Deconstructing the Bible

In this episode, Jason is joined by Pastor Steph to discuss Exodus 16 and the story of God providing manna (and quail) from heaven while the people are traveling in the wilderness. This conversation touches on sooooo many good topics... Economic Justice (and injustice) Scarcity vs. Abundance Sabbath Rest and Renewal Jesus' Feeding the 5,000 The Lord's Table ...and more! Pastor Stephanie Williams O'Brien is pastor of Mill City Church in Minneapolis. She is an author. She is a podcaster. And she's a dynamic leader with a passion to see God's Kingdom flourish in big and small ways as we navigate the Already-But-Not-Yet. You can find her and her work (books and podcast) at the places below... @pastorsteph https://www.pastorsteph.com/ In this episode, Pastor Steph  mentioned the work of Every Meal, which tackles food insecurity in local schools. Find more information about Every Meal HERE. Enjoy the episode!

In this episode we look at the story of Jacob's Ladder (or the Stairway to Heaven) found in Genesis 28. Oftentimes, this passage could be used to show that heaven is above and earth is below and the goal is to get from the earth below to heaven above.  But what if we look closely at what happens in this story? What does Jacob name as the 'House of God'? In which direction are the angels going? What implications does this have for the places and spaces in which we operate and exist? The physical places and spaces, the relational space between one another, and the mental space in which we exist.  Also...I might have read some good lyrics by The Dave Matthews Band for all you kids who grew up in the 90s!  Enjoy!

The story of Noah and the Ark is a classic children's story from the Bible. We love the animals and the bravery of Noah and his family. We love the dove being sent out from the ark and coming back with an olive branch. And the story ends with a rainbow! Who doesn't love a rainbow?! But what happens when we also notice that there is an incredible loss of human life? What happens when all of creation - plants and animals - are also destroyed because of the darkness within humanity. What does this story teach us about God? What does this story teach us about what it means to be human? How can we reimagine this story? This week I'm joined by Christine Ford, associate pastor in White Bear Lake UMC. You can connect to her work at their website: http://wblumc.org/. Enjoy!

The story of Cain and Abel is one of the oldest stories in the Bible. What happens if we dive into the names of each character...how can their names teach us about what it means to be human? Let's move towards becoming more like Abel, while also holding some empathy for Cain. In this episode I'm joined by Tyler Sit, pastor of New City Church in Minneapolis. You can find Tyler and his work at the following spaces... Instagram: @tylersit Website: tylersit.com Book: Staying Awake: The Gospel for Changemakers (https://www.tylersit.com/stayingawake and Amazon)

Welcome to a new season of Deconstructing the Bible! In this season we are reconstructing children's stories. You know...those popular Bible stories about Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark, and more. So often our earliest conceptions of these stories have impacted what we know about God and how we understand the Bible. But maybe these stories need a reimagining. Maybe these stories could be deconstructed and then reconstructed in a way that helps us see God in a dynamic way and learn more about what it means to be human. Also in this season, we will often be joined by a guest to help engage these all too familiar stories. To get this season started, I invited my friend Lisa Adams from 40 Orchards to help me talk about Eve. You can get connected to the work of 40 Orchards and join Lisa in a scripture circle HERE! You can also find Lisa on the podcast Searching the Sacred. This podcast can be found anywhere you get your podcasts. 

We take a moment of pause from our current series to offer a time of prayer and reflection for the people of Ukraine. As it is Ash Wednesday, where we receive the ashes...reminding us of our mortality, we recognize the pain of death and loss in the midst of war. Ash Wednesday moves us into a season of Lent where fasting, prayer, and action are called upon. How can those endeavors lead us to intercede for those impacted by injustice? Here are some resources for those looking to help the people of Ukraine... UNICEF Doctors Without Borders Voices of Children International Committee of the Red Cross Save the Children International Medical Corps

In this bonus episode, we hear a sermon preached at The Well on Sunday, November 21st that wrapped up a series on the book of Ephesians. In this message, we unpack the Armor of God... the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness or justice, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. What if this passage isn't just about spiritual warfare, but about fighting the systems of our world that often go unchallenged, un-critiqued, and often silence those on the margins? How do we bring God's Kingdom in the midst of such overwhelming obstacles? In this episode, the book Dear White Peacemakers by Osheta Moore is quoted. You can find this book HERE. Enjoy!

