Geocaching Scripture: Recent Episodes
Josh McDonald
Geocaching Scripture – tiny treasures in the big truth. Exegesis brought to you by the last kids picked for kickball. History, language, cultural background, context, church history—let’s crack open the smallest detail and see what’s there. It’s deep dives into a shot glass—one story, just a few verses, even one word—ain’t no treasures like these treasures.
Podcast about theology, bible study, scripture study, Christianity, Christian theology, exegesis, Old Testament, New Testament
Paul was writing from prison...again. During this time, he was chained to a succession of Roman special forces guards in full armor. As he scribed away in the dark corner, he simply looked around and came up with his most famous metaphor. We talk ancient prisons, Roman correctional practices, and the fact that the armor of God included no pants.
Let's look at one of the childhood classics: Daniel looking a little nervous, circled by hungry lions showing off their teeth and rib cages. This story, and many like it, are often dismissed early on as ahistorical – the narrative resonates, but there's no history behind it. But let's look closer. Let's look at Ancient Near Eastern history and the lion hunts staged by rulers, just like King Darius. Again, the history is waiting for us, and plays an important role in our faith. This and an informative discussion about flannel-graph.
Jesus goes back to his hometown. The people have trouble with the paradigm shift of who Jesus was to Who Jesus actually is: "We've known you since small times." We talk about our own personal trouble with this paradigm shift, and how it's hard to see things from a God's eye view. That and apparently Rick wasn't very good at kickball..?
Tell my brothers to go to Galilee. Jesus gives some very simple directions after the extremely unsimple event of the resurrection. Yet the disciples can't quite figure out how to follow. Fear? Disbelief? Disobedience? Yep, probably all those. We'll look at this extremely slow trip to Galilee in our latest episode.
Have you ever been in a really bad storm? The kind where you wonder if the house might blow away or a flood might carry you off? The disciples were in the midst of a brutal storm that night and they go to find the one guy who's supposed to be in charge – and He's taking a nap! Let's dig into this story, and the delicious details throughout and see if we can't figure out why Jesus was – apparently – snoozing on the job.
We look at the story within a story of Mark 5 – the raising of Jairus's daughter and the woman with the issue of blood. The detail that connects them is the number 12. Mark seems to draw an analogy between this woman lost to her community and this girl lost to life. "You are a daughter" – Jesus speaks these life-altering words of resurrection and restoration. Tune in.
We kick off season five with a discussion of a political slogan that sneaked into some of Paul's writing. Against the iron backdrop of the Roman Empire, Paul reminds us of the kingdom that will have no end. In his encouraging letter to the community in Thessalonica, Paul talks with them about the great final "Day of the Lord" in which no political structure will stand, and he parodies a Roman slogan in the process. We also briefly reflect on the political slogans we remember through the years.
"Marry a prostitute..." Among the strange things that God asked prophets to do in the Old Testament, this has to be in the top three. Hosea and Gomer's bizarre marriage becomes a powerful symbol of God's love for Israel – unfaithful and unworthy as she might be. The story, again, is that our "worthiness", like Gomer's worthiness, comes from God, not from us. Therefore the reality – you are worthy, you are mine – is unshakable.
"Immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine..." This one often gets taken out of context, and might be applied to requests for Instagram followers or the latest new TransAm (whatever your generation might be). But we look closer at the setting of this passage, which is right within a hymn of praise telling us about who God is, not what we can get from Him. We talk about the importance of interpreting scripture in its details along a theme, and not retrofitting the context to whatever we're looking for at the time. This, and we discuss the importance of knowing if God or Ben Franklin wrote a popular phrase.
Have you ever had a nickname that stuck? Usually the best ones are those that poke us a little – a short guy called "Too Tall Jones" etc. Jesus had a special nickname for his disciples, that we translate the dullest way possible. Looking at this little moniker gives us insight into Jesus' personality – his humor and his whimsy, which often gets lost in translation.
"Muzzle not the ox" is kind of vaguely rhetorically powerful bibley thing that people say about pastor's salaries. But what was the context really pointing to here? Why did Paul bring this up? This OT verse, and Paul's quotation of it, gets low-key half-interpreted throughout the church, and we just can't have that! It's a discussion of justice, in the end, of how you treat your neighbor and what it looks like for us to take on the yoke of Christ. This, and a brief discussion of the effect of bottle rockets on cattle's general well-being.
