Podcast appearances and mentions of Thomas G Long

How many times do we really have to forgive someone? This week, Peter Walsh and Rob Schwartz explore Matthew 18:21–35, where the apostle Peter tries to put a number on forgiveness and Jesus responds by blowing up the whole accounting system. But the conversation quickly gets harder: Is forgiveness the same thing as reconciliation? What happens when someone continues to hurt us? And what are we supposed to do with a parable about mercy that ends with torture?Questions for ReflectionThemes & ApplicationPeter distinguishes forgiveness from reconciliation: reconciliation involves restoring a relationship, while forgiveness can still be possible when reconciliation is unsafe or impossible. How does this distinction change the way we hear Jesus' command to forgive? How can we forgive while still naming harm and maintaining necessary boundaries? Peter and Rob wrestle with the parable's disturbing conclusion, where the unforgiving servant is handed over to be tortured. Is the king meant to be a straightforward representation of God? How should we interpret violent images of judgment in Matthew alongside Jesus' larger message of mercy, love, and liberation? Thomas G. Long describes some of Matthew's stories as “nightmare parables,” comparing their frightening imagery to A Christmas Carol. Scrooge sees the terrifying destination of his present way of living precisely so that he can wake up and choose another path. Could Jesus' frightening parable be intended to awaken us rather than simply threaten us? When can uncomfortable or frightening stories reveal something that gentler language cannot? Personal ReflectionRob tells the story of accidentally breaking a statue belonging to a friend's mother and expecting punishment, only to hear her say, “I forgive you.” When have you received grace or forgiveness that you did not think you deserved? Did that experience change the way you treated someone else later? The episode repeatedly returns to the image of keeping a ledger of what other people owe us. Whose name are you most tempted to keep in your own mental ledger? What would you fear losing if you stopped keeping track?Peter expands the conversation from forgiving others to forgiving ourselves. Are there mistakes, failures, or regrets for which you find it easier to believe God forgives you than to forgive yourself? What might it mean to receive grace deeply enough to stop continually punishing ourselves? Broader Spiritual ConsiderationsThe contrast between Lamech's seventy-sevenfold vengeance and Jesus' seventy-sevenfold forgiveness presents two radically different ways of organizing human relationships. What would families, churches, communities, or nations look like if forgiveness rather than retaliation were the thing that multiplied?The unforgiving servant receives freedom but then recreates the same system of debt and punishment for someone else. Why do people who have experienced oppression, hurt, or judgment sometimes reproduce those same patterns when they gain power? What allows grace to genuinely transform us rather than simply benefit us?Peter ends by describing forgiveness as being released from the “gunk of our psyche” that weighs us down, while also noting that the struggle to forgive is not uniquely Christian but deeply human. What might Christianity contribute to the broader human struggle with resentment, vengeance, guilt, and forgiveness?References & ResourcesVocabularySeventy-Seven / Seventy Times Seven — The translation  varies, but the exaggerated number communicates forgiveness beyond calculation. Lamech — A descendant of Cain who boasts in Genesis 4:23–24 that if Cain is avenged sevenfold, Lamech will be avenged seventy-sevenfold. Nightmare Parable — Thomas G. Long's term for frightening parabolic imagery that exposes the destructive destination of a way of life and shocks the listener toward another possibility.ScriptureGenesis 4:23–24 — Lamech's boast of seventy-sevenfold vengeance, discussed as a possible biblical backdrop and reversal for Jesus' teaching on forgiveness.Books & LiteratureThomas G. Long, Proclaiming the Parables — Peter's primary resource for interpreting Matthew's harsh judgment imagery. (Read the Book)Victor Hugo, Les Misérables — Rob draws on Jean Valjean, Bishop Myriel, and Javert to explore grace, justice, transformation, and the danger of living by a moral ledger. (Read the Book) (Watch the Movie Trailer)Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol — Used to illustrate the “nightmare parable”: Scrooge is confronted with the frightening destination of his present life so that he can awaken and choose differently. (Read the Book)Theology & DoctrinePurgatory — In Roman Catholic teaching, a state of purification after death for those who will ultimately enter heaven but still need to be cleansed of the effects of sin.Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org

