In our study of the biblical story from Genesis to Revelation we arrive at the anointing of King Saul – the first king of Israel – an occasion of very mixed emotions. For Israel, at least at the beginning, it's moment of great joy, as they think having a king is the cure for what ails them. And, as we'll see, Saul absolutely looks the part of royalty. But when it comes to actually ruling in obedience to YHWH, that will be a different story. Which is going to be the problem with the monarchy in Israel for centuries. For Israel's desire to "be like the other nations" is going to be far-too-fulfilled. And that's a problem that we will trace in future weeks.

For now, we focus on Saul and the manner of his calling – which ultimately reveals a God who despite Israel's efforts to self-sabotage - will not abandon his people to their fate. So this story is ultimately a lesson in hope.

And, as always, I'd love to know what you think about it – about the sermon, the series…the podcast as a whole. Or I'd love to have you come and just say "hi!" If you're up for it, you can reach me anytime via the contact link at jesusat2am.com, by sending me email, chatting with me on BlueSky, or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. 

And while you're at it, might you be up for supporting the podcast? You're tax-deductible gift to Canvas is a major help. As are your prayers, your online reviews, telling a friend or two!

Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 9:25-10:16 (NRSV). 

As Israel's sufferings grow, she thinks she has struck upon a solution: a king! If only God would grant Israel a king, she would finally be "like the other nations" (and therefore suffer less?). 

It is an impulse literally as old as the Garden of Eden - to imagine that if only we could wrest more control of our lives from the universe (i.e., God), we would know how to cure what ails us. If God would only give us a king (...a particular political party, a charismatic leader, a ...?) we would have the means by which to achieve virtue and therefore peace and love, right???

In this episode we examine Israel's desire for a monarch, as well as God's surprising, somewhat heartbreaking, capitulation (God grants Israel's wish, albeit with warnings!). It's a story filled with political longing, spiritual amnesia, and that seemingly eternal human tendency to give our allegiance to the wrong thing, at the wrong time, for all the wrong reasons. Which is why it is a story that fits us perfectly today, as we struggle once again to know how best to govern humans in a broken world.

And, as always, I'd love to know what you think about it – about the sermon, the series…the podcast as a whole. Or I'd love to have you come and just say "hi!" If you're up for it, you can reach me anytime via the contact link at jesusat2am.com, by sending me email, chatting with me on BlueSky, or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. 

And while you're at it, might you be up for supporting the podcast? You're tax-deductible gift to Canvas is a major help. As are your prayers, your online reviews, telling a friend or two!

Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: 1 Samuel 8:1-22 (NRSV). 

In this episode in our journey through the biblical story we come to the beginning of the book of Exodus where we find Israel in a very unexpected place - enslaved in Egypt. It's a circumstance that begs the question: What has gone wrong??? For, as we have discussed in previous episodes, Israel is God's elect – a people set apart for priestly office in the larger project of the salvation of the world. So how is it that God's beloved community suffers such oppression (as Israel will be slaves in Egypt for 400 years!)? Has the covenant of election been annulled? Has God turned his back on the Abrahamic promise?

In a word, no. And this is an essential lesson of the life of faith: to be set apart to join with God in the project of salvation is not a license to escape hardship, but rather a call to live the fullness of the human experience.

Up for getting in touch? You can reach me anytime via the contact link at jesusat2am.com, by sending me email, chatting with me on BlueSky, or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. I'd love to hear from you.

And while you're at it, might you be up for supporting the podcast? You're tax-deductible gift to Canvas is a major help. As are your prayers, your online reviews, telling a friend or two!

Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: Exodus 1:1-22 (NRSV).

Here we come to a question that every Christian has, at some point, asked: If we have been saved by grace, forgiven in a manner that can never be revoked, why not continue in sin??? I mean, if sin is where all the fun is, can't I have the good times free of the consequences?

It's a tempting proposition. And Paul's response may not be what we expected...

