Cross Connections: Recent Episodes

St. David's Episcopal Church, Radnor

Finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together. Podcast by St. David's, Radnor an Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

On today's episode...

Exploring Minor Prophets: Big Messages from Small Books

In this episode, the team delves into five 'minor prophets' of the Bible—Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. Despite their short length, these books deliver significant and powerful messages. Amos addresses social justice, condemning the exploitation of the poor. Micah emphasizes the need for justice, mercy, and humility. Obadiah foretells Edom's downfall due to their betrayal. Nahum celebrates Nineveh's impending destruction. Finally, Jonah's story serves as a compelling narrative on God's mercy and the importance of compassion, challenging listeners to reconsider their understanding of divine forgiveness. This episode highlights the relevance of these ancient texts for contemporary faith and society, wrapping up with a reflection on how children’s ministry often simplifies these stories and the importance of revisiting them for deeper understanding. The team also incorporates interesting pop culture references, including Lin-Manuel Miranda's “Hamilton the Musical” and Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous use of Amos 5:24.

Join us next week as we conclude our exploration of the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament with a look at the last five minor prophets: Habakkuk through Malachi.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠⁠. ⁠If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/⁠⁠⁠.

This week on the podcast, we dive into the books of Hosea and Joel, exploring their historical context, challenging metaphors, and theological implications. The discussion covers the uncomfortable themes present in Hosea, including the metaphor of marriage and adultery as it relates to Israel's relationship with God, and the societal context of ancient marriage. The team also unpacks the concept of the "Day of the Lord" in Joel, its significance in both Old and New Testament theology, and how communal lament is a recurring biblical theme.

Key topics include:

The historical setting of Hosea
The metaphor of marriage and its implications for understanding God’s relationship with Israel
The use of covenant lawsuits in Hosea
The influence of Canaanite religion and Baal worship
The challenge of interpreting violent or troubling metaphors in scripture
The "Day of the Lord" in Joel and its echoes in the New Testament
The evolution of eschatological (end times) thought, including the origins of the rapture concept
The importance of communal lament in times of crisis

Resources & Further Reading

The Woman’s Bible Commentary, edited by Carol Newsom

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠⁠ ⁠If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

This week on the podcast, the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill take a deep dive into the Book of Daniel. From fiery furnaces to lions’ dens to mysterious visions, Daniel’s story has it all. Together, the hosts unpack what’s going on in this apocalyptic text, how it connects to the big picture of Scripture, and what we can take from it today.

One of the major points of note is that this book, particularly the second half of this book, is best read alongside a commentary or in a study Bible. The average reader won’t be able to make heads or tails of the second half without the context of the day and the geopolitical figures that are being referenced via metaphor.

Here’s a taste of what comes up in the conversation:

Life in Babylon: exile, identity, and resisting assimilation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: the fiery furnace and God’s protection
The lion’s den and a repetition of God’s protection
Daniel’s apocalyptic visions: beasts, horns, and cosmic battles
The historical backdrop: Antiochus Epiphanes, the Maccabean Revolt, and Hanukkah (The Feast of the Dedication)
Angels in Daniel: Gabriel, Michael, and the role of heavenly protectors
The “Son of Man” and how Daniel points toward the New Testament
What to do with Daniel’s “historical inaccuracies” and sermon-like qualities
What apocalyptic literature is and what it does and does not do or tell us
Hope and resilience: why Daniel still matters to us today

The book of Daniel may be complex, but we try to make it approachable in this episode by weaving together history, theology, and practical insights for living faithfully in challenging times.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠ ⁠If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at ⁠⁠crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/⁠⁠.

Welcome back to Cross Connections! In this episode, Natalee, Elliot, and Rick dive into the second half of Ezekiel, exploring the prophet’s dramatic sign acts, the shift from doom to hope, and a preview of the wild world of apocalyptic literature.

Episode Highlights:

