Prone to Wander: A Presbyterian Podcast

Proverbs 31 is often used as a measure for women, but it actually tells us a lot about what God expects from men. We look at the scripture from the perspective of what it can tells us about men and what the role, actions, and character of a husband should be. Charlie and Erika Kirk's marriage is a great example of an appropriate, loving, patriarchal and Biblical marriage. We also briefly discuss T...

We have to look at God, Scripture, and humanity as a whole, not just focus on the parts we like and dismiss everything that makes us uncomfortable. In attempting to do that we also learn how to love the whole person that God has put in front of us, the good and the bad. This is the Great Commandment. Referenced in the episode: God: An Anatomy by Francesca Stavrakopoulou https://a.co/d/5v1H2Ye

After talking about holding authority without taking responsibility, today we look at the opposite: holding responsibility without authority. Paul worked tirelessly and his fruits were good, but he still had to defend himself because his authority to do the work he was doing wasn't always recognized. Perhaps because of this, he was generous in delegating authority to others (or recognizing the...

Unless it's in an official professionalized setting, often divorced from any practical use, we often demean, dismiss, and denigrate the very female virtue of sustaining life as depicted in Proverbs 31. Yet Christ repeatedly valued sustaining life over sanitized, intellectualized professionalism. Referenced in the Episode: A Border Passage: From Cairo to America - A Woman's Journey by Leila...

In considering a man who is exercising authority without responsibility, Christ charges him to take up his own bed and carry it home. How often do we want to wield power over others without taking responsibility for the care of those who serve us? Referenced in this episode: God's Ghostwriters: Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible by Candida Moss  https://a.co/d/gu22IBJ

God challenges us to take risks, mostly in being faithful to him, but also in defying the dominant culture in in being vulnerable enough to build connection. Are you willing to take the risk of rejection for a church community? For friendship? For family? For love? Referenced In The Episode: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible  by E. Ra...

With the passing of Pope Francis the film Conclave is getting renewed attention, and controversy. But the film beautifully expresses the Scriptural view of women and God's radical, transformative love. Referenced in the episode: Conclave - starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini https://www.amazon.com/Conclave-Edward-Berger/dp/B0DLKMHW18 Bart Ehrman discuss...

" The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart ." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

What brings happiness, success, and health to men? Scripture and science give us the same answer. Referenced in the episode: Mother, Daughter, Queen & Priestess in Ancient Egypt https://youtu.be/L0ZZAsBzUvQ?si=n5__pgGNJOAPGB-2 Jordan Peterson on Megyn Kelly 's podcast https://youtu.be/7nL79J-3hgI?si=CoCJvkp3IQLpuoUt

Genesis 2 tells us that men and women were created to be friends, companions, to help each other feel less alone. So why do so many religious cultures treat friendship between men and women as inappropriate? Referenced in the episode: Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz https://a.co/d/4VRDsLU Video on Women in Ancient Egypt: https://youtu.be/l7y7glgLbhU?si=CaJ7NFlIo0I5B0cI

The Israelites were not totally immune from the plagues God rained down on Egypt. Why? Sometimes we become so comfortable in the familiarity of our misery that it takes an act of God for us to choose to follow God into a better life. Referenced in the episode: Counted With The Stars by Connilyn Cossette https://a.co/d/cPIDATL The Buried: An Archeology of the Egyptian Revolution by Peter Hessler ht...

Was the Garden of Eden suffocating? Is God all we need? What was the original sin? Are walls good for us? Referenced in the episode: The Cost of Control: Why We Crave It, the Anxiety It Gives Us, and the Real Power God Promises by Sharon Hodde Miller ⁠https://a.co/d/c4YaEvG⁠ The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager ⁠https://a.co/d/8uwSo3q

After 300 years, are you a foreigner or a native? Today we consider the possibility that the Israelites in Exodus were culturally, practically, and in some cases ethnically, Egyptian.

Want to know about real love? Ask the prostitute! In this very long episode we honor the story of Rahab, and discuss what real love between a man and a woman looks like in Scripture.

There is never the perfect time. The perfect situation, the perfect person, the perfect congregation... doesn't exist. How do we connect in the present moment, just as we are, with others, just as they are, to create a loving community? We cannot become gatekeepers of the Kingdom of God, nor can we as a community revolve around one person's specific needs. How does Christ show us that bala...

Jacob, Jacob, Jacob.... but maybe Esau is really the star of the story. This hairy, primitive, macho man with the heart of gold is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He receives the blessing of being content and valuing loving relationships above all else.

Romance in the Bible? While the Bible gives us lots of examples of difficult relationships and relationships of steadfastness, all the examples of grand romantic passion like we see in romcoms or romance novels are treated as dangerous and unhealthy in Scripture. Real love is a quieter, steadier creature that doesn't depend on our emotional state. Yes, love is patient, love is kind.

Shared sacrifice and struggle builds family and community. Lent is not a time for Christians to approach faith as a solo project, but to deeply invest in community. My favorite hymn, that traditionally isn't sung during Lent, so I'm binging it right now: https://youtu.be/d0nqhXi-sXU?si=pM46P-iPV3puNnP4

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob wandered the desert with the people who worshipped him. Then David and Solomon decided he needed to stop wandering and live in a house. It transformed Judaism, and had a profound impact on Christianity and Islam. How often today do we put God's house before God's people? Referenced in the episode: Paul: The Pagan's Apostle by Paula Fredriksen https:...

All translators make choices but sometimes those choices can hide something shocking and revelatory in the Gospel. We explore how one translation choice changes a teaching of Christ, look at the cultural and historical context of that teaching, and discuss how it still has a profound impact on us today. Referenced in the episode: God's Ghostwriters by Candida Moss https://a.co/d/hDdwLK0 Paul Behav...

The story of Tamar and Judah seems like an odd detour in the exciting story of Joseph, but really it's a marvelous revelation of God's revolutionary love. Resources: Vindicating the Vixens by Sandra Glahn https://a.co/d/6nr5cDz Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by E. Randolh Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien https://a.co/d/2BYIfiE