Rick tells the harrowing story of being injured on a rural farm as a kid. It took them two hours to get to the hospital from the country, and the doctor said he wouldn't be able to do much. But God had different plans. Broken glass, slashed ligaments, 36 stitches, and mix that with bizarre theology, but God's miracles still manage to come through, right in the middle of our mess.
We look at the well-known story of the sower who sows seeds all around. Seeds fall all over – some to growth, some to loss, some to a short, dried-out life. But look at the seed taken by the "birds of the air" – what do said birds do with the seed once they eat it? This detail could point to God's enduring grace even in a harsh and dry world – the seed of the gospel distributed, compost included, all over the earth.
We're back – from illness, from holidays, from the madness! Here is our discussion of a little bit of graffiti, a very small geocache indeed, that appeared in the margins of Hebrews 1:3 in a third century manuscript. This smidgen of script, beginning with something like "Fool and knave..." gives us some insight into an ancient discussion about theology, heresy, and the truths of faith. Sometimes the truth can hinge on a single word or part of a word, and we see that here, in the throes of a primeval nerd fight.
A belated Christmas episode as a sinus infection had me knocked out for a while. We look at the visit of the Magi, specifically the gifts they brought. Why did they choose these gifts? Why was it important for Mary and Joseph to have these gifts in this exact moment? These are also the most expensive gifts this family had probably ever seen. We drill down into the history of these mysterious men, where they came from, and what we can know about the desert night they quickly disappeared back into.
The story of Jesus healing the bleeding woman is well-known, but let's pull back and look at the context. This woman crosses Jesus' path on his way to heal a Sanhedrin official's daughter. If Jesus wanted to win friends and influence people, he would have just kept going. But he didn't, he wanted to bring in the Kingdom. We talk through this passage and the Lord's internal sense of "kingdom timing."
This week we talk through a very strange episode in which God attempts to kill Moses, Zipporah performs a hasty circumcision, there's some kind of midnight declaration, and the attack relents. So....? It's a particularly strange exchange, which makes it a fascinating geocache. Why was God tryna KILL Moses? Why was Moses's son NOT circumcised? What does "bridegroom of blood" mean?! So, there's a lot going on here, but we chase down what we can. Let's look at the place of mystery within the story of faith – why it's there and what it tells us, and what secrets should we let it keep.
What good has Christianity ever done?! We live in a time that asks that question often – with all the sins of the church, how can we believe what it claims? We talk through some of the great contributions of the church throughout history – from education to prison reform. We look at how God's people did, despite ourselves, sometimes perform "greater works than these" as promised.
I believe but help my unbelief! I think most of us would describe this exclamation as our "life verse" at least once. We look at Mark 9, the story of the possessed by and the dedicated father who begs Jesus for help. We look at how this story fits into its immediate context, and what theme is worked through these narratives. After the immense clarity of the transfiguration, we're confronted with a situation where life makes the least sense: The suffering of a child. Let's talk context, history, suffering and a brief aside about snowblowers.
Did ya miss us? We're back and we're talking about the greatest commandment of all the law. We look at this well-known verse which would have been front and center of every Israelite mind in Jesus' day. We also discuss the fact that only Jesus himself could keep this commandment perfectly. Rick almost chokes trying to pronounce Hebrew and Josh reminisces on the Halloween snowfalls of Wisconsin. Happy Turkey, enjoy!
For some reason, the whale/shark/leviathan that swallowed Jonah seemed to change from a boy to a girl in the narrative. Of course, this is done without comment and just keeps moving, not showing up in our English translations. So...what gives? We take a minute to poke around in the belly of the whale and see what we can see.
Jesus asks us to take his "yoke" upon us in a world that prides itself on being "woke." He calls us to the transforming paradox of working so that we can rest in Him, and resting in Him so that we can join him in his work. We talk about ancient farm technology, "lakes" in Nebraska, and what it means to that Jesus is always right next to us sharing the load.
