DRIVING THEOLOGY

War in Iran, people dead, innocent victims, outrage abounds...What is going on?! A tale as old as time. Where is the justice? Mercy? Who will stop the cycle?

Bad things happen when we cherry pick verses to make our point, especially words of Paul, and don't give the entire text the attention it deserves.

Will we ever know the full truth of who Epstein was and what he did? IDK. But I do believe in the promises of our Father!

Is this rare from-home episode, I try to describe my paradigm for understanding Jesus, who he is and what he is doing in the world. Also, I posit the question: Is Jesus your Master or your Mascot?

In this episode, I am a bit distracted here and there as I am anticipating getting a call any minute announcing the birth of my first grandbaby. It didn't happen during the drive, but came about 20 minutes later. Mom and baby are great. But, inspired by my daughter and granddaughter, I explore the idea of life, and specifically, life in Jesus. Life is truly beautiful.

ICE has been cracking down, literally, on protestors in Minnesota and elsewhere, overstepping their boundaries and generally wrecking havoc wherever they go. This is to be expectied. Governments over the years have used force to intimidate critics. What is unexpected is that Christians are supporting their ungodly actions. Dead and broken bodies as well as broken families and spirits is the result...

Thoughts from reading the story of the Exodus, specifically the story of Passover and how it reltes to Communion. I get the MLK quote a bit wrong here. it should be, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice".

Is a sense, walking through this life as a believer in Jesus is like a blessed man walking through a dessrt. We encounter many in need of what we have, and we can be an Oasis in the desert to all that we meet.

The last offering of advent and probably for the year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all!

Though I mistakenly refer to this week's theme as HOPE once or twice, I am talking agout Joy, specifically, the joy that comes from the knowledge that Jesus is making all wrongs right.

I have chosen to explore "peace" this second week of Advent this time around (I change up the order and theme's year to year based on nothing in particular). Of course, "shalom" is the word for peace in biblical Hebrew. But does "peace" cover all that "shalom" entails?

It is that time again. Hope is our topic today for the first week in Advent.

On waking this morning I was greeted by two epiphanies related to Abraham. How random is that?!

There are many people, even Christians, who haven't give theology the time of day. Or so they think. In this episode, I discuss how everyone has a theology, and why theology matters.

It takes me a while to get there, but, as if often the case, I end up at Love. Specifically how we love God.

Do you get the blues from time to time? I didn't for most of my life, but, these days, yes. Sometimes I have a lot on my mind, burdens that I carry, people and futures that I worry about. I'm sure you do too!

380: The WORD of YAHWEH by Michael Dean McLain

A less focused episode, for sure, but I think I get to a worth while point...eventually.

In this episode, I explore a phrase that has been on my mind during my morning prayer time lately while praying for all the hurting people in the world.

The name by which you call a person reveals the relationship with that person, at least from your perspective. What do you call God? Does it matter? Well, yes and no.

377: Shakes, Quakes, And Squeaky Brakes! by Michael Dean McLain

This week, I cover a few topics; handling times of dispair, and what it means when Jesus says we must become like children to enter the Kingdom.

Building on the theological concept of "Divine Withdrawal", something many people are unfamiliar with, I delve into the Divine Council, a mysterious event mentioned several times in scripture.

In this episode there are two parts; my recent prayers that God would withdraw his protection from the oppressors of the world, and the Sun as an effective and detailed metaphor for the Christ.

In this episode, I explore what I've been learning from the book, Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, by Tyler Staton, and through a month of daily, disciplined praying.