Peace might not be as simple as you think. How might our lives change if peace was a more dynamic and complicated idea? If we explore how and when it is used in the Bible...and the context of some of the passages in which it is used...we might see that it has an amazing amount to teach us about God and about what it means to be human. In this episode, we read from Dear White Peacemakers by Osheta Moore: https://osheta.com/dear-white-peacemakers/ Enjoy the episode. Deconstructing the Bible is going to take a little break. We will be back with a new season at the beginning of February.

We all know that JOY is more than an emotion. It's not happiness. But it's also more than a choice.  Where does joy originate? Why is joy usually embraced or seen in the midst of challenges? How can I anchor myself in joy?

What does it mean to have faith when life is more mundane and slow? How can we learn from Mary's story...a story of deep faith...through a long and mostly lonely journey towards the birth of Jesus?

The first Sunday of Advent is the week of HOPE. And instead of starting in the gospels, we often are called back to the prophets. Why? What can the prophets teach us about Hope. Advent also starts in the dark. We don't have all the bells and carols and ornaments just yet. First we slow down and move into darkness. Why? What do we learn when we embrace the darkness? In this episode we hear some quotes from Walter Brueggemann's book The Prophetic Imagination. You can find this book here: https://www.amazon.com/Prophetic-Imagination-2nd-Walter-Brueggemann/dp/0800632877 Inspiration for this episode was also drawn from conversations between Alexander Shia and Rob Bell. You can find one such conversation here: https://robbell.podbean.com/e/episode-60-the-christmas-radiance-at-night-with-alexander-shaia/  Thanks!

Welcome to the final episode of season 2. We are looking at the parable of The Persistent Widow from Luke 18.  There are lessons to learn...but there is also some frustration about the slowness of justice. Why doesn't it happen immediately? Why isn't it more sweeping? How does hope factor in? Thanks for joining us on this season. Next week will start our first week of Advent! Stay tuned for more.

In Episode 8 of Season 2, we unpack the parable of The Rich Fool from Luke 12. It seems fairly straight-forward. But is it? How do we unpack how we deal with wealth and power in a society that seems to put a premium on those things? What does it mean to have a rich relationship with God?

What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? This verse has haunted me forever. But what is Jesus saying in Mark 3? In Episode 7 of Season 2, we explore this challenging text with the help of scholar Bob Stein, who's commentary on Mark was not only influential in understanding this text, but he personally helped model what Jesus was all about. What does it mean to hold space for someone? How do we build a world where love and forgiveness and grace are more prevalent than vengeance and threats and systems of oppression?

The Old vs. The New. It's always been presented as a competition...but is it? What if Jesus isn't telling people to throw out the old patterns and the old practices, but instead is inviting the old to respect and recognize that God's Spirit is still up to something? What if Jesus isn't telling the people who are enraptured by the new move of God's Spirit to disregard and throw out the traditions, but to see the beauty and the hope and the important form that those have taken for the betterment of the world? Episode 6 of Season 2 is about old wineskins and new wineskins. Jesus is helping us see that there is a better way forward. Matthew 9:14-17.

The Parable of the Workers in the Field from Matthew 20:1-16 is the focus of Episode 5 of Season 2 of Deconstructing the Bible. It could be a parable about God's grace...this always present gift of hope and love and belonging. No matter when we turn to it, no matter when we return to the good, it's there. It could be a parable about scarcity and abundance...how some people operate like there might not be enough in the world to go around, but really God is about abundance and plenty. It could be a parable about the exploitation of the poor and how the rich elite of the world keep people in a lower social class in order to maintain power and position. It's a complicated parable. How do you read it?!

