Tag: religion
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A Bad Mix?
Psalm 84; Ezra 6:1-16; Mark 11:15-19 (read online ⧉) The restoration of the temple was not only of religious significance; it was also of cultural, societal, and political significance. This would be perceived as the raising of the Hebrews to a point of greater significance than in the past, though not in the highest levels…
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Bacon Obedience
Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, Numbers 15:37–41 (read online ⧉) According to some people, bacon deserves its own food group. There is a somewhat true adage, cook bacon and the men will come. Sad, but true. A mercifully short culinary path was bacon everything: bacon mints, bacon gum, bacon ice cream, bacon shaped bandages, bacon jelly…
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Relating Relationally
Genesis 24:1–27, Ruth 2:1–16, 1 Corinthians 7:1–9, Hebrews 11:13–22 (read online ⧉) Arranged marriages are nothing new. Many arranged marriages were and are political, financial, or just friends “knowing” their children should be together. The story of Isaac and Rebekah doesn’t quite fall into those lines, but it is still an arranged marriage. Just like…
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The Rot of Forgot
2 Chronicles 30:13-27, Nehemiah 8:7-12, Jeremiah 15:16 The world is supposedly becoming Post-Christian. The thought behind the term is that the “Christian Era” was when Christianity was dominant throughout the world as if Emperor Constantine’s edict of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire made Christianity instantly accessible, understandable, and pervasive. The sad…
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The Reformation Observed
Acts 15:1–21, Ephesians 2:1–10, 2 Timothy 3:10–17 Today marks 502 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the doors of Wittenberg Castle Church. Without question, Martin Luther was a key figure in the reformation of Western Christendom. Others, too, made many of the critiques that Luther did. They did it earlier and were…
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Deep Water Religion
Matthew 21:23–27, 1 Thessalonians 2:1–12 Religious figureheads are often accused (too often, correctly) of seeking their own gain, whether by influence or money. Even those with no Christian background see a problem with it. Truthfully, it is not just Christianity that has this struggle, not by far. As Christianity is the culturally “dominant” (though how…
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Believing Dress-Up
2 Corinthians 6:3–18, 2 Corinthians 11:12–15, 1 John 4:1–6 Paul is not a happy camper. The Corinthians appear to be pulling away from him for 2 reasons. The first is that he sent a letter that hurt (or offended) them. It seems likely that it wasn’t the letter we call 1 Corinthians, but a different…
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An Expert Problem
Ecclesiastes 1:12–18, Ecclesiastes 12:12–14, John 7:37–49 One of the biggest indicators of future success is a good education. Especially in this day and age, education is not a luxury, nor is it just the trappings of the well-to-do. Education is a necessity. The “Teacher” of Ecclesiastes is often assumed to be Solomon, however, based on…