“Be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” Jesus instruction to those he was sending out as missionaries is as valuable today as it was when he spoke those words. The shrewdness required of a missionary comes in discerning what is truly Gospel and what is a cultural accretion. For example, presuming that Church music… Read More »

The Book of Genesis tells the story of Abraham’s family. His great grandson, Joseph, completes the cycle somewhere around 1700BC. The saga is set in the background of the geo-political situation. Egypt had achieved hegemony over Palestine during a time of drought when, due to the Nile, it still have food to share. It also… Read More »

Among the many bizarre aspects of political life in the United States these days is a phenomenon called Christian Nationalism. As near as I can tell Christian Nationalism is the exact opposite of what Jesus was about. Jesus was part of a national movement in the Jewish state. He named the twelve apostles to demonstrate… Read More »

Jacob found that he couldn’t manipulate things to go his own way. After he conned the birthright away from his brother he fled for his life. When he schemed to get Rachel for his wife his father-in-law-to-be out conned him. After he finally got his heart’s desire he found himself with four women who were… Read More »

One of the ritual masses is “for the dedication of a church” and the Introit prayer is taken from the words of Jacob in the book of Genesis:  “How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!” The awesome place of Jacob (the… Read More »

 The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. Christianity from its very beginning has been a missionary religion seeking to spread its message to the whole world. This was not the heritage of Judaism. While there were non-Jews who were attracted… Read More »

In a modern court the blessing given to Jacob would not hold. A lie can’t be the basis of a contract. Google says: “Fraudulent misrepresentation, where one party intentionally makes a false statement to induce the other party to sign a contract, can also affect the contract and make it invalid.” The Bible is very… Read More »

Today the United States celebrates its independence. While there is much to be proud of when we look at the history of the nation for the past 249 years there are also many things to repent of. When politicians attempt to whitewash that history by ignoring the ugly parts they do no favor to the… Read More »

If you think about it, the opposite of belief is not having doubt but being sure.  I don’t believe that two plus two is four,  I’m sure of it. On the other hand, I believe that the airplane is going to fly but I’m not completely sure. Doubt is not the enemy of faith. In… Read More »

Jesus had gone to the territory of the Gadarenes and cured two of the citizens there. You would think that the townsfolk would be pleased at that, would be grateful for the healing power. What do we find instead? The whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him… Read More »