Ezekiel’s wife dies as a sign act, and the hosts discuss the significance of mourning without grieving (Ezekiel 24), drawing connections to Leviticus 10 and traditions around priestly mourning.
The oracles against the nations: Why does Egypt get so much attention? The team explores the historical context and the role of neighboring nations in Judah’s downfall.
The turn to hope: Starting in chapter 33, Ezekiel’s message shifts to restoration, individual responsibility, and the metaphor of the sentinel.
Wrestling with God’s justice: The hosts reflect on how people inside and outside the church grapple with the question, “Is God just?”.
The Good Shepherd: Ezekiel’s critique of Israel’s leaders (the “shepherds”) and the promise of a new, Davidic shepherd. The conversation connects these passages to Matthew 25, John 10, and the New Testament’s imagery of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
Grace in Ezekiel: God’s promise of a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36), emphasizing that restoration is an act of grace, not something the people have earned. The priestly language and Levitical references are highlighted.
The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37): A powerful vision of resurrection and hope, often read at the Easter Vigil. The hosts unpack the Hebrew word “ruach” (spirit, wind, breath) and its significance.
Apocalyptic and eschatological literature: What’s the difference? The team explains these terms, referencing the Book of Enoch (for the curious, it’s part of the Ethiopian Orthodox canon and a wild read!) and how Ezekiel’s visions set the stage for later apocalyptic works like Daniel and Revelation.
Gog and Magog: Who are they? The hosts discuss their symbolic role in Ezekiel and their reappearance in Revelation, as well as their presence in other ancient Jewish texts like 1 Enoch and the Sibylline Oracles.
The vision of the new temple: Ezekiel’s grand, hope-filled vision of a future temple, and how this shapes both Jewish and Christian understandings of God’s presence. The discussion touches on the shift from temple-based to more universal ideas of holiness in the New Testament (see John and Paul’s writings).
Restoration and hope: The episode closes with the promise that “the Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).

Tote Bag Give Away:

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Next week: Daniel and the world of apocalyptic stories—lions, furnaces, and more! Sign your 2nd-5th Graders up for Sunday Christian Formation - they're reading Daniel, too!

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠ ⁠If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at ⁠⁠crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/⁠⁠.

In today’s episode the hosts dive into the first half of the Book of Ezekiel, exploring its vibrant imagery, historical context, and theological significance. The discussion covers Ezekiel’s background as a priest in the Babylonian exile, the radical idea of God’s presence with the exiled people, and the shift from communal to individual responsibility in Israel’s relationship with God. The hosts also unpack Ezekiel’s dramatic visions, prophetic sign acts, and the challenging metaphors used throughout the text.

Key Topics Discussed:

The historical context of Ezekiel: Babylonian exile, the fall of Jerusalem, and his priestly background.
Ezekiel’s unique perspective as a priest and prophet in exile.
The importance of context when interpreting Ezekiel’s fantastical language and visions.
The radical message that God is present with the exiles, not just in Jerusalem.
The shift from communal to individual responsibility for sin and righteousness (Ezekiel 18).
The significance of Ezekiel’s visions: wheels within wheels, four faces on the creatures, and their symbolic meanings.
Prophetic sign acts: Ezekiel’s theatrical demonstrations of God’s judgment.
The metaphor of Jerusalem as an unfaithful spouse and its implications.
The role of the Holiness Code and priestly tradition in Ezekiel’s theology.
Reflections on the suffering of ordinary people during exile and the tension between communal and individual consequences.
Preview of the second half of Ezekiel including: judgment against other nations and then the prophecies of restoration.

Don’t miss our video series on the Tabernacle and the Glory of God, part of our expanded Cross Connections content available on our website or on our YouTube channel.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover, is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

⁠If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at ⁠⁠crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/⁠⁠.

On today’s episode, our hosts dive into the Book of Lamentations, exploring its historical context, literary structure, and enduring relevance. The discussion opens with reflections on the book’s placement in different biblical canons and its association with the prophet Jeremiah, while also noting scholarly debates about its true authorship.

The hosts examine Lamentations as a work of poetry, specifically an acrostic poem, and discuss its communal function in processing trauma and grief. They highlight how the book is used in both Jewish and Christian traditions, such as during the Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av and Christian Holy Week services like Tenebrae.

Key Themes and Discussion Points:

The historical backdrop of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the plight of those left behind.
The literary form of Lamentations, including its acrostic structure and polyvocal narration.
The communal and artistic purposes of lament, both in ancient times and today.
The theological journey from orientation, through disorientation, to reorientation—a schema attributed to Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann (see his book Praying the Psalms).
The influence of process theology, referencing Alfred North Whitehead’s Religion in the Making (available free online), and the idea of God as void, enemy, and companion.
The absence of explicit covenantal language in Lamentations, contrasting it with other biblical texts.
The genre of city laments in the ancient Near East, with specific mention of the Sumerian “Lament over Ur” (translation available via the University of Chicago).
The impact of translation choices on interpretation, with examples from Lamentations and Job.

Referenced Books and Materials:

"Praying the Psalms" by Walter Brueggemann
"Religion in the Making" by Alfred North Whitehead (free online)
"The Crucified God" by Jürgen Moltmann
The Sumerian “Lament over Ur” (University of Chicago translation)
Netflix’s animated musical "K-Pop Demon Hunters"

Don’t Miss:

The clergy’s upcoming Sunday morning forum series at St. David’s in February/March of 2026, focusing on Holy Week liturgies.
The “Walking the Mourner’s Path” program for those experiencing grief.
The new Cross Connections digital formation ministry six-part video series, “Where is the Glory,” with the Rev. Rick Morley, filmed at a St. Anthony’s Coptic Orthodox Monastery in California.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at ⁠crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org⁠.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/⁠.