In Episode 4 of Season 2, we explore the parable of the Two Sons. Jesus is challenging the authority of the political and religious leaders. They have missed the announcement and the invitation to participate in God's Kingdom. Instead, they are actively dismissing those who have been transformed and sustaining a broken system that continually marginalizes those who need grace and love the most. Where are we all talk and no action? Where are we sustaining and propping up broken systems? Where are we unable to see what new is being birthed in the world?

In episode 3 of season 2, Jason dives into the parable of the Good Samaritan. To set it up, we explore a passage of the Apostle Paul about how our battle is not against flesh and blood, other people, but against the principalities and the powers. What could this mean? We also dive into Ephesians 2, how Christ removes the wall of hostility and invites us to the reconciling work of the Spirit. It's a Scripture heavy week...but an encouraging week.

Welcome to Episode 2 of Season 2. In this season we are looking at the Parables of Jesus...breaking them down to see how they disrupt the status quo and point us towards the upside-down Kingdom of God. In this episode we look at the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus from Luke 16.

Welcome back to Deconstructing the Bible. This is episode 1 of season 2! In this season we are exploring the parables of Jesus from the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In this episode we set the stage by talking about what IS a parable and HOW that impacts what we can learn from it. We then dive into two short parables from Matthew 13: 31-33...the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven in Bread.

It's so easy to be resentful and bitter, to want payback. People give us reasons to be this way almost every day. And it's enticing to enjoy the power and the position that being unforgiving holds.  But Jesus expects something different. What does it look like for forgiveness to be a way of life...to be a flow?  What if forgiveness not only releases someone from the debt they owe us, but releases us as well?

In Leviticus 16, the people of Israel are taught to use a scapegoat as a symbolic act of relinquishing their sins and receiving forgiveness. As beautiful as this mechanism was, it was only a step towards true spiritual maturity of loving one's enemies and being transformed by the power of God's Spirit. Jesus becomes the scapegoat to end all scapegoats. But too often humanity has created in-groups and out-groups, us vs. them, which require scapegoats...because we want to be perceived as innocent and unburdened by our sins and inadequacies. How can we move past the scapegoat mechanism? How can we continue to move towards a 'we'? This episode is indebted to the work of Richard Rohr, from whom I was introduced to this idea. Here is a short article that exemplifies his work: https://cac.org/jesus-reveals-lie-scapegoating-2016-10-13/

It's obvious that the political climate is polarized. It's cliche to even mention it or use that word. But how do we move towards wholeness?  The story of Israel can help us recognize how we have more in common with one another than we think. And when we can see ourselves in one another we develop empathy. And empathy is the road to wholeness.  BUT - the only way towards empathy is to get proximate to one another. We must learn to get close, embrace relationship.  Is that what Jesus did on the cross? Did Jesus embrace the fullness of human frailty and disconnection on the cross? Did this movement of Jesus create room for empathy and the road to wholeness?

It goes without saying that the past 18 months have been hard. Whether you are a parent, someone who lost a job or a loved one, or someone who experienced an immense amount of loneliness in 2020, this has been a tough season. A racial reckoning and call for reconciliation and justice has been at the forefront of our lives. And politics has seemingly never been more polarized and tense.  How does a season of such hardship impact how we read the Bible...especially when many of us have been taught that perfection, holiness, purity (a Genesis 1 and 2) world are the standard?  How does the story of Genesis 3 impact how we read the Bible? Is this is a chapter of brokenness? Is this a chapter of relationship? Could it be a bit of both.  What if Genesis 3 is not the aberration or the exception to a perfect creation, but is the final act of creation? What if Genesis 3 helps us understand the nature of God, who is always moving humanity towards relational wholeness? Enjoy episode 12!

What does it mean to believe? What would it look like if we saw belief and salvation a little differently? In this episode we talk about how the acquisition of knowledge is important, but can sometimes be a crutch for a transformed spirituality. BUT, when done well, knowledge can propel our faith forward because we combine our best thinking with our active participation.

