Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith

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.

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.