There were eight levels of slave in the ancient world, from the slave who was a therapist to the aristocracy to the galley slave whose life was short and brutal. It was this slave – the "below decks" – slave that Paul chose to label himself as for the cause of Christ. We aren't slaves, we are the lowest of slaves, but that doesn't matter because we know our true identity. We dig into this linguistic detail, and our lackluster employment history in the factories and fast food restaurants of America.
"They know not what they do..." A passage that has been quoted and misquoted since Jesus said it. Yet, so much of the grace of the gospel is held within this sentence – forgive the sin, even as it's occurring, and even as God is using to fulfill his purposes. Rick quotes a psychologist friend: "We don't know what we don't know, and we don't know that we don't know it." In this instance, and so many, God uses even our blind ignorance to bring about his story in the world. Tune in.
Elisha was apparently very sensitive about his receding hairline. In this passage, he appears to call a battalion of she-bears to do some mauling when some errant youths call him "baldy." Josh discusses his own emotional baggage as a hairless American, and we discover there may be a little bit more to this she-bear mauling story than we thought. Isn't that always the case?
When the world was young, Moses made a bronze serpent that the people looked on to be healed. Centuries later, the image appears again, only this time the poison is more pervasive and the healing is eternal. Tune in to our latest episode where we talk about snakes and the fear thereof, briefly about polar bears, and a whole lot about motifs in the Old Testament. Mazel tov.
A woman kneading a lump of dough as big as a steamer trunk. A shifty fraud re-burying a treasure and then buying the field he found it in. Jesus’ parables weren’t just theological constructs or teaching tools, they were jokes in which the punchline was grace. The joy of a son come home, the joy of finding money you thought was lost – Jesus knows how outsizedthese feelings are, and so conveys them in his parables. It tells us a littleabout the heart of God and his hilarious sense of romance.
After a week off, the geocachers return to put a Sunday School myth under scrutiny. You may have grown up with the story of the “needle gate” – a small gate in Jerusalem that camels had to get on their knees to enter. The homiletic fall out from this story is a lot of metaphors about wealth, putting off worldly baggage, etc. The issue being – there’s no such thing as a needle gate and never was. We discuss the historical context, the difficulty of camels crawling, and another of Rick’s trips to the Holy Land where he had firsthand camel experience.
That's not a threat, that's a promise—a line from every action movie since ever. In this episode, we look at a popular “threat” or “judgment” passage and find out instead that it's a promise. "If my people, who are called by my name" – it all happened on a very strange afternoon in 957 BC.
Jesus gets up to read at synagogue and reads the passage of his choice, then interprets it radically, to say the least. Just when everybody’s admiring Him, he ticks off the whole room and sends the crowd into a riot. All in a day’s work. Meanwhile, Josh tries to buy fish bait at a bar and Rick crashes a party at a private club in Bangladesh. Turn your phasers to listen.
We look in detail at the well-worn story of the woman with the issue of blood. The hem of His robe she touched was probably the tzittzit, a religious ornament worn on the bottom of a garment. The ornamentation was deeply tied to identity and has Old Testament precedent in a story of Samuel and then of Saul. The unnamed woman, then, didn't just tug on His sleeve, she touched on His identity. We also talk about Mr. T and the time Billy Graham stopped a press conference. Cheers.
We look at the ancient, culturally-binding role of the patriarch. This kinsman redeemer role helps us understand the OT narrative and was a foreshadow of the great Redeemer. From paying debts to settling disputes, the patriarch was much more than a landowner or grandfather figure. He funded, employed, defended and avenged his family—he loved themfiercely against the chaos of the ancient world. Also there's a brief asideabout flannelgraph and shoe-throwing.
Jesus talks about the smallest thing having power over the greatest thing—the mountain—in the geometry of faith. But the understanding of mountain had richer symbolism in the ancient world. This, andwe talk about Josh's time on the beauty pageant circuit.
They throw the woman caught in adultery at his feet. He draws in the sand next to her. Instead of jumping into the rage of righteous fury, Jesus stops everything to converse with a voiceless person. He stops the clock to look her in the eye and restore her. Does God hate sin? Sure. But His reasons are different than ours.