Halakah, Hata, T'Shuva (Law, Sin, Repent) are Hebrew words found throughout the Bible that shape how we believe and the way in which we believe. In this episode, we take a deeper dive into how these terms could be translated and how that translation can impact how we navigate relationship with God, others, ourselves, and all of creation. As a bonus, we also talk about two Greek words for sin and repent as well! In this episode, we reference the work of Bryan Stevenson. The work of Brene Brown is not specifically mentioned, but her work on identity is highly influential. Below are Ted Talks that  explore their ideas more fully. Bryan Stevenson: "We need to talk about injustice" Brene Brown: "Listening to shame"

In Episode 9, Jason walks us through James Marcia's Identity Development Model to better understand who we are and how our faith is shaped in different seasons of our life.  This model is predicated on levels of commitment and levels of crisis or curiosity. 

In this episode, Jason explores James Fowler's faith development theory from the book Stages of Faith (book link below). At each stage of our development we engage the Bible differently. As faith becomes our own (stage 4), we sometimes need to read the Bible with different lenses as we explore what we believe and how it shapes who we are becoming. Stages of Faith (by James Fowler)

Assoc. Minister Jason sits down with Stephanie Spencer, founder and director of 40 Orchards, a non-profit that invites people to explore the Scriptures in community through the practice of midrash. She is a kind friend and an incredibly smart and gifted Bible teacher. This episode is part 3 (the final part) of the conversation. In part 3, Stephanie and Jason talk about the journey of faith that Abraham encountered in contrast to the way that Solomon handled the power and authority he was given as king. Are we the type of people who are discovering ourselves and our calling with God, or are we protecting our position and privilege to the detriment of others? For more information about 40 Orchards, check out the website below... https://40orchards.org/

Assoc. Minister Jason sits down with Stephanie Spencer, founder and director of 40 Orchards, a non-profit that invites people to explore the Scriptures in community through the practice of midrash. She is a kind friend and an incredibly smart and gifted Bible teacher. This episode is part 2 of the conversation. In part 2, Stephanie and Jason dive into the story of Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel. How can this story transform how we understand our relationship with God? They also talk about Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Mark 12, and what it means to love God with the entirety of our being. For more information about 40 Orchards, check out the website below... https://40orchards.org/

"AHHH! This is the episode that I've been waiting for!!"  Assoc. Minister Jason sits down with Stephanie Spencer, founder and director of 40 Orchards, a non-profit that invites people to explore the Scriptures in community through the practice of midrash. She is a kind friend and an incredibly smart and gifted Bible teacher. This episode is only part 1 of the conversation, and they barely scratch the surface. In part 1, Stephanie and Jason get a little background on Stephanie and how she was invited to explore the Bible in the tradition of the Jewish Rabbi's. They talk about how Jesus invited questions and discussion, and how that could impact the way we learn and grow in our own faith. For more information about 40 Orchards, check out the website below... https://40orchards.org/

In Episode 4 of Deconstructing the Bible, we look at the Old Testament (or the Hebrew Scriptures) and how it has traditionally been constructed and taught. When observed as simply Israelite history (as most Christian traditions have done), we vastly limit what the text can teach us. But, when observed as part of the Prophetic section (as most Jewish traditions have done...and as Jesus would likely have done), the narrative of God's people can become transformative for us and how we learn what it means to be human.

In Episode 3 we ask two questions.... What is the beginning? What is the end? Knowing where the story began and where the story is headed can help us navigate the middle...where we all find ourselves. It can also help us hold onto hope when Justice and Love seem so far from our reality.

In Episode 2, Associate Minister Jason Steffenhagen explores different ways of reading, interpreting, and finding meaning in the Bible. Often, we've been told to read what the Bible says, to understand a singular meaning, and to apply the teaching in a singular way. But what if there are other ways to read the Bible? What if we learned from Jewish Rabbi's, who have been engaging the Scriptures for 1,000's of years? References for this episode: * Midrash: Reading the Bible with Question Marks (Sandy Eisenberg Sasso) * Daily Meditations - January 7, 2019: Jesus and the Bible (Richard Rohr)

Welcome to Deconstructing the Bible! In this opening episode, Associate Minister Jason Steffenhagen explores what is meant by 'deconstruction' and 'Bible'. This foundation will help us understand the direction for this podcast.