On today’s episode, The Rev. Rick Morley and Elliot VanHoy try and muddle through the second half of the Book of Jeremiah as Natalee Hill is on vacation.

Rick begins by putting the whole of the Old Testament in the context of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent captivity. Although it is the most prominent story in the Hebrew Bible, it is generally lost in the modern consciousness.

They talk about how the Old Testament as a whole, and the prophets in particular, are trauma documents, written with Babylon looming large. Isaiah deals with it by giving warnings and hope, Jeremiah spend a lot of time on warnings, and Ezekiel uses it as an opportunity to say that God is with us even in the hardest of times.

Elliot brings us Heschel’s book, “The Prophets” because he was struggling with the depiction of the anger of God.

They note that the only reference to the New Covenant in the Old Testament is in the Book of Jeremiah, and how that shows that the judgement of Jeremiah does not end there, but propels the story forward.

Rick tells the story of his job at a wilderness residential treatment center for troubled boys, where if the boys didn’t chop enough wood, they suffered the consequences of being cold. Jeremiah is like this, for it show the Babylonian Affair as being the real consequences of their actions in breaking the covenant with God.

Elliot and Rick also struggle with a wood chipper running outside the window, and muse how Jeremiah can kind of be like a wood chipper sometimes…

Also noted in this episode:

The Spanish artwork mentioned by Rick - Ecce Homo (García Martínez and Giménez)
Elliot’s Clergy letter from last Friday, August 22nd
Elliot’s sermon from July 27th on Genesis 18
N. T. Wright’s “Surprised by Hope”
Jürgen Moltmann’s “The Crucified God”

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...The Rev. Rick Morley returns from vacation, and we get to hear some of his takes on the prophets generally before we jump into Jeremiah specifically.

Rick reminds us that all three of the major prophets’ books – Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel – are all in some ways trauma documents, since they are all dealing with the Babylonian exile.

We remind ourselves of when these prophets were living and aligned them with the Kings found in 2 Kings, which we discussed back in April. We look at the composition of Jeremiah – the longest book of the Bible by word count – and how it may have been organized literarily. It is not as clearly delineated as Isaiah, and that makes for a bit of a difficult read.

We discuss that Jeremiah is either a student or a teacher of the Deuteronomistic Historian – you can see that theology reflected throughout the text. We discuss an interesting scholarly hypothesis of who that historian might have been, and his relationship to Jeremiah. We continue to talk about where in the language you can find these hints. We also note the contrast with much of the language of Isaiah.

We then spend some time discussing the dominant metaphor in Jeremiah of God as like a husband and the people of Judah/Israel like an unfaithful wife. We discuss why it may have resonated at the time, but also why it is problematic. There are many other metaphors found in our scriptures, including within Jeremiah itself.

As we discuss the prolific metaphors in Jeremiah, we’re also given examples by Elliot of places where those same metaphors reappear in the New Testament writings. This is something to look forward to noticing when we go through the New Testament later this year. Elliot mentions his sermon on The Widow’s Mite, which you can listen to here.

Rick then poses the question of why Jeremiah is not the one so often quoted in the New Testament and why Christian theologians and artists have so preferred Isaiah? We share our different theories before Elliot then asks how we deal with the strong judgements in the earlier sections of Jeremiah. Natalee especially appreciates the distressing effectiveness of a particular metaphor. Rick helps us think through human nature in our response to those sections as well. All of this brings us to a conversation on the difficult and dangerous road of any prophet, and what it takes to make a person truly a prophet. (Hint: it’s not speaking into your own echo chamber.) We close in a conversation on what it is to preach into a specific community – the challenges of being in community and sharing the word that those people need to hear.

PS: Natalee laughs at the end not at the fall of Jerusalem itself, but at the prospect of "enjoying" reading about it.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

Today, the Rev. Tanya Regli returns as we venture into Second and Third Isaiah. Written down 100 to 150 years after the first section of Isaiah, these parts refer more to the Babylonian exile, and even hint at the return to Jerusalem after that exile.

We’ll give you a reminder of the context for this writing and that while we (modern Christians) see Jesus in all of these, that’s not what was thought of them originally, and we have to respect both views. You’ll find Isaiah used by the New Testament writers and Christian theologians to point to Jesus and we note how impressive is it that the New Testament writers knew this literature so well.