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 6:1-11 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

How did sin enter the world? And how is grace sin's antidote? In this episode we arrive at Paul's great declaration of ultimate hope: "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more." And we see how Adam's sin - while affecting all creation - is overcome by Jesus's faithfulness. In short, here is where we see most clearly that love is the name of the game.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 5:12-21 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What is the source of our hope? Not hope in the sense of optimism, but hope as in the certainty of the salvation of the world.

Rome offered a version of hope, one that empires continue to promise to this day. But it is a hope that can never be fulfilled, because it is rooted in the false belief that power brings security.

In this episode we examine Paul's vision of hope - one rooted in the goodness of God - against the backdrop of the Roman Empire and discover how we can even hope amidst suffering.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 5:1-11 (NRSV)

The images referenced are here:

1. Ara Pacis
2. Roman Justice (statue)
3. Coin (front)
4. Coin (back)
5. Herodian Temple
6. Pyramids of Giza

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

That salvation comes to us by grace alone is extraordinarily difficult to comprehend. One way or another, we humans find a work we think we can perform to turn God's rescue into something we can control.

It's a dynamic Paul understands all too well. And to snap us out of it, he returns to his example of Abraham - saved simply by the sovereign will of God. And what results from election is faith - a faith that transforms Abraham and can transform us.

This episode is intellectually thick but worth the effort.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 4:9-25 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For Paul there has only ever been one means of salvation: election. And to make his case, he appeals to the story of Abraham (Israel's patriarch), who received salvation as a promise, and for who responded in faith.

In this episode we further examine the relationship between election and faith and what it means to have faith "reckoned as righteousness." It is also a look at God intent to include all creation in his plan of redemption.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 4:1-8 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Salvation by faith alone is one of the central pillars of Reformed theology - a doctrine based in no small measure on Paul's declaration in 3:28 "that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law." (This, of course, has only led to endless debates about what, then, constitutes "saving faith").

But what Paul meant and what the Reformers thought he meant don't totally align. In this episode we re-examine what, precisely Paul intended to communicate about the means of salvation.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 3:27-31 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The central claim of Christianity is that, in Jesus, God has accomplished all that is required for the salvation of the world. And, in particular, that this was accomplished through the cross and resurrection. It was there that Christ made atonement for this sins of the world.

In this episode we look at the Paul's understanding of the atonement and do our best to explain how the death of one man accomplishes the the salvation of us all.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 3:21-26 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At last we arrive at the announcement of salvation. Though humanity stands utterly mired in sin, God himself will provide the means of our salvation. In one act, God will both justly fulfill the covenant promise to Abraham, and accomplish the proper judgment of sin (and thereby overcome it). That act: the cross.

In this episode (part 1 of 2 on the atonement) we put the pieces of Paul's argument together and see that the sacrifice of Christ is the end to which God had been working all along. 

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 3:21-26 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Here Paul concludes the argument he has been developing for 2.5 chapters: everyone stands utterly guilty before God. There is no excuse to be made, no special status to be conferred, humanity is rightly deserving of God's just wrath. It is the news we must hear if we are to truly take in what comes next: grace! The sermon is brilliant and preached by our regular contributor, the Rev. Mike Regele. With this one you are in for an intellectual and spiritual treat!

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 3:9-20 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If Israel is humanity in microcosm, and Israel has not only failed in her covenant obligations, but the very signs of her belonging to God (circumcision and Torah) only further testify to her unfaithfulness, what hope is left of salvation? Surely the rest of humanity would fare no better were the covenant given to another.

In this episode we look at the relationship between humanity's failure and God's faithfulness, and the real foundation of the salvation of the world...

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 3:1-8 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Today we return to a fundamental theme in the biblical story, that of election – the idea that we belong to the community of salvation not by anything we do, but by the sovereign will of God. To be elect is to be chosen by God for salvation apart from any merit or effort or agreement on our part.