The consistent, sticky refrain of a “land flowing with milk and honey” shows up several times in the Old Testament. These two items – like all sweet things – were not necessary for living, but made life livable. They were precious commodities in the ancient world, especially in Israel where bees were considered “unclean” animals. We consider all this, and what Jim Carey has to say about it, in this latest episode. Touch not thou that dial.
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…These aren’t the droids you’re looking for…Houston, we have a problem – we all know that one line from a classic film that brings the whole experience to mind. The story, the actors’ faces, the tension or humor in the moment, these all come back in a few words. Jesus was doing the same with his famous quote from Psalm 22 as we died – He drew us into the entire story of that Psalm that ends not in loss, but resurrection. Also, Rick and Josh reminisce briefly on shag carpeting and Dianna Ross’s career. Don’t touch that dial.
Welcome to Season 4! Let’s get caching! We areproud to present a new cohost—pastor, writer, grandfather, cigar enthusiast, former cult member—Rick Shallenberger! We’ll get to know this remarkable man and talk about the “stones” Jesus refers to in Luke 19, how they might break out in song (but we will not, you’re welcome).
The Pharisees didn't eat gnats because they weren't kosher, but camels aren't either, so what's going on? Jesus delivers one of his famous one-liners to his critics, mixing absurd images and fantastical situations. We also learn why it's better to show up on time than show up with flowers. Tune in.
Jesus talks about the mini-apocalypse in Matthew 24, primarily describing the fall of Jerusalem under Rome. This highly symbolic and brutal military maneuver changed the world, and redemptive history, for good. Why does Jesus talk about vultures gathering? It's an ugly death leading to resurrection, once again.
Woe is me, for I am undone. This is how the King James renders Isaiah's reaction to the direct presence of God. The temple shakes, the world is undone, and we don't see this happen again until one important afternoon centuries later. What does it mean to be "undone" by God's presence and work and wonders in the world? In a world short on amazement, may we always celebrate God's surprises. Also there's a cool story about a helicopter.
Jesus calls Herod a fox. Why? What does that mean anyway? Let's look at this ancient insult and why the Lord would refer to someone this way. The local "king" being addressed by the True King.
I have a deep, abiding hatred of snakes. I've never been bitten by one or anything, just a pre-programmed genetic revulsion maybe? Paul gets bit by a viper in Acts 28, but walks away unharmed, continuing to build a campfire (which seems really casual!). What was going on with this weird story? What does it mean to be unaffected by the "gods" of the world and, like Paul, shake them off and keep moving? Lisssssssten in (sorry, that was lame).
Recorded during my kids’ swimming lessons under an apocalyptic sun, we talk about Jesus drinking habits. When the Pharisees saw Jesus’ generous, welcoming approach to people they declared him a drunk. But when they saw John the Baptist’s austerity they accused him of being possessed. Okay, well which is it? Do we as Christians usually get accused of having too much of a good time? Of being too welcoming or feasting too much? Jesus was. Tune in.
Mary Magdalene was the first to see the resurrected Jesus in the book of John. She looks in the tomb and sees two angels sitting in a particular way. Again, the gospel writers never waste ink. What does an ancient angelic seating arrangement have to do with the identity of Jesus? Welp, let's geocache.
"He meant to pass by them..." Mark 6:48. This is an uncomfortable detail in the otherwise comforting story of Jesus walking on water. Why would he pass them by? They needed him! But the gospel writers were connecting the story of Jesus with the stories of God's glory passing by Moses and Elijah. So pay attention.
“…there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). What now, Jesus? Those peeps have been dead for a few dozen centuries, so what was He talking about? Let’s take a gander, and I’ll do my best impression of British atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell. Promise.
Jesus makes a comment in the middle of a great Peter moment and a great Peter gaffe. He talks about "binding and loosing," which has always confused me, am I alone on this? Anyway, let's geocache it and we'll talk a little bit about changing your oil. Strap in.
Ummm....so I've been gone a bit, but I can't help myself. I'm back and our name is Geocaching Scripture again and there it shall stay. In this episode, we talk about the so-so water supply in Laodicea in Asia Minor, Daniel Day Lewis and how metaphors – even biblical ones – are best drawn from whatever's laying around. It's very, very good to be back, fellow cachers. Pax humana.
