Wayfarer

In the quiet this morning, I'm reminded that it never ends. For those who ask, seek, and knock. For any who truly follows and obeys. This dance, this relationship, this journey never stops progressing. It keeps changing as we change. It keeps maturing as we mature. It keeps getting layered with more, deeper meaning, and deeper understanding. (Chapter-a-Day podcast on Exodus 40; The text version of...

I believe that this spiritual journey has a destination, and as I make progress on Life's road I'm also supposed to also be progressing in my spiritual maturity and my relationship with God.  (Chapter-a-Day podcast from Exodus 39; The text version of every Chapter-a-Day podcast can be found at tomvanderwell.com )

This life journey is filled with human mistakes. Buy me a pint and I will give you an entire list of mistakes I've made along the way (it might cost you two pints, there are a lot of them). Mistakes that, when they came to light, created all sorts of groans, agonizing, shame, and despair for me. But, I've discovered through those stretches of life's road that God is not a God of condemnation and s...

In my perpetual journey through the Great Story I've come to learn that sometimes spiritual lessons are not within the text, but outside of it. It's not what is being communicated that holds value for me as much as how it's being communicated. (Chapter-a-Day podcast from Exodus 37; Text version of today's podcast can be found at tomvanderwell.com )

In this episode, we're going to talk about metaphor and the books of poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs). From "Why do bad things happen to good people?" to a healthy expression of the God-given expression of sexuality, this episode is an entry-level introduction to ancient Hebrew poetry and how it continues to resonate with us today. Part 1: Mystery, Context, & Metapho...

In this time of COVID craziness with many people out of work, in the wake of small family businesses burned to the ground by riots, there are a lot of people worried "about what may or may not happen tomorrow." Today's chapter is a good reminder of God's provision. (Chapter-a-Day reflections on Exodus 36; The text version can always be found at tomvanderwell.com and an index of all the Chapter-a-D...

Along this life journey, I've observed that it's quite common for humans to live on auto-pilot. Life is a series of rote words and actions motivated by nothing more than base human appetites and a lifetime of the systemic conditioning of family, education, and local culture. When I decided to follow Jesus, I was taught to honestly ask the question that has made all the difference in my life. (Chap...

In today's chapter, Moses returns to the top of the mountain and spends another 40 days with God. When he returns, the text says that his face was so radiant that it freaked out the Hebrews. Here's a bit of additional mystery for you. The Hebrew word used here is actually translated "horns." So what's up with that?! (Chapter-a-Day podcast on Exodus 34; The text version can be read and shared at to...

One of the most fascinating things about the story of the early Jesus movement is the transformation in the strong-willed, stiff-necked followers such as Peter, Paul, and John. With each one there was a process involved in the spiritual transformation that included moments of their strong-wills being broken and their spirits humbled. (Chapter-a-Day meditation on Exodus 33; The text version of toda...

I confess this morning that every time I watched the movie and every time I've read this story before, I have been led to the prescribed audience reaction. I shake my head and whisper a "tsk, tsk" in self-righteous judgment for the weak-minded Hebrews. This morning, however, I'm seeing it in a whole new way. (Chapter-a-Day from Exodus 32; The text version available here )

I'm reminded this morning of observing how the legalism and fundamentalism I experienced early in my spiritual journey created really sad, angry, and bitter people whose lives, and even their worship, appeared to me to be void of anything close to resembling peace, love, or joy.  (Chapter-a-Day from Exodus 31) Text version on the Wayfarer Blog at tomvanderwell.com .

Today I find, once again, that the physical bricks-and-mortar (or in this case oil-and-incense) of the Hebrew system matures through Jesus and shifts into a flesh-and-blood understanding of what God is doing. (Chapter-a-Day podcast on Exodus 30). The text version is always available on Tom Vander Well's Wayfarer blog .

The Kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms of this world, and it requires the eyes and ears of my heart to see and hear beyond the simplistic choices fed to me by this world. (A chapter-a-day podcast from Exodus 29) https://tomvanderwell.com/2020/06/26/another-choice/

In my experience, clergy across the various denominations, and even religions, are all lumped together in the minds of most people. Either they aren't sure what to call you, or they simply use whatever word they know from their own experience. And yet, there are major differences in both meaning and role. (A chapter-a-day podcast from Exodus 28) https://tomvanderwell.com/2020/06/25/god-friended-me...

If there was a blueprint Jesus provided for the design of the church, it would look exactly like me. (A chapter-a-day podcast on Exodus 27)

Today's chapter-a-day post comes from Exodus 26. I believe that we are moving into a time when followers of Jesus are tearing the curtain once more and rediscovering the fullness of what Jesus meant when He told his followers, "I will destroy this temple and raise it in three days."

When Jesus came He blew up the childish notion of the God of Creation residing in one place. Jesus matured our understanding of God's very nature and the nature of God's presence. The place of worship transitioned from the Temple to the dining room table.

Over the nearly 40 years I have been a follower of Jesus, I've experienced that my time of quiet with God each morning has an effect on the peace with which I handle the stress of each day.

When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, and when He commanded His followers to take His message to Samaria, He was addressing systemic racial prejudice. Jesus was pointing His own people back to the heart of God that motivated the law repeated twice in yesterday's chapter and today's.

The way of Jesus has always been about letting go, giving up, and leaving behind. The diminishment of self for the gain of others is not an optional path for those followers of Jesus who want an advanced spiritual placement. It's foundational to being a follower at all.

How do I, as a 21st century follower of Jesus, relate to an ancient Hebrew text that is basically a code of law dealing with specific instances of slavery around 3,500 years ago? How can this possibly relate to my life today? I have a couple of thoughts.

Monday mornings are always a mental and spiritual "reset" button for me. As I prepare to enter another work-week I'm thankful for Jesus' reminder that all of the Commandments, rules, and laws in God's Book are summed up in two: Love God with everything you've got. Love others as you love yourself. Now that is a pitch I can hit.

What is a parent's relationship like with a toddler? The parent dictates the rules and asks the child to obey. Rules and obligations. Parents graciously extend protection and provision. They expect obedience. While the child can't cognitively understand just how graciously his or her parents are being, they simply understand that when they obey things are okay and when they disobey they get in tro...

Within any human system, there is a structure of power and responsibility. In some cases, that structure is well-defined and ordered like a community organization with by-laws run by Robert's Rules of Order. Companies have organizational charts to define who answers to whom. My observation is that the more intimate and small the system, the more difficult things can get.

One of my observations along life's journey is that humans have a penchant for whining at every stage of life, it just looks different in adults than it does in childhood. It transforms from emotional tantrums in children to adults wallowing in grumbling, complaining, and lament.