It is a good day in Jerusalem when the priests cannot stand. It means that Yahweh has appeared in force. If any biblical text places supreme confidence in the potency of organized worship, it is the twin books of Chronicles. The microscopic detail of this book’s passion for genealogical and cultic order is fascinating for [...]
Archive for May, 2008
when priests cannot stand: 2 Chronicles 4-6
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Chronicles, textures on May 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
swallows!
Posted in fauna, my hometown, tagged fauna on May 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Twenty years ago, one of the early-evening joys of coming home to our little house on the southeast side of San José, Costa Rica, with the coffee fields gracing the hills across the river like tightly-braided hair on a handsome head, were the swallows. Something about that cool, clear hour of the day brought them [...]
if: 1 Chronicles 27-29
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Chronicles, textures on May 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Yahweh’s promises to David are so lavish that they often accrue the adjective ‘unconditional’. Declared primarily in the Bible’s two great histories of Israel (Deuteronomy-2 Kings and Chronicles-Nehemiah) and then reflected upon in the Psalms and Prophets, Yahweh commits himself to David’s ‘house’ in seemingly open-ended manner.
a drawer-full of squirrels
Posted in fauna, my hometown, tagged fauna on May 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
My early mornings and occasional other moments in our family’s life on Indianapolis’ north side have been punctuated for about a year by noisy chewing. Apparently, this toothy romp takes place in crawl spaces and attics. Squirrels have been the main suspects, so I’ve been consulting the half-hopeless writings of blogs and web pages where [...]
new(ish) visitors
Posted in fauna, my hometown, tagged birding, fauna on May 26, 2008 | 2 Comments »
This Memorial Day weekend has provided the time and energy for a major restock of my bird supplies. The result has been some new visitors: A Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker has made brief, resplendent visits for seed and peanuts. He’s stayed long enough for this novice birdwatcher to mark the distinction between him and his suspected alternative [...]
assuming the story: John 11
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, John, textures on May 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Though the Johannine Jesus’ response to news of Lazarus’ illness suggests a startling conflict of emotions, the equanimity of his conversation with Martha and Mary hews to a more placid line. I find the whole picture anything but posed and ungenuine. If Jesus is the person the Fourth Gospel has been suggesting, one might almost [...]
the hearts of those who seek him: 1 Chronicles 16-17
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Chronicles, textures on May 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The Books of Chronicles are most like the Psalms in their focus upon Israel realizing her destiny in the context of worship. It would be easy to push this observation to reductionistic ends. The topic of worship seems almost to shove people rudely against that wall, often with their lustiest cooperation. This oversimplification and the [...]
laying it down: John 10
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, John, textures on May 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The Johannine presentation is not shy about making exalted claims on Jesus’ behalf. The categories are large: he is light, he is life, he is the way, he is truth. One anticipates apotheosis rather than degradation of the gospel’s central figure. Indeed, apotheosis might be considered a guest too late for this party, since Jesus [...]
Who should (and should not) pursue a PhD in theology or biblical studies
Posted in clarity, denkschrift, tagged theological education on May 23, 2008 | 51 Comments »
As the owner of a doctorate in biblical studies, I am regularly asked by one aspiring doctoral student or another whether I think he or she should walk the same path. Nearly always, I am taken aback by the vigor and ambition of such people. In my own life, the studies that led up to [...]
on a roll: 1 Chronicles 11-13
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Chronicles, textures on May 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
It is a moving thing to observe the heart of a people turning to a leader-in-waiting or gathering to him in force after events have lined up behind him. Such is the story of David’s rise to sovereignty over the whole of Israel and Judah. The story is studded with vignettes about heroes, heroism, and [...]
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