Warning: This episode is Dan-less. He's moving and I told him to take a few weeks off to carry boxes and not break dishes. He will return right soon! So me, just me, looks here at the calling of Peter in Luke 5. Jesus walks up to expert fishermen on the beach and tells them how to do their job. What was a very crowded day of teaching becomes a one-on-one conversation between Jesus and Peter, knee-deep in the surf.
Jesus wanders off to the temple in the traffic jams of the Passover celebration in Jerusalem. It's one of the more confusing episodes in the gospels, and the only glimpse we have of Jesus' childhood. What was he up to? Why does the cataclysmic story of Jesus' birth lead right into a very pedestrian story of a wandering t'ween and frustrated parents? What happened the time when Dan got lost hunting and had to hitchhike with a loaded gun? What about the time Josh got lost, as a t'ween, on a sweaty afternoon in Tiajuana? These questions and more shall be answered in full...
John the Baptist seems to appear out of thin air with his wild hair and blazing eyes and message of judgment. But he was actually part of a prophetic tradition that had been around for a long time. Part of it, but also out of step with it in just the right way, just the right amount of pushback on a paradigm. Wade in the water with Weird John for a minute, there's much to learn.
Welcome to the late-night Tired Dad's Cafe, as Josh and Dan zoom after the kids' bedtime to talk polygamy. This practice, so foreign to the modern western mind, is everywhere in scripture. But just because polygamy shows up there, does that mean the bible is advocating it? Is polygamy – and other morally repulsive ideas – advocated by scripture? The answer is in the narrative, not the bullet points and we take a look at how most of these multiple marriages went – spoiler alert: not well.
We zoom it this time to talk about the Mark of the Beast, 666, in Revelation 13. John’s strange symbol/cipher has spillt much ink in speculation as to what he was talking about. Was it a riddle we are supposed to sleuth out? Was it a veiled reference to leaders at the time he was writing? Does Kirk Cameron know? The answer is...well, complicated. It brings in symbolism, apocalyptic genre, linguistics and all kinds of fun stuff. Tune in.
(Spoiler alert: we don’t know exactly what 666 means and anyone who claims to is trying to sell you a timeshare. )
Dan and Josh are back in the mineshaft talking through table etiquette in the first century. Minding your manners back then wasn't just a matter of good form, it was the nerve center of social interaction and cultural exchange. So, when Paul tells them to bring someone's lifestyle and character into consideration, he's asking for quite a bit. We also talk through various awkward meals and family occasions.
On his last night before being executed, Jesus takes the time to wash 24 feet. What was important about this moment? Why did Jesus do the grunt work? Guest host, and Josh's dad, Angus McDonald, helps us talk through this ancient, hygienic practice that suddenly became utterly meaningful. Father and son talking about the Father and Son. Enjoy. *episode pic is the very lovely Heather McDonald having her foot washed at our wedding.
We look at Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple in Luke 21. This is often mistaken for language about the Second Coming itself, which is probably inaccurate. Jesus discusses the devastation of the temple and the change in God's relationship to humanity that follows. Dan discusses being left in a tree stand in the dark for the rapture and Josh talks about weird things he saw on the beach this one time.
Melchizedek is a strange character who walks out of thin air and encourages Abraham in Genesis 14. Then he appears again briefly in Psalm 110 and makes one more cameo in Hebrews 7 and environs, never becoming much more clear. Us nerds take a look at who he might've been and how he plays into the story, and also how we can hold faith without knowing everything. We also consider marketing "Nerds in the Word" official cardigans, but we will wait for your votes.
Peter eats with Gentiles and then wusses out and Paul calls him out on it. Circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, Kosher eating, these were the signs of Israelite identity, what are the signs of this new Christian community? We talk through this, and discuss cowboy hats and board shorts and compulsory ankle tattoos all of an early Wisconsin Morning.