It's often a difficult idea for 21st century westerners to swallow as we like to see ourselves as the captains of our own destiny. We imagine that if we are included in the community of salvation, it's because we somehow earned it (at the very least by "having faith"). And if one is not included in the community of salvation, it must be because they are receiving just desserts.

But in scripture matters of election are not nearly so clear and clean as this, as we shall in our passage for today – the story of Jacob and his twin brother Esau. Esau, as the elder brother, ought be the primary heir not only of his father, Isaac's, property, but of his blessing and of the covenant with God. And yet, it is Jacob – who schemes and calculates and who by abject manipulation and deception receives, both the birthright of the firstborn, but also the covenant blessing.

To be clear, the promise of inclusion does not pass to both sons, but only to Jacob. And it forces us to ask: What does it mean to be chosen? Is the covenant of salvation only for some and not for others? Does God willfully exclude some from redeeming grace? Are the boundaries of the chosen people fixed forever? …or might it be that, in the end, they are far wider than we imagine…?

Up for getting in touch? You can reach me anytime via the contact link at jesusat2am.com, by sending me email, chatting with me on BlueSky, or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. I'd love to hear from you.

And while you're at it, might you be up for supporting the podcast? You're tax-deductible gift to Canvas is a major help. As are your prayers, your online reviews, telling a friend or two!

Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: Genesis 27:1-49 (NRSV).

Nothing was more elemental to Jewish identity, nor more distinguishing of the boundary between Jew and Gentile than circumcision. It was a mark, in the flesh, of one's belonging (or not) to the people of YHWH, long before obedience to Torah was possible.

Yet Paul here Paul declares that even circumcision is of no special value in bringing one near to God. It is a circumcision of the heart that matters, not flesh. A declaration that opens to door for all humanity to share the inheritance of Israel.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 2:25-29 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In order to show us the fullness of what Jesus has accomplished at the cross, Paul takes us into an argument with his former self (the zealous Pharisee).

The subject: Torah. For it was Israel's long-held belief that Torah served as something of a protection against sin and its full consequences.

And that belief turns out to be an idol Paul must fully demolish (and he does) in order to then reveal the heights of Gods' grace.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 2:12-24 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In a move of rhetorical brilliance (as many in Romans are)! Paul takes the judgmentalism he has just provoked in his readers and turns it back upon themselves (i.e., us!). Whatever speck we may wish to pluck from our neighbor's eye, we must first contend with the plank in our own.

But this is more than a morality lesson. As Paul moves deeper into an understanding of divine judgment, a paradox begins to form - justice, it seems, is a two-edged sword, simultaneously a means of salvation and of condemnation.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 2:1-11 (NRSV)

Also referenced are these two images:

• Roman Rostra Today
• Roman Rostra (Artist's Recreation)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Few controversies have raised more ire and ugliness in the contemporary church than the debate about the place (or lack thereof) of homosexual relationships within the community of faith (and the larger culture). And at the center of that debate are Paul's words in Romans 1:18-32.

In this episode we examine this highly charged passage - what Paul intended and how it both does and does not speak to the arguments the church is having today.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 1:18-32 (NRSV)

Also referenced is Mike Regele's book, Science, Scripture and Same Sex Love.

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

"Paul, a slave of King Jesus, called to be an appointed messenger, set apart for the announcing of the news of God's victory."

With these words Paul opened his letter to the church at Rome and set the course of Christian theology.

In this episode we examine Paul's letter opening in light of the literary conventions of his day and how he both adheres to cultural norms and radically transforms our understanding of the world around us. We also discover the mind of a genius and the heart of a saint.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 1:1-17 (NRSV)

Want to connect? You can send e-mail here.

Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In this episode we look not at Paul, but at the city to which he wrote - the capital of the greatest empire the world had ever known.

It was a time of stability and strength and Rome was in the mood to make promises - not least the promises of justice, glory and peace (the Pax Romana). If only one would pledge loyalty to the empire, the benefits would be manifold.