Join us for another "Day1 Classics" Episode #4193 featuring Dr. James A. Wharton, beloved professor and Presbyterian pastor, with his timeless sermon “King's X,” based on Hosea 11:1-9. Originally preached in 1972, this powerful message explores divine love, idolatry, and God's refusal to give up on us—even when we choose death over life. With commentary by Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long.

Join us for Episode #4175 of Day1 as Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching Emeritus at Candler School of Theology, delivers his inspiring sermon, “There Was a Man Who Had Two Sons,” based on Luke 15:11-32. In this reflective message, he explores the well-known parable of the prodigal son, emphasizing not just one son's return but the father's love for both. Preached on the 4th Sunday in Lent, this sermon invites us to reflect on grace, reconciliation, and God's open arms. With his engaging storytelling and deep theological insight, Dr. Long challenges us to see ourselves in both sons and embrace the mercy that welcomes us home. Tune in now for a compelling journey of Scripture and spiritual renewal.

Episode 4174 marks the second installment of Day1 Classics, where host Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime welcomes Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long and Rev. Dr. Jared Alcántara to revisit "Renouncing the Devil," a compelling 1986 sermon by Rev. John W. Vannorsdall. Originally aired on *The Protestant Hour*, this powerful message, drawn from Luke 13:1-9, explores repentance, spiritual allegiance, and the courage to stand with God. Together, they reflect on its enduring relevance for the Lenten journey today.

In episode #4161, Day1 Classics debuts with "The Beating of Unseen Wings," a treasured sermon by the late Rev. Dr. Edmund A. Steimle, originally aired in 1971 and brought back to life from the Day1 archives. This episode features reflections from renowned preachers Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long and Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner of Princeton Theological Seminary, alongside host Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime. Together, they explore the enduring power of Steimle's words, drawn from Luke 1:39-45, which illuminate the encounters of Elizabeth and Mary. Celebrate this moment in Day1's 80-year history as we honor our legacy and look forward to inspiring a new generation.

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Reed Dent as he launches a series on the Psalms.Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty SolomonFree at Last by dc Talk — YouTube“[Psalm] 40” by dc Talk — YouTubeThe Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert AlterThe Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert AlterThe Art of Bible Translation by Robert AlterPreaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible by Thomas G. LongBEMA 349: The Chosen S3E8 — “Sustenance” (Bonus Episode)The Message of the Psalms by Walter BrueggemannBird by Bird by Anne LamottHelp, Thanks, Wow by Anne LamottAnswering God by Eugene H. PetersonPraying the Psalms by Thomas Merton

Guest preacher the Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long

Question of the Week:The church as a denomination, as well as at the congregational level, often finds itself in an identity crisis:  Are we a corporation? A non-profit? Or a mission organization? How do we navigate this fine line as people of faith?   Special Guest:Dr. Thomas G. Long, Professor Emeritus of Preaching, Emory University's Candler School of TheologyGuest Question:I have a question about preaching and plagiarism--Is it wrong? How can you tell a sermon is plagiarized? How can we stop it (or should we)? Or is this topic moot because preaching as we understand it now will be irrelevant in the future?Resource Roundup:A Little Book of PlagiarismHarvard and the Legacy of SlaveryTwitter and Elon Musk

This week Dr. Matt Skinner interviews Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long who is Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Adult Education is hosting a new series called Big Questions in a Changing Church to reflect on how the church and its followers are continuing to evolve. […]

Dr. Thomas G. Long gave the sermon at the first worship service of the Prophetic Voices Centennial Academic Conference on March 19, 2015.

Long talks about the narrative and episodic natures of our parishioners. read more...