The podcast formerly known as GEOCACHING SCRIPTURE, now known as Nerds in the Word takes a gander at one of the stranger conversations Jesus has. He sees a Gentile woman and says, essentially, "What up dog?" Why would Jesus address her with this common ethnic slur? What does this conversation mean? We go into linguistic background, we go into ethnic context, we go into the Targum because why not and try to get to the bottom of this one. We also announce our new name, new look, same old geeks. The interrupting cow makes a brief appearance, followed by the interrupting sloth.
It's negative five degrees and it's time to party! Josh and Dan discuss James 2, where the irascible old apostle forbids favoritism among God's people. Why was the so important back then? What did it mean in that society, and what does it mean in ours? Tune in, and help us find a new name for the podcast...
Lazarus and the rich man – a familiar, if somewhat confusing, story from Jesus about these relatable opposites. What do the details tell us? Why does Jesus give the beggar a name? Why does the rich man speak to Abraham? Also where to go in the New York subway for a geocache.
Jesus cleansing the temple is an episode we can look at over and over – there's much to see here. On a certain day in a certain moment, Jesus disrupted the center of Israelite identity at the time, crashing symbols and making waves we still feel today. We talk through the significance of the word "robbers" (it's not what you think), the importance of welcoming all people and what you can find at the grave of Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood.
We're joined by Caleb Williams, founder, owner and OG of Clear Hits Radio. He talks about the place of Christian hip hop in transforming his life and turning him back to Christ. We talk through Psalm 108, God using music and culture to speak truth and the time that Santa Claus punched a guy at church.
**First a warning: There was a sound issue at the beginning of this episode that ends at about the 10 min mark. You can skip to there if you need to, it's fine, we won't be hurt at all.
Josh and Dan dig through one of the most bizarre books in the OT, and that's saying a lot! Who is the drenched prophet who fled his calling? What's this book really about? End of the day, this is a tragic character study of one man who resists God's love for others. As we read it, we may find the proverbial "red sniper light" is on us. How do we read Jonah and how does Jonah read us? Also, he was eaten by a dog. Anyway, check it...
Have you taken down your decorations yet? Put the tree on the curb, taken apart the nativity set? Let us help you with that last one! There was no "inn" and no mean "innkeeper." Jesus was not born seclusion in a drafty barn as the cows looked on. Joseph and Mary didn't arrive in sudden duress with her ready to have a baby right away. The story is the same, but the picture is different than we've framed it in our modern minds. Let's bring it into accurate focus and see how Christ was, indeed, born right in the middle of our chaos – like always.
Merry Christmas from Geocaching! The shepherds were rugged loners who kept no polite company. God chose "nobodies" like this to receive the announcement of Christ's birth. Then Jesus chose "nobodies" throughout his whole life and still does today. Who were these people and why did God choose them? Where is the highest geocache in Antarctica? Josh and Dan answer all your questions from the mineshaft.
The "Murder of the Innocents" in Matthew accents the danger and corruption Jesus was born into. There is no corroborating extra-biblical evidence of this event, but it is well within the scope of Herod's brutality. We'll look at the historical implications and the advent implications of Herod being one of the first to recognize Jesus as king.
Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus to the temple, trying their best not to be seen. An elderly priest calls them out and prophecies over the child. What does this strange interaction mean? Where does that take us? What does it have to do with monoliths appearing in rural Utah? The answers, and a whole heaping lot more, are right here. (Luke 2:22-32)
Josh and Dan huddle in the mineshaft to discuss virginity and barrenness as biblical themes that find their culmination in the birth of Jesus. Mary and Elizabeth are both unable to conceive, and both are suddenly "with child" at the beginning of this miraculous season. There's also some stuff in here about Zorro, and pound-for-pound the most laughter of any episode yet. Happy Advent!
Jesus stops everything to watch an elderly woman give her two penny offering. Why would he watch that kind of moment, with all the "important" stuff He had to do? And what do Willy Wonka and Hunter S. Thompson have to do with it? Your answers are here...tune in.
Why is Jesus always multiplying fish? As far as supernatural powers go, there are more exciting options. We look at the strange intertestimonial book of 2 Baruch and how it relates to the big fish fries in places like Luke 5 and John 21. What's this connection that made Peter jump up to Jesus in the surf and suddenly call Him, "Lord"? What were the expectations of the Messiah that were in the air around the time Jesus walked the earth? Also, where is the only geocache in North Korea? Stop what you're doing and tune in...