It's to the center of this world that Paul will write to declare a new kingdom - one with similar promises and competing loyalties. 

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Romans 1:7 (NRSV)

To see the images referenced in the sermon, click the title:

• Statue Base reading "SPQR"
• The Roman Forum at Dusk
• An Artist's Reconstruction of the Roman Forum
• Ara Pacis

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We are all familiar with nativity scenes- Mary and Joseph tend to the infant Jesus as animals and shepherds look on, and in the distance we see traveling magi, bearing their gifts, following a star... It's a peaceful scene filled with both love and wonder. And it bears some resemblance to the biblical story.

But the birth of Jesus is a fundamentally disruptive event that stirs both the cosmic and political orders, and brings hidden truths to light. And revelation is a powerful thing...

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Matt. 2:1:12 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We all have seasons in life in which we are waiting...: Waiting on the next chapter to unfold, waiting something to make sense...waiting for God to take action! The wait can be excruciating at times, especially when we feel that God is silent.

In this episode we look at what to do in those moments - namely the Jesuit practice of "contemplating" scripture, a means by which we learn to hear God's word to US.

Want more on the contemplation stuff? Find it in my Loving God 101 series, parts 11 and 12.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Luke 2:21-35 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We all carry an picture of God - his power, nature, "personality"... Mine was, for many years, an academic one, formed with the Latin words of the long-dead philosophers we studied in school. And that image did great things for my GPA! Until, one day, that same picture rendered me useless to a scared, 6-yr-old cancer patient. As she saw it, cancer was proof of God's anger. When I said, "I don't think God is like that." She said, "Then what is God like...?" And it has taken me 20-years to find my answer. 

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Luke 2:8-20 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Amidst the wait for God's salvation, one can begin to doubt that it will ever come. Perhaps we have believed in vain? Or trusted in a promise that will not be fulfilled? I think the thought crosses the mind of every person of faith.

So where do we go when we need assurance? Where do we look for signs of God's present love?

In this episode we examine one poet's answer in the form of Psalm 139. It turns out to be quite persuasive....

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Psalm 139 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Today we come to one of the most emotionally charged moments in all of scripture: God's command to Abraham that he sacrifice his son Isaac – the heir to the covenant of salvation!

And even though God ultimately prevents Isaac from being killed, the divine intervention comes at the last possible moment.

And it leaves us wondering:  What was God doing?  Why would God put both Abraham and Issac through such trauma??? Was this some ancient near eastern practice we don't know about? Or – as many of us assume - was it some obedience test for Abraham; a measuring of his commitment?  And if it was, ought we fear or even expect that God might test us in a similar fashion? (I think many people of faith live with the suspicion that God is going to demand we surrender that which we love most in this world.) Is that really who God is? Because what kind of God would do such a thing?

Or…, is there more to this story – a meaning that we can only see clearly through the lens of the fullness of scripture? Once we know the whole story, are able to look back and see a deep inner meaning in these events - a meaning that actually gives us great hope and prompts us to love? I think just maybe there is…

Up for getting in touch? You can reach me anytime via the contact link at jesusat2am.com, by sending me email, chatting with me on BlueSky, or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. I'd love to hear from you.

And while you're at it, might you be up for supporting the podcast? You're tax-deductible gift to Canvas is a major help. As are your prayers, your online reviews, telling a friend or two!

Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: Genesis 22:1-19 (NRSV).

Advent is a pensive season, a time of active reflection on our need for a savior. And that reflection on a needful world can, at times, lead to the false conclusion that the true life of faith is one of mild depression - sharing the pain of the world with only a distant hope of redemption. But that is not God's intent!

There is much joy to be found even in a broken creation and in this episode we examine one poet's experience of it - a psalm of blessing and rejoicing in a God who is presently saving!

