What do you do with a Bible you no longer want? I have a lot of these. Some are odd translations that I never use. If I am interested in what these might say, there are apps for that. Some Bibles are duplicates. How many NIVs does a person need?…
My pastor responds to my previous blog post
I feel a little guilty Having been a pastor myself, I know how difficult a job that is. It is even more difficult in a divisive election year. Then add a heavy layer of pandemic on top of all that. It’s rough. So, I’ve been feeling a little guilty this…
The Hostility Toward Bible Study Teachers
Something’s wrong Bible study for adults gets a lot of knocks. Here are some I’ve heard recently: It’s boring. It’s irrelevant. It’s a clique. I can’t say that those criticisms are unjustified. Some teachers find ways to make “The joy of the Lord is my strength” bland. Some teachers take…
It’s going to be alright
My problem with John’s Revelation This week, I led the sixth of seven Bible studies on the book of Revelation. It featured Revelation chapters 17-19 – the Whore of Babylon, the great Beast, the fall of Babylon, the celebration in Heaven (and marriage feast of the Lamb), the Rider on…
Three Lists I Challenge You to Create
These days, I am seeing a lot of lists related to racism. “10 things to watch to educate yourself about systemic racism.” “Seven books you must read.” And even, “75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice.” I am finding most of these lists helpful. Marilyn McEntyre (I posted…
Why Aren’t We Uncomfortable with Jesus?
If we think about why Jesus was killed, we might be uncomfortable with him. We might be uncomfortable with his teachings. And, if we teach what he taught and lived (which got him killed), our class members might be uncomfortable with us. Do we dare? Let’s acknowledge that there are…
Announcement – 3 great resources!
Lessons Learned About Teaching Lessons on Zoom
Because we can not be together during the pandemic, some of our Sunday morning Bible study teachers have been using Zoom as a teaching platform. This week, I participated in a conference call with ten other persons from my church. We are each attempting to teach Sunday morning Bible study…
Objective knowledge of the Bible is not enough for spiritual transformation
I am re-reading the book, The Gift of Being Yourself, by David Brenner. Brenner challenges us to experience self-discovery as a spiritual exercise. This means an appreciation of our gifts, strengths, and personality – but also a recognition of our “false self,” which is the person we most often do…
The most important word in the Hebrew Bible is…
Hesed may be a Hebrew word unknown to most Bible teachers, yet it is the key to understanding the heart of God in both the Old and New Testaments. Michael Card has written a book that can enlighten us to the riches in this one word. “It is tempting to…