I once was blind, but now I see! Let's talk about John 9, in which Jesus cures a blind man by making mud and putting it on his eyes and also upsets the Pharisee authorities at the same time. What was the importance of this miracle? Why were the ruling powers so upset? We jump into it, and we also talk briefly about great white sharks off the coast of California. Josh also comes up with the lamest name for Christian rap since ever.
I saw you under the fig tree! Fig tree imagery is woven throughout the bible, from the impromptu clothing of Adam and Eve to the tree where Jesus sees Nathanael. This is one of those long-running symbols the gospel writers pick up and "geocache" in the details to tell a story within a story. Josh and Dan investigate and eat "VBS-grade" generic Fig Newtons.
Welcome to season two!! I am joined by my new co-host Dan Hintz, who will become a welcome fixture around here. We open season two with a talk about "agnostic openness." We know the rich young man "went away sad," but do we really know if he never follows Jesus? Can we judge him? Or is it one of Mark's cliffhangers? What does Jesus teach us here about approaching people in our centrifuged, rhetoric-riddled, news-junkie world??
This week our exclusive, hard-to-find, A+ list guest is my wife, Heather McDonald, artist and art therapist. She talks with us about Bezalel from Exodus 31, the second person who is ever empowered by the Holy Spirit in scripture. He was an artisan and artist, who designed the Ark of the Covenant, and showed us that worship is not just singing and teaching but artistry, expression, craftsmanship and all of life.
Peep this Heather McD orig episode art...
The iconic scene of Jesus cleansing the temple. Geocaches are pretty much tumbling out of this highly symbolic act. What was going on? Why was he so upset? We'll also talk a little about Dr. Who's appearance in Wisconsin.
John 1, the Logos. This concept blended Hebrew and Greek thought beautifully and yet is confusing to a lot of modern readers. Also there's some stuff in here about a flooded mine in Finland.
Guest geocacher, pastor, scholar, one of my BFFs, and also my dad joins us to talk through Psalm 23. Green pastures, sitting down, rods and staffs, and tables at the enemy's house all make an appearance in this line-by-line meditation.
The story of Pilate freeing Barabbas is so familiar at Easter we probably don't even read it. But, as usual, there's more than meets the eye, especially in the name the gospel writers give this shadowy character.
Judas Iscariot is, tragically, one of the most famous disciples. We don't know much about this shadowy figure, and there's more than one theory. What were his motivations? What was he after? Where did he come from? Let's see what we can find out.
Pastor Shawn joins us to talk through the prodigal son story, Luke 15:11-32. He tells us what "hired worker" meant in those days, and how the son tried to qualify his own return. Right in the middle, some homeless folks knock on the door of the church and Shawn stops to help them out – the kingdom waits for no podcasts!
John the Baptist worked in Bethany beyond the Jordan. Lazarus is from Bethany. To turning points in Jesus' public ministry. But there is no Bethany beyond the Jordan, so...?
Jesus always welcomed children, stopping everything to do so. Have you ever tried to "sort of" welcome a child? You can't! If you're going to welcome them, you have to drop everything. The Kingdom of God is the same way.
A tribute to my professor the late JI Packer, who I had half a conversation with once. Paul greets Titus with his usual salutation but it’s packed (hehe) with treasures.
Paul sends Titus instructions for going to the difficult area of Crete. One of their own philosophers called them all liars and brutes. Their local mythology was full of stories of their conniving, double-crossing deities.
The Pericope Adulterae, or as we probably call it “Jesus and the Women Taken in Adultery”, is a bit of a homeless story. Most of the best manuscripts either don’t include it or don’t include it in this part of John. Despite this, many scholars believe it to be historical and it certainly seems like Jesus, leaning down next to the woman and doodling in the sand. That’s where the geocache is.
As with any human community, myths and rumors have a way of becoming "fact" in the echo chamber. Through Sunday school lessons and sermon illustrations, there are a few of these stories that have made their way into the Christian conversation. Our faith is rooted in history, and anything that comes between the history and our faith story may not be outright harmful but isn't too helpful.