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Psalm 103 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Peace is an endangered species. From the violence of war, to our conflicted politics, to the internal battle for rest and quiet within our self, peace feels more elusive than ever. And in quest to find it, to have it, we are tempted to believe that the way to peace inwardly is to first establish peace outwardly. When the chaos and hostility have been tamed out there, I can finally rest in my soul. When in fact the opposite is true. Peace out there begins with peace in me. And that peace comes only from God.

In this episode we look into one of the Bible's greatest visions of peace and gain a sense of the shalom that God intends for his creation. And as we study, we find ourselves being shaped by the words themselves, in such a way that when we have slowed ourselves and read the poem (Ps. 23), we often find that we have become more peaceful. It is a wonderful look at the power of scripture to both inform and transform the human soul.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Psalm 23 (NRSV) 

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Hope is essential to a life of love. But it can be hard to come by, especially when so much that matters to us is outside of our control. In this episode we look honestly at the difficulty of hope and how we regain it. In particular, we turn to the psalms (a constant guide to connection with God), and how one Hebrew poet found his way back to comfort and assurance in the goodness of God.

If you'd like to read the e-mail sent to the Canvas congregation about the practice of the daily office, just CLICK HERE.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Psalm 33 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We have already witnessed a radical transformation in Paul - from zealous persecutor of the church to faithful Christian. But there is more to come.

Paul is called by God to be an apostle (lit. "a sent one"), not to his fellow Jews, but specifically to the Gentile world. It is a mission that revolutionizes his theology, and reveals for him a depth of God's salvation he could never have otherwise imagined.

In this episode we examine the Gentile mission and its essential role in the saving of the world.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Ephesians 3:1-13 (NRSV)

To see the map referenced in the sermon, CLICK HERE.

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

How does one go from being the church's greatest persecutor to its greatest advocate? The short answer, in Paul's own words, is: grace.

In this episode, we examine this most central theme in Paul's theology. What exactly is "grace"? How do we experience it? And is it a new development in God's character, or has the God of Israel been demonstrating grace all along?

If you've ever sought a deeper understanding of the Christian conception of grace, this is the episode for you.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Gal. 1:11-17 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The letter to the church at Rome - essentially a treatise on the saving work of God across history - is the Apostle Paul's magnum opus and one of the great works of Western literature.

It is so profound in its insight and broad in application that we are tempted to read it apart from its context. But it is the work of a very human author, whose internal and external life must be understood.

In this prologue to Romans, we meet Paul, the once notorious Saul of Tarsus - zealot and Pharisee.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Acts 7:54-8:1 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

One of the most difficult elements of the spiritual life to accept is that humans are inherently bad at it. That is not to say we cannot make progress (we surely can!). But for every three steps forward there are two in reverse. That's simply how it is. And it is a journey God accepts. What's more, God willfully chooses to walk it with us. And seeing that truth - the enduring presence of God amongst his very "stiff-necked" people- turns out to make all the difference in our day-to-day relationship.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 33:12-34:9 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 The divine commandment of sabbath is stunning and without parallel in the Ancient Near East. Yet YHWH regularly repeats the command to rest and connects it with the covenant bond between Israel and God (so critical was it to God that laboring on the sabbath could be a capital offense!).

In this episode we examine both the divine call to work and to rest, and why it is that God (contrary to what we often suspect) literally forbids maximizing our human output - in our own service or in his.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 31:1-18 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Unheard of in the ancient world was a deity who travelled with his people. There were gods of particular regions (and within those regions lesser deities who controlled the wind here or the rain there), but a god so tied to his people that he sojourned with them, never. Until YHWH called Israel.

In this episode we examine the depth of the bond between YHWH and Israel and God's commitment to be present. We also look at the first offering taken, one to build God's "tabernacle" - a voluntary act of giving!

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 24:3-25:9 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In our endeavor to understand the biblical story from Genesis to Revelation, we have come to the question that drives the entire narrative: Can the consequences of sin be reversed??? Or is humanity's fate sealed - doomed to a tragic existence in which everything adds up to nothing in the end?

