The walls of Jericho were closed to God’s people. No one could get in or get out. The walls were tall so no one could climb them, either!
The Spiritual Significance of Star Wars
December 17, 2019 by
The same excitement that makes Star Wars a great entry point to the rudiments of physics, for example, also makes it a great resource for spiritual reflection and discussion.
Formations 07.28.2019: I Pledge Allegiance
July 21, 2019 by
The American Pledge of Allegiance is a product of the 1890s, written by a young socialist pastor named Francis Bellamy in a time when big business was ushering in an age of materialism.
Formations 07.21.2019: God’s Promises
July 14, 2019 by
Like the story of Jericho, Joshua’s speech demands responsibility, creativity, and humility. There are too many layers for anything less. Here, Joshua speaks of God.
Formations 07.14.2019: Working and Praying for Change
July 7, 2019 by
Two weeks ago, Hong Kong marked twenty-two years of Chinese rule. The milestone comes after months of protests over a proposed law that, opponents say, could have been used to seize government critics and send them for trial to the mainland.
Formations 07.07.2019: The Battle of Jericho
June 30, 2019 by
At this year’s Tony awards, the musical Hadestown won the award for best new musical. It retells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice as if it took place in some kind of depression-era, post-apocalyptic company town.
Connections 03.31.2019: Gratitude Plus Responsibility
March 24, 2019 by
We have a five-week-old granddaughter. She gets fed every few hours. She doesn’t have to do anything for her food. It just shows up. She partakes, burps, and goes back to sleep.
Crossroads: Signs and Wonders
November 6, 2017 by
A friend of mine is a Kindergarten teacher. And she became a Kindergarten teacher after God spoke to her. She saw the word “Kindergarten” in big, bold letters in her Bible one day. Afterward, she tried to find it again and couldn’t. One day, though, she was reading something in her Bible and there she saw it.
Connections 11.12.2017: Give It Some Thought
November 5, 2017 by
The story in this week’s Scripture passage reminds me of a part of the John the Baptist story. It’s the scene where “many Pharisees and Sadducees” come to John to be baptized. He doesn’t exactly affirm their decision. “You brood of vipers!” he yells. “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Mt 3:7).
Connections 11.05.2017: Standing on Dry Ground
October 29, 2017 by
I love the Bible’s epic stories: creation, the fall, the flood, the tower of Babel, the crossings of the sea, the march around Jericho, Daniel in the lion’s den, and others. These stories describe life-altering events in the lives of God’s people, pointing to the hand of God at work in each element of the tale.
Connections 08.20.2017: Trajectory
August 13, 2017 by
The name “Jesus” is the Greek version of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means “The Lord saves.” The most famous biblical Joshua led the Hebrews to occupy the promised land, which wasn’t easy since people lived there. So it’s more accurate to say that Joshua led the Hebrews to conquer the land.
Formations 06.26.2016: Mary Magdalene and the Gardener
June 19, 2016 by
Halfway through drafting this post, I realized I was guilty of oversimplification in order to find a moral in this story. I hadn’t determined if I would praise Mary for recognizing Jesus’ resurrection or chide her for missing it at first.