Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith – Détails, épisodes et analyse

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me." It is the first commandment and it sounds...rather ominous. But if we take a moment to listen more deeply, what we discover is actually a call to radical freedom!

In a world of myriad deities, each with a slight power over the necessities of life, the stress of keeping each placated was never-ending (and exhausting!)...perhaps not so unlike our world today... And yet, at Mt. Sinai - after the lived experience of rescue from slavery - the God of Israel declares complete sovereignty over creation; meaning that the endless drive to keep the gods satisifed is entirely unnecessary. And the one God who calls for loyalty is the God who freely saves the objects of his perfect love. Maybe far from ominous, the first commandment is a gift of peace, hope and joy - the very heart of what it means to live life abundantly!

The text for this sermon can be found here: Exodus 19:1-6, 20:1-3 (NRSV).

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If you'd like to go back and find sermons and audio that Kirk presented at Canvas during his long hiaitus, simply head to the Canvas Sermon Archive.

For more sermon series, resources and means of contacting Kirk, simply head to jesusat2am.com or send me email here!

We continue our look at the abundant life by turning - quite unexpectedly! - to the 10 Commandments and consider the possibility that they are not meant to be the burden we so often imagine them to be, but are rather a gift pointing us to health, life and joy. They are, after all, the first instruction of a loving God to his chosen people. Perhaps love is more operative within the commandments than threat...? (Click here to see the 10 Commandments poster referenced in the sermon!)

The text for this sermon can be found here: Exodus 19:1-20:21 (NRSV).

If you value the podcast and are able to support the community from which it comes, you can make a tax-deductible  contribution to Canvas Presbyterian Church here! (Thank you!!!)

If you'd like to go back and find sermons and audio that Kirk presented at Canvas during his long hiaitus, simply head to the Canvas Sermon Archive.

For more sermon series, resources and means of contacting me, simply head to jesusat2am.com or send me email here!

How do I, as a white, well-educated, heterosexual, Protestant, cis male, who would never knowingly sanction racism of any sort, reflect on "systemic racism"?

For those of us who try hard to so very hard to be good people (defined in no small part by being not-racist!), the phrase can spark a reflexive defensiveness ("Not me!").

Yet the enduring effects of racism in our society are clear on many fronts - from "red lining," to access to education, to criminal sentencing, to...

So how do I, as trying-to-be-loving-Jesus-follower, think about my part in the "system"? Might I be an unwitting participant in oppression? Can I even ask myself the question? And what if yes...?

For my part, it has helped greatly to shift the focus a bit from the specific wrong of racism, to the larger category of sin. Do I imagine that as a fallen human, sin has the capacity to distort my sense even of myself, and to inspire a selfishness I of which I might not be aware, a blindness I might unconsciously wish to perpetuate?

For some very helpful resources, here is a link to Canvas's Continual Learning series on Racial Justice

And if you'd like to follow along with the sermon text, the passage is:

• 1 John 1:1-10 (NRSV)

This sermon was preached on June 28, 2020 at Canvas Presbyterian Church (Irvine, CA).

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)
   

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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)
   

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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)
   

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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)
   

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