Today we get the all-important answer: Yes, something can be done. And it comes in the form of a covenant - a one-sided contract in which God pledges himself to the work of reversing the curse of sin and bringing the divine blessing to all creation. It is one of the pivotal moments in the biblical story – and in human destiny! - as the salvation of the world hinges on a unilateral promise given to Abraham, and thru Abraham to all creation...

Up for getting in touch? You can reach me anytime via the contact link at jesusat2am.com, by sending me email, chatting with me on BlueSky, or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. I'd love to hear from you.

And I'd also love for you to check out Canvas! It's a wonderful congregation and there are many ways to get involved - even if you live at quite a distance.

Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: Gen. 11:27-12:3, 17:1-7; 15:1-17 (NRSV) .

One of the most striking aspects of Israel's God is his concern for human interactions. We've seen this already in the 10 Commandments and YHWH's insistence that his people be marked by justice. But God does not stop a broad principles.

In this episode (the first of two), we look at what's known as "The Mishpatim" - the civil law that is to govern day-to-day affairs amongst God's people. It give a remarkable look at God's character and the quality of life that is to define his holy nation.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 21:1-21, 33-36; 23:4-5 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Unlike the covenant with Abraham, the covenant at Sinai comes with stipulations - obligations which, if met, lead to blessing, but, if ignored, lead to punishment. The most critical of these stipulations we know as the 10 Commandments.

In this episode we examine what these commandments actually command and how they function in light of the larger Sinai covenant, in later Judaism, and in the church of the 21st century.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 19:16-20:21 (NRSV)

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

After 40 days in the wilderness, Israel arrives at Mt. Sinai. And it is there the next stage of their growth as God's people begins. It is at Sinai that she is consecrated, and there that God establishes a new covenant - a contract that binds Israel to obedience. YHWH will be her king and she will live out a unique identity in the world - distinct from all other peoples.

The question will become: What happens if Israel cannot fulfill her end of the deal?

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 19:1-25 (NRSV)

To find out more about Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and how you can help those recovering from natural disaster, CLICK HERE.

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Letting go of Egypt - saying goodbye to the past, to the familiar, to habit (however deadly it may have been) - is one of the most difficult tasks of the life of faith. And it is one of the primary purposes of the wilderness.

In this episode we find Israel 3-days into her exodus journey, already longing for the (comforts?) of Egypt and questioning - again - the goodness of God.

It is a deeply honest look at the human condition, as Israel discovers once more that her God is with her (and with us!).

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 16:1-30 (NRSV)

To find out more about Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and how you can help those recovering from natural disaster, CLICK HERE.

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Israel has been saved by the mighty hand of God!...only to find herself in the "wilderness." (Always in scripture, a place representing isolation, emptiness, and fear.)

It's not quite the picture of deliverance she had in mind. And yet, as Israel will discover, the wilderness is where the best spiritual formation happens.

It is there that we are forced to confront our complete dependence upon God and God alone. And it is in the wilderness that God meets us with compassion and with a new call to his service.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 15:22-27 (NRSV)
   

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

One of the great lessons Israel has to teach us is how to respond to salvation, what to do when we have been rescued. Israel's response? A psalm of praise.

But this is not just a song about the powers and virtues of God, giving The Almighty his due. Rather, the poem is a means of both expressing thanks and memorializing events. It allows Israel to deepen her relationship with God in the present and to rehearse the events of salvation in the future (as many moments of desperation are yet to come).

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 14:26-15:21 (NRSV)
   

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At last God makes good on his promise to save. Israel is set free from Egypt and flees into the desert...only to discover that she is quickly trapped between the Red Sea and the fast-approaching army of Pharaoh. And it is a situation everyone who sincerely follows God will face - the moment when, unless God personally intervenes on our behalf, we are most certainly doomed.

