that consumer Christianity is often about finding the “best” church in town, and maybe we should drop all aspirations for the world’s standards of success and embrace Jesus’ upside-down vision for the kingdom of God. The second reality is that the fundamentalists next door really think we’re the worst, and not in a “the last shall be first” kind of way.
We launched in the middle of the pandemic and are starting Season 2 now. There are 25 episodes to-date, mostly dealing with repeated cycles of trauma in the first 25 chapters of Genesis. There are also one-off bonus episodes about everything from 90s CCM to Carl Sandburg to UAPs.
As Season 2 unfolds, we’re going to continue our close looks at the trauma/healing cycles of scripture, but we’re also going to do more one-off material, special interviews, guest spots and more. Check us out. We’re the total worst, so you can’t possibly be disappointed!
A Few Things the Bible Isn’t
The Bible is weird. Sometimes, really weird. And it’s also wonderful.
What the the Bible isn’t:
The Bible is not a book. It’s an anthology of many books.
The Bible is not monolithic. The Bible is not one lens. As an anthology, the Bible is manifest, diverse witness.
The Bible is not “The” Word of God. Jesus is.
The Bible is not a collection of stories about perfect people.
The Bible is complicated and should be treated with some humility.
The Bible was not written in English.
The Bible doesn’t exist in order to prove you right.
The Bible is not interested in codifying your prejudices. The Bible is meant to comfort and challenge.
The Bible is not reducible to children’s stories. Sunday School is great, but there’s a time to grow up and grapple with what’s actually going on in the text.
What would you add?
Writing Prompt: What Do You Enjoy Most About Writing?
First, a confession. I have taken the good folks at WordPress for granted. These prompts are a good idea.
Hard question. I don’t write my sermons, but I do write (most of) our episodes.
I think the thing I enjoy most about writing in this context is how different it is from the other kinds of writing and communication I’m usually doing. It’s fun to find a voice, develop it, and cut loose a little bit. I think it’s healthy, too.
When Hamilton came out, I saw some of my younger self in the idea of writing like you’re running out of time. Now I think more like Bruce Springsteen:
What about you?
Worst Church Ever 