A Better Story: B Sides

In a season where death may feel a little too prevalent, we might be able to find wisdom in a strange place: a number.

Who do you trust when it comes to spiritual guidance? Contrary to the church answer, it's more than just Jesus.

What does it take to respond appropriately to prejudice and racism? Can the stories of Jesus give us guidance, even if they don't give easy answers? Perhaps, at the very least, they can help us become the type of people who are open and grounded enough to confront racism in ourselves and our society. This episode mentions a couple of organizations doing amazing anti-racism work. Check them out: The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond Racial Equity Institute

Sometimes it seems like the Apostle Paul is an ass, or at least overly confident. Sometimes though, it turns out his letters may help us hold two contradictory ideas together and give us some spiritual guidance.

Sure, Leviticus is in the Bible, but what exactly is sacred about it? What good are a bunch of bizarre ancient laws? Don't forget to check out Theology Corner for like-minded voices, and Light Theory if you enjoyed the intro and outro music.

Why are millions of people so invested in the sex life of an ancient Hebrew teenager? There has to be more to the virgin birth than what could be taught in sex ed. With a lighter approach and a whole lot of context, we may find a few options. Don't forget to head over to Theology Corner for like-minded voices, and check out Light Theory if you enjoyed the intro and outro music.

Prophecy gets an understandably bad wrap. But, it doesn't have to be as strange as we've made it. Instead of crystal balls or proofs for Jesus, it may actually be something much more empowering and helpful. Don't forget to head over to Theology Corner for like-minded voices, and check out Light Theory if you enjoyed the intro and outro music.

The Good Samaritan. It's a famous story with a simple message: a neighbor is someone who helps when needed. Then why is it so hard to imitate? Sociology, psychology and even prank TV shows may help us out.  Don't forget to head over to Theology Corner for like-minded voices, and check out Light Theory if you enjoyed the intro and outro music.

Judas might be the most hated figure in Christianity, or at least a close second behind Satan (Is that really better though?). But what we've done to Judas says a lot more about us than it does about him. When we humanize him, his story might even have something to offer us.  As always, many thanks to Theology Corner for promoting the podcast and Light Theory for providing the intro and outro tunes.

The rise of tyrants and narcissists is alarming, but not new. Since history tends to repeat itself, an old story may give us wisdom for when an empire tries to demand too much from us.   Make sure to check out Theology Corner for some really great podcasts and blogs. If you're into the intro and outro music, give Light Theory's music a listen.

Being told not to do something doesn't seem to help us avoid it. So why would the Bible have so many lists of things to avoid? What would make a long list of no no's sacred? A little context goes a long way in answering that question. Many thanks to Theology Corner for promoting the podcast and Light Theory for providing the intro and outro tunes.

"I don't care about truth." That one short statement led to this entire episode. An old poem and a bunch of words in dead languages offer us guidance, but no easy answers when we think about truth. As with most things, it's a lot bigger than we may have first thought.  Don't forget to check out Theology Corner and the sweet jams of Light Theory.

An old, seemingly outdated poem offers us some much needed perspective.  And, of course, many thanks to Theology Corner for promoting the podcast and Light Theory for providing the intro and outro tunes.

Rising from the dead works up an appetite, so we can't really blame Jesus for asking for a snack at an inappropriate time. Plus, Jesus' munchies may actually help us know what to do with the complex emotions we experience in our faith journeys.  Make sure to check out Theology Corner for some really great podcasts and blogs. If you're into the intro and outro music, give Light Theory's music a listen.

God doesn't have one magical soulmate for you (or at least I don't think so). But, the good news is that when our relationships get more grounded in reality, they also get more interesting, dynamic and worth hanging around for.  And, of course, many thanks to Theology Corner for promoting the podcast and Light Theory for providing the intro and outro tunes.

In a week when there's a lot of talk about death and resurrection, you may find yourself with a few questions. What exactly is resurrection? Can we know what happens when we die? Isn't Easter just a pagan holiday that Christians repurposed?  Resurrection may not be exactly what we thought. It might even be more.  As always, all my gratitude to Theology Corner for promoting the podcast and Light Theory for providing the intro and outro tunes. Make sure to listen in next week for the one year anniversary episode! Fun will be had, books will be given away and money will be raised for refugees.

Conversion. What does it make you think of? A divine encounter? Emotional manipulation? A weird mix of both? When we set aside our baggage for a minute and look at one of the most famous conversion stories, we may find something worth imitating. Don't forget to check out A Tiny Revolution, Theology Corner and Light Theory.

One time, Jesus got people really drunk. But that wasn't the point. There's a lot more than water and wine at stake in Jesus' first miracle.  Don't forget to check out Theology Corner and the sweet jams of Light Theory.

Advent is supposed to be about waiting. So then why is one of Advent's most told stories trying to get us to stop waiting for divine intervention?