In this episode we join Israel on the shores of the Red Sea wondering if our faith has been a horrible miscalculation!

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 14:5-25 (NRSV)
   

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Few stories in scripture are more historically or morally questionable than the story of the Passover. Did YHWH truly put to death all the firstborn of Egypt??? And if so, how can we possibly consider God good, much less loving???

In this episode we examine the Passover, its place in Israel's salvation, and the instruction is provides for living as God's people.

The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: 

• Exodus 11:1-12:13, 21-36 (NRSV)
   

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Before we can surrender to God's care and leading, we must first be (mostly) convinced that God is devoted to us and capable of securing our welfare. And in the ancient world, way a deity demonstrated both power and devotion was by means of partisan action - working demonstrably on behalf of their followers.

In this episode, we examine YHWH's plagues upon the Egyptians and what they are intended to reveal about the strength and faithfulness of Israel's God.

The biblical passages quoted in this sermon are: 

• Acts 1:6-8 (NRSV)
• Exodus 6:1-9; 7:14-25; 8:16-19 (NRSV)

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In the end, there is only one way to know for sure if God is active in the world and in your life: risk. Not random danger, but obedience to a call.

It turns out that God's revelation is often paired with a command to "go...," and to risk, and thereby to discover that God is present.

In this episode we look at God's appearance to Moses in the burning bush and the accompanying call to speak to both Israel and to Pharaoh - both sojourns into danger. But it is here that Moses learns "I am with you!"

The biblical passage for this sermon is: Exodus 2:23-3:22 (NRSV).

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In this episode we come to the Bible's version of The Flood Story - a story that was told by many Ancient Near Eastern cultures. Yet the Bible tells the story very, very differently. For in the Bible, the Flood Story is about far more than a hero and some animals on an ark. Indeed, at its heart, the biblical account is the story of what it means for a holy and loving God to be heartbroken by humanity's sin—and yet to still refuse to give up on us. From divine wrath to divine promise, the Flood narrative is the story of a God who can rage! And who can also repent and forgive. And then make promises that point towards salvation.  

Up for getting in touch? You can reach me anytime at jesusat2am.com, by sending me email, chatting with me on BlueSky, or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. I'd love to hear from you.

And I'd also love for you to check out Canvas! It's a wonderful congregation and there are many ways to get involved - even if you live at quite a distance.

Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: Gen. 6:5-22, 7:11-24, 8:13-22, 9:8-17 (NRSV).

Learning to see God in our own lives is much like learning to see God in the story of Moses's birth. At first glance, God appears quite absent - nowhere to be found as his people face great trial.

And yet, upon closer inspection, God's fingerprints begin to emerge everywhere. Where first we saw only indifference, slowly, deeply attentive care comes into focus. And we see that God has been active in our rescue all along.

In this episode we learn to see behind the scenes - where God is always at work.

The biblical passage for this sermon is: Exodus 2:1-15 (NRSV).

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The journey of faith and surrender to God's leading begins not in strength, but in weakness, in captivity - slaves to forces too great for us to overcome. It is there that God meets us and declares again the promise of salvation.

In this episode we begin where the exodus began - with God's people enslaved to Pharaoh, crying out for deliverance. And we recognize this physical captivity as a symptom of our larger captivity to sin itself. And we also discover captivity will not have the last word!

The biblical passage for this sermon is: Exodus 1:1-22(NRSV).

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The ultimate work of the life of faith is to surrender ourselves to God, to entrust all that we are and all that we possess to his care and leading. The question is: HOW??? How do we overcome the countless resistances we have to placing ourselves in God's hands? The short, answer is: reluctantly. But there is hope! God has a long history of bringing broken humans into relationship with him. So in this series we begin at the beginning of that work, the exodus.

In this episode, we meet the God who saves.

The biblical passages referenced in this sermon are: 

• 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NRSV)
• Genesis 17:1-8 (NRSV)

Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help!

Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.