We divide ourselves so many times into so many categories that we lose sight of what is more important, loving our neighbor as ourselves. Rather than go over to the rock of someone that is different we tend to stay in our groups with people that are like us losing opportunities to share in their … Continue reading Sitting with Our Neighbors
Category: Bible
Worthy Conduct (Phil 1:27–2:4)
I preached this sermon on June 28, 2020, at Bellingham Covenant Church. There’s a famous quote from Martin Luther King that says 11 a.m. on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America. It’s still a famous quote because, even though he said it in the ‘60s and official segregation ended a long time … Continue reading Worthy Conduct (Phil 1:27–2:4)
The Story of God’s Dwelling Place: A Review
If you've been following this blog over the last couple of months, you know I went on a trip to Israel this summer. On that trip I gained a newfound interest in the physical details of places in the Bible. The more I know, for example, about what Jerusalem looked like in the first century, the easier … Continue reading The Story of God’s Dwelling Place: A Review
Ein Gedi and Water
This is the eighth post in a series of reflections on my recent trip to Israel (to read them all, click here). June 22, AM On the morning after hiking in the dry Wadi Qelt, we went to a place where water was abundant. Ein Gedi is on the west side of the Dead Sea, and … Continue reading Ein Gedi and Water
Ain’t No Wadi Like a West Bank Wadi
… cause a West Bank wadi is hot. This is the seventh post in a series of reflections on my recent trip to Israel (to read them all, click here). On the morning of June 21, our group headed north from our hotel along the Dead Sea and into the West Bank. We went for … Continue reading Ain’t No Wadi Like a West Bank Wadi
Lachish and Signal Fires
I’ve been writing reflections on the pilgrimage to Israel I took in June of this year. To read all of them, click here. June 20, PM Our group’s last stop on our first full day in Israel (after Azekah, Beth Shemesh, and Mareshah, where we had lunch in an olive grove—not to be confused with … Continue reading Lachish and Signal Fires
Beth Shemesh and Desolation
I've been writing reflections on the pilgrimage to Israel I took in June of this year. To read all of them, click here. June 20, AM On the morning of our second day in Israel, we left Azekah and went to Beth Shemesh, another site in the Shephelah (“lowlands”) of Israel. The name beth shemesh … Continue reading Beth Shemesh and Desolation
Azekah and Action
I've been writing reflections on the pilgrimage to Israel I took in June of this year. To read all of them, click here. June 20, AM Our first stop on our second day (the first full one) was Azekah. As we had at Gezer, we hiked up to the site without knowing what it was, … Continue reading Azekah and Action
Gezer and Memorial Stones
I've been writing reflections on the pilgrimage to Israel I took in June of this year. To read all of them, click here. June 19, AM On our first day in Israel, we drove to a gravel parking lot and walked down a dusty white gravel trail toward Gezer. We didn’t know it was Gezer. … Continue reading Gezer and Memorial Stones
A Great New Study Bible Focused on Biblical Theology
Any Bible reader looking for a quick orientation to the text without getting bogged down in extraneous scholarly discussions needs a study Bible. Creating a good study Bible is hard: the notes have to be informative, but they must draw attention to the text, not themselves. That is why so many theme-oriented study Bibles fail. They … Continue reading A Great New Study Bible Focused on Biblical Theology
Elliot Ritzema 