homily podcasts (mp3)
"Returning from Exile" - 1.03.10
"Flight 253" - 12.27.09
"Unplugging the Server" - 10.4.09
"A Season of Restraint" - 9.13.09
"Unconventional Wisdom: A Miracle in 3 Dimensions" - 8.16.09
"The Dark Side of God" - 8.9.09
"Dancing Before God" - 7.12.09
"With Outstretched Hands" - 6.28.09
"Christianity Unloaded" - 5.10.09
"Walking the Talk" - 4.26.09
"Living Deeply Beyond Death" - 4.11.09
"The Place Where God's Dice Are Hidden" - 1.18.09

Many people, both Christians and non-Christians, challenge me on the relevance of the Bible to contemporary society and spirituality. Some regard Scripture as an artifact of a defunct, ancient world, having value only in its ability to describe that specific context. Others have called into question its compatibility with the givens of 21st century life, everything from human rights and social justice to our scientific understanding of the mechanics of the universe. These are both valid perspectives.

And yet I continue to preach on the Scriptures, because I believe they still have much to teach us about what it means to be human. Storytelling is one of the key ways human beings seek and affirm truth, both today and in centuries past, and the Bible tells a very compelling story of human redemption. We can take the Bible seriously, without taking it literally, by examining the larger truths about human experience that transcend the specific details of the story, some of which do indeed contradict our moral and social imperatives.

The challenge of the Christian journey is to wrestle with the Bible, which may include disagreeing with it, and discern the truth that the Scripture is attempting to speak in our place and time. And we must engage in conversation with other Christians and non-Christians to reveal the richness of that truth, so that we may apply our greater understanding to the complexities of living as individuals and a larger human community.