understanding the Bible – Page 42 – Jesus @ 2 am blogs and podcast

Understanding the Bible 08: Solomon’s Temple

November 25, 2013March 26, 2014Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

In the polytheistic culture of the Ancient Near East, deities were worshipped by means of sacrifices made in particular places. Most gods were considered to have what we might consider “regional” power (the Babylonians having a few patron deities vs. those of say the Assyrians); and within those regions to have particular locations in which their “presence” dwelled (or could at least be called upon). These locations were usually marked with the building of a sacrificial altar, and in key locations, with the construction of a temple (think, for example of ancient Greek or Roman ruins).

It is worth noting that YHWH never demands the building of a temple. But it is unthinkable to King David that the earthly king of Israel should be granted a palace while the Lord had no “home.” David determines to build a temple to YHWH, but God denies him the opportunity. That honor falls instead to David’s son, Solomon, who completed what we know as the Temple of Solomon (or the first Temple) sometime in the mid-10th century BCE.

When the Temple is completed, Solomon holds a dramatic dedication ceremony, and the “the glory of Lord” comes to rest in the inner-most sanctuary of the Temple known as the “Holy of Holies” (where the ark of the covenant was laid to rest). And in that moment, God pledges that his heart will be ever-open to the prayers said in the Temple, his eyes and ears ever attentive.

No one – then or in later centuries – ever imagined that “all” of God dwelled in the Temple (YHWH is Lord of the heavens and the earth – “heaven” is not emptied when the Temple is completed!). But now there was a place on earth – an actual geographic location – where God could be “found.”

It is difficult for us in the 21st century to imagine God having a mailing address, a “home” that could be located on Google Maps. But that is what the Temple was – a dwelling place for God on earth.

In this episode we explore this next step in Israel’s development in light of the larger biblical narrative. And – for ourselves – we ask: Where do you go to find God when it counts? When we need God to hear our prayers, how do we ensure God’s ears are still listening.

Understanding the Bible 07: David & the Monarchy

November 14, 2013November 14, 2013Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

David is a central protagonist in the biblical story. And though his triumph over Goliath and his moral failings with Bathsheba are the stuff of great art, it is his establishment of the monarchy in Israel that both shapes and foreshadows future events.

David is born in Bethlehem (c. 1040 BCE). He spends his childhood as a shepherd (a very lowly position) and bears no obvious signs of greatness (see: Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Aaron…). Yet God names David the successor to Saul – Israel’s first and failed king.

David is anointed king by the prophet Samuel (see 1 Samuel 16 for the story; note that in Hebrew the word for an anointed one is “messiah”), and it is under David that the 12 tribes of Israel are consolidated into a nation state with its capital in Jerusalem.

David proves to be a very capable king with exceptional skill in battle, able to not only secure but expand the borders of Israel to their zenith. And though he is guilty of some terrible sins (which the Bible recounts in all the gory details), he remains ever devoted to God, repenting of his wrongs; one God describes as a “man after my own heart.”

In many ways David marks the high point in Israel’s political and economic power and security and thus it is no wonder that he will form the model upon which Israel’s future expectations of an anointed “savior” are based.

In this episode, Rev. Mike Regele (guest preaching) gives one of the finest and clearest explanations of the establishment of the monarchy and the reign of David I have ever heard (he makes a very, very complex biblical story sound so simple!).

It is from this high point in Israel’s history that Israel will soon fall, and with it will come the fear that perhaps the project of salvation has come to its end…

Jesus at 7PM – Live Audience Q&A in Irvine, CA

November 12, 2013November 12, 2013Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

Honest answers to sincere questions are essential to the work of love. Indeed the lessons that have been most formative in my spiritual life have not come from books and lectures (important though they are!), but from the candid conversations that came at the cafe or in the parking lot after the formal lesson was over.

My hope is that these live Q&A events can offer something of that same experience in the digital age – thoughtful, candid answers to the questions that are weighing upon you.

The responses are unscripted (and therefore quite imperfect). And this first foray into the world of live theological conversation includes a mea culpa (and some edits) for an answer I wish had been more complete.

Topics include:

A very brief look at the biblical perspective on homosexuality,
A look at the Apostle Paul’s advice to avoid marriage if possible (and the idea that even the biblical perspective can evolve),
The two creations stories in Genesis and how to interpret them,
A discussion of how we think about the “authority of scripture” and its “accuracy,”
Canvas (the church where I am pastor in Irvine, CA) and what it means to be a part of the Fresh Expressions movement (what defines a “fresh expression” and how that differentiates us from “traditional church”),
The influence of American Christianity on the global church, and
How to interpret Genesis 6:1-4, that nearly indecipherable passage about the Nephilim (the favorite term paper topic of every Old Testament professor in the world).

The next Jesus at 7PM event is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013 (location TBD – hopefully a cool bar or pub in the OC!). Know a spot???? Let me know!