It's that time of year: everyone talks about peace and you're seeing a lot of sweet little baby Jesus. As it turns out, the Christmas story may not be as sweet and quiet as we think. Jesus was one subversive baby.

It seems like there are way too many crappy spiritual leaders these days. As it turns out, this isn't a new problem. When we look at an old story, we find what to do with these folks and who is actually worth following.

In the mood for a good cry? Or at least to listen to a grown man cry? This is your episode. Seriously though, this is a heavy one. I share about one of the toughest seasons of my life: what it felt like, the role of friends and where God was (and wasn't).  Part of this was also turned into an article. If you find this episode helpful, check it out: https://relevantmagazine.com/life/6-ways-help-grieving-friend.

Matthew 15 and Mark 7 show a side of Jesus we don't like to talk about. He was, well...prejudice. But, when we look at it closely, we find a salvation we weren't looking for. To find out more about your own prejudice, visit https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html. As always, go check out Light Theory's music at https://joehamgeri.bandcamp.com/.

Religion gets a bad rap, and for pretty good reason. It can be power hungry, tribal, certain and just boring. When we slog through all of that, we may find there is something worth salvaging. As always, don't forget to check out Light Theory's music at https://joehamgeri.bandcamp.com/.

It might feel like the world is on fire right now: mass murder, hurricanes, potential nuclear war started on Twitter. In the midst of all of that, an old Jewish story may help us see that the world is on fire in a different way: with the presence of the sacred. As always, don't forget to check out Light Theory's music at https://joehamgeri.bandcamp.com/.

Prayer can seem kind of ridiculous. If we pester God enough, will we make a difference? When we look at history's best known prayer, we discover that prayer has a lot less to do with trying to get God's attention, and more to do with where ours is. To dive deeper into the science-y stuff, check out Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli and Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation by Richard J. Davidson.

"Turn the other cheek" has been used to perpetuate oppression for years, but when we look at what Jesus was trying to do, we find a radically empowering statement.

An ancient speech in Isaiah 58 offers us some advice if we feel overwhelmed by darkness...and if we're getting too self-righteous. A shorter, written version of this episode appeared on Bread for the World's blog: http://www.bread.org/blog/lent-devotions-opposition-brings-light

You sent questions. I answer them...or at least tell you my thoughts. Are there examples of same sex relationships in the Bible? Doesn't Genesis 1-2 and Ephesians 5 imply God only wants relationships between men and women? Where can I go to learn more?  Check out these resources to dig deeper: Books On Same Sex Love... God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines Torn by Justin Lee Changing Our Mind by David Gushee (I don't love some of his final conclusions, but the book is a good overview of the texts) Bible, Gender, Sexuality by James Brownson On the Bible... Making Sense of the Bible by Adam Hamilton Disarming Scripture by Derek Flood What is the Bible by Rob Bell Podcasts The Enduring Relevance, Astonishing Power and Unexpected Brilliance of the Bible on The Robcast "The Bible and the Gay Christian" with Matthew Vines on The Bible for Normal People The Clobbercast: Sexuality, the Bible and More on Homebrewed Christianity

When we look at the stories in scripture, and the way they move, we realize our LGBTQ friends have always belonged. Have questions or comments? Send them to abetterstorypodcast@gmail.com or via Twitter or Facebook, and I'll try to answer them in next week's show. "Try" is the key word.  Also, I got a sloppy with my acronyms a couple of times in this one, and threw in a T and/or Q when it wasn't accurate. Apologies! Language is important, especially when it's talking about human beings.

How can a seemingly creepy old man in Genesis 24 help us with tough decisions? Check out this one recorded at Crosswalk Church (crosswalknapa.org) in Napa, CA. Don't forget to give Light Theory's music a listen at https://joehamgeri.bandcamp.com if you're into the intro and outro music.

On a day where love of America is overflowing, a 2000 year old phrase can challenge us to think more deeply about love and patriotism.

We love to construct borders, stand on one side of them, and generalize about the people on the other side. Jesus? Not so much. One short story can realign the way we see borders. If you're into the electro pop sounds of the intro and outro music, check out Light Theory's music.

Is Jesus the only way? Do people who don't follow Jesus go to hell? How many spiritual laws are there? These are all questions this episode doesn't even try to answer. But, when we look at a couple of ancient stories, we may find a better way to relate to other faith traditions.

When we step back and look at how the Bible moves, it starts to make a lot more sense. And suck a lot less.

A short encounter in the desert can revolutionize how we see God, church and others.

There's more to Revelation than rapture, tribulation and Nicolas Cage. Maybe a 2000 year old vision can help us find our way forward when it seems like hate and exclusion have won the day.

Genesis 1 and 2 is all about creation, but maybe not in the way we think. When we leave behind the arguments about evolution, we find out the stories are meant to help us envision, and create, a different kind of world.