05 July 2009
The Year of Living Biblically - Review
11/07/09 09:44
A little over a week ago I blogged that I had
downloaded The Year of Living Biblically by
A. J. Jacobs with one of my June Audible.com credits.
And, I have to say that it is one of the best books
that I have read recently. It is an honest attempt by
a person who considered himself an agnostic to live
the Bible as literally as possible for one year. In
the process he reveals both the loftiest aspects of
religious of belief and also the dangers. The author
is witty and honest, especially about his own
shortcomings (one of the best features of the
audiobook version is that it is read by the author
himself). Read
More...
An Inner Tension in Psalm 33
08/07/09 09:13
Today's responsorial Psalm is Psalm 33 of which only
parts are given in the readings. As I read the Psalm,
as well as the reading from Genesis 42-43 this
morning, I could not help but feel an inner tension.
The common element in both the Genesis reading and
Psalm 33 is famine. In Genesis 42-43, Joseph's
brothers have gone down into Egypt to get grain in
order to escape famine. Psalm 33.18-19 (NRSV, note
the end of verse 19) reads as follow: Read
More...
Jacob to Israel (Gen. 32.23-33)
07/07/09 09:19
Today's lectionary reading is one of the most
enigmatic in the entire Hebrew Bible. It is the story
in which the patriarch's name is changed from Jacob
to Israel. There are all sorts of questions that
remain after reading the passage. Who is the
man with whom Jacob wrestles? How should the
name Israel be translated? How does one punctuate the
explanation of Jacob's name change? What was the
original purpose of the story? Read
More...
Psalm 91 - Listening Companion
06/07/09 09:35
If you read lectionary readings for today, you may
have recognized Psalm 91, which has inspired a
significant amount of music over the years. So, I
have embedded a YouTube video with some accompanying
music if you would like to listen to it today.
Honestly, I am not much on the video, but the song is
nice. It is Eagle's Wings, which has become
a staple of Christian worship music (in North America
at least). Enjoy. Read More...
The Title Son of Man in Ezekiel
05/07/09 20:56
Today's lectionary reading from the Old Testament
comes from Ezekiel 2. In it we find the most common
title applied to Ezekiel by the Lord. This title is
"Son of Man," which is a complex phrase in the Old
Testament especially when one takes into
consideration the usage in Daniel 7.13. However, the
usage in Ezekiel is a bit more straightforward. It
means something along the lines of "human being," or
if you want to go a bit further, "mere mortal." The
phrase is used in the early chapters of Ezekiel to
contrast the majestic deity from the lowly prophet.
Read More...