Wayfarer

I’ve learned along my life journey that sometimes one has to do something novel in order to “cut in” during a deep-seated cultural dance. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 10. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I long ago took off my Junior Holy Spirit badge pretending that I had exclusive rights, insight, or editorial control of the Story God is authoring in me or anyone else. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 9. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

While I was in high school, a spiritual revival broke out. I and my friends in our holy huddle had nothing to do with it. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 8. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

It is only later in life that I have learned to recognize one of my patterns of behavior. The truth is that I am, at the heart of things, a wallflower. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 7. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

When our friend Nathan was entering adolescence, I read a review in the Wall Street Journal  of a clever little book of etiquette for boys by Meghan Doherty called  How Not to Be a Dick . We gifted it to our young friend. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 6. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

One of the observations I’ve had of recent generations is the difficulty they’ve experienced in maturing into adults. So much so that “adulting” is now a common term. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

It is the season of Lent, a time when many followers of Jesus around the globe choose to  fast  in preparation for the annual memorial of Jesus’ death and subsequent celebration of His resurrection. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 4. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

We live in very unique times. In fact, I believe that we are in one of the most tectonic shifts in the history of Christianity. It is, perhaps,  the  most significant shift since the Reformation. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In the quiet this morning, I’m reminded that the connections I find in the text aren’t just trivial literary observations. There are spiritual truths present here that are true for me today. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I love that God uses the uniqueness of every individual’s experience, personality, giftedness, and temperament for the good of the whole. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . Videos mentioned in today’s episode: https://youtu.be/7IUL9yq0We8?si=pRq-8wHDmrIpz7ub https://youtu.be/kxduwZpLcCM?si=8YjE6VHvleyYiDwv

The further I get in my spiritual journey, the more I come to understand that the extent of my generosity is a leading indicator of the depth of both my spiritual understanding of the economics of God’s Kingdom, and my gratitude for God's insane generosity towards me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 27. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

My choices have natural consequences of both flesh and Spirit. What choices will I make today? A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 26. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The more I think I own something, the more it ends up owning me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 25. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The lesson of the “continuous flame” in today’s chapter was a  spiritual  lesson for the day when Jesus would come, indwell, and illuminate my 14-year-old heart, mind, and soul. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 24. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

It has been so woven into the fabric of our lives for so long that we don’t even think about it. It is universal. It is unequivocally a basic human right: The weekend. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 23. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Other than some relatively loose leadership structure mentioned by Paul, there is nothing in scripture that hints at anything like what “church” became once Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 22. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

"To whom much is given, much is required,” Jesus said. During my brief few years in professional vocational ministry I learned to ask, “Exactly who is requiring this of me?” A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 21. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

One of the hardest things for modern readers of the Great Story to grapple with is that the God of Leviticus seems so different and hardcore than the teachings of Jesus. I think it’s easy to lose sight of who really changed between the two. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 20. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has noticed that the level of vitriol between both individuals and tribes of individuals has risen dramatically in the last 10 years. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 19. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Our appetites are  good  and meant for our physical health and life. This includes our appetite for sex. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 18. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Everything we’ve been reading in our chapter-a-day journey through Leviticus is as equally revolutionary for the Hebrew people as the Technology Age has been for the entire world. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 17. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

We continue to scapegoat individuals in all sorts of situations rather than doing what Jesus called on me to do as His disciple. Forgive others, as I’ve been forgiven. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 16. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

When something was dirty or nasty or something you shouldn’t touch, our wee daughters called it “acky.” This became a euphemism for when they did the number two in their diapers. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 15. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . YouTube video referred to in today’s podcast: https://youtu.be/u7-ps9QBAGk?si=_xvDB2DavuhbhyD8

At what point does the avoidance of death at all costs become empty of any kind of Life? A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 14. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Today’s chapter is strange, repetitive, and more than a bit boring for modern readers. It is all about skin diseases and mold. But there’s more here than meets the eye. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 13. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . Video referenced in today’s podcast: https://youtu.be/jbkSRLYSojo?si=EVu0pU-dvXX-f1mb