Get on your oxygen tank and pack your best gear, this one's way at the top! Paul talks at length about meat offered to idols – not a conversation we’re used to having in the modern world, but a very everyday concern in Corinth. Paul writes to them about the hermeneutic of love, the driving principle that should determine your behavior as a community in Christ. A very localized pastoral discussion that still has application for us today. Also, you get to listen to me trip over my own tongue trying to pronounce Greek….
We've all heard the story that the rainbow was the symbol of God's promise to Noah, but have we looked closer at the actual text? As usual, it's got more dimension and color than we might have thought. God's promise, using some metaphorical imagery that would have made sense to the original readers, that he will always work with us and won't start humanity over again.
The second in my guest star series! Financial advisor Paul West CFP®, CAP®, sits down to talk with us about stewarding money and serving the financial needs of families all across the financial spectrum. This episode is a tour de force of me talking with someone much smarter than myself about how money works, how philanthropy works and how to frame it all in faith. There's also a brief interlude about the '86 Chicago Bears. Enjoy.
Jesus’ baptism takes a few paragraphs but ties together the story of Israel and all humanity. “It is happening again.”
My first guest star! My pastor, Dan Hintz, puts his enormous brain to work on a geocache in church history. Pandemics are part of the early growth of the church, in which the believers served the sick and dying in a way that astounded the surrounding society. We discuss the Antoine Plague (250-260 AD) and the Plague of Cyprian (165-175 AD). Our ancestors in the faith showed a love born out of their theology, which offered more hope and greater dimension than the predominate pagan folk beliefs. Then I offered Dan some Burger King coupons to come back and visit us again.
Mary mistakes Jesus for the gardener. God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. Pay attention.
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey in a torrent of misunderstanding about His identity. But the upset and confusion is just beginning. Big changes on the way.
Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple in AD 70 in the genre of the apocalyptic, a highly symbolic language that's more about feelings than exact events. He is Lord, even when it seems like the world is ending.
Matthew 16. Jesus takes the disciples to Caesarea Philippi, a temple to the fertility god Pan and a cross between a Red Light district and a frat party gone way wrong. Here at the corner of desperation and dissolution, Jesus asks us, Who do you say that I am?
Jesus heals a man at the Pool of Bethesda – a location that was a hospital, a witch doctor and a dumping ground for people with disabilities. In short, a repository of desperation.
Paul writes "let your gentleness be evident to all." When was the last time we as Christians were called out on our gentleness?
Jesus turns the water into wine at a wedding. How much wine we talkin'? Why would He do a miracle involving a luxury item?
The phenomenon of speaking in tongues – Glossolalia – was well-known in the surrounding cults and other faiths in the ancient world. Paul's discussion of it in Corinthians speaks to a larger pastoral issue.
"And about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea..." The story of Jesus walking on water is iconic, baffling and a little frightening. What does the language used tell us about who Jesus is? What were beliefs at the time about the sea? Let's geocache!
If you grew up like I did, John 3:16 is tattooed on the inside of your eyelids. Did you know that the phrase "born again" has a double meaning? What exactly was going on in this late-night rooftop conversation?
Joseph, husband of Mary and step-father of Christ, has no recorded dialogue. What do the few lines about him scripture tell us about who he was? His short cameo was vital to the story.
A geocache on who people thought John the Baptist was, what he did, and why that made e'rybody so mad.
Isaiah 11: "...a shoot will come from Jesse." Throughout the Old Testament, God's people are cut down again and again, but a remnant of hope always remains. The Great Hope grew from an unlikely place when all seemed lost.
In Matthew 10, and many other places, Jesus refers to himself as the "Son of Man." Where does that term come from?
Astrology and astronomy were synonymous in the ancient world. What did it mean when the Magi said they "saw His star"?
Matthew sets this famous sermon on a mountain. Luke sets it on a plain. What up with dat?
This episode's geocache looks at the well-worn story of the Woman at the Well. Yes, there's cultural tensions and religious differences, but let's dig even deeper to see how Jesus treats this forgotten, thrown-away person.
This week's geocache looks at Jesus' reinstatement of Peter in John 21. Peter, do you love me? He asks him three times, but the nuances of language might tell us something different. Let's get digging.