We comment on the power of metaphor throughout Isaiah, including a particular fondness for maternal language metaphor.

Tanya introduces us to the Servant Songs in Isaiah – they are the call given to “the servant” to follow God. We find in them that God is extending the promises beyond Israel to all the nations – “A light to the nations.”

Cyrus of Persia makes an appearance – shockingly referred to as the Lord’s anointed, meaning messiah, a title elsewhere reserved for Israelites. Tensions continue in our scriptures about the balance between being a people distinct from others around and the inclusion of other nations into God’s covenant. We refer to our episodes on Ezra and Nehemiah for contrasting content. In the scriptures and today, we’re constantly reviewing what it means to follow God – what does God require of us? We see in Isaiah a move from God’s ritual requirements (ritual cleanliness) to God’s justice requirements (ethical cleanliness).

Elliot introduces us to eschatology – a fancy word meaning to talk about the last things. We bring up the end of Isaiah and its vision of a new heaven and a new earth and compare that to what is written of John’s vision in Revelation.

We discuss the misconception that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are different Gods. You can really see the full divine redemptive mission even here.

We talk about how to identify a false prophet or an idol based on some of the language in chapter 58 – the kind of fasting I have chosen….We talk about how we’re called to be people of justice, healing the world around us as part of our worship – not just to offer thanks and praise, but to act in ways that bring peace and justice. And that we cannot do it solo – we must do it with one another and with God. We also note that God will not do this God’s self; we are asked to actively take a part in it as covenantal relationship. We get into how that turns our call into being repairers of the breach – those who heal up the wounds of the world, break down walls, and build bridges. Elliot mentions an organization of that same name, founded in 2015 by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II.

We close reminded of the call we’re given, the mercy God extends, and the life we keep trying to live into.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...

We jump into the Prophets, the final section of the Hebrew Scriptures in our Bible, beginning with Isaiah.

Our guest this week is the Rev. Tanya Regli, associate rector at St. David’s. After a brief introduction to Tanya, we talk about this section of the Bible, including a reminder of the function of prophets in our scripture. We’ll cover the historical framework of Isaiah itself, the three sections scholars break it into, and the context of when it was written.

We talk about the major themes in Isaiah, especially the two important words in Hebrew: mishpat (justice) and tsedaqah/tzedakah (righteousness) which we understand together today to refer to social justice.

We discuss how the audience for Isaiah’s writing is mostly the people in power, but also to some degree all the people of Israel. We also discuss that the blessings God offers through Isaiah’s words is open to all nations, not just Israel. We’ll also spend some time on Isaiah’s call to be a prophet, and what is unique about it. (Don’t forget to do your own search of “Biblically accurate angels” images.)

You’ll find much of Isaiah quoted in the New Testament, and many passages will sound familiar to you. Notice, but don’t get too caught up in them because 1) we want to appreciate the original context and 2) you might get stuck in Isaiah for a long time. Also, if you’d like to hear a better version of “The Messiah” than Natalee’s attempt, check out St. David’s Choir singing it at the Messiah concert in December 2024.

Don’t forget to refer back to some of our previous podcast episodes which relate to today’s: 1 + 2 Samuel, 1 + 2 Kings, 1 + 2 Chronicles, and Matthew episodes.

At the end, during our speed round of questions for Tanya she named (one of) her favorite book(s): “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...

We discuss the Bible’s steamiest book, which was apparently a controversial inclusion in our scriptures (along with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes).

How are we supposed to understand this very erotic literature as a part of our scriptures?

Is this story just about Solomon and a lover he particularly adored, or is this possibly an allegory for our relationship with God? We also talk briefly about how we in the modern, western, American world can be a little prudish. We wonder whether the ancient peoples for whom this was first written would have been as squeamish around this text. We don’t come to a solid conclusion, so hear the arguments and we leave it to you to consider further.

Elliot points us to some knowledge from Ellen Davis’s, “Getting Involved with God” – a book we’ve mentioned in previous weeks – indicating that desire used only twice in the Bible: In Genesis and then here in Song of Solomon. How is it used in each instance? Could the turning of Genesis on its head, a move that creates equality, be the real controversy?

We talk about the ways in which the people in this story not only experience mutuality, but that each indicates their own self-worth. Could Song of Solomon be a resource for a healthy romantic sexual ethic?

Those of us in The Episcopal Church often still have difficulty talking about intimate relationships and sexuality. Elliot brings up a great resource on the history of the church and sexual ethics and morals that he found on The Episcopal Church website. Specifically, he reads to us General Convention Resolution GC 2000-D039 from the 73rd General Convention in 2000.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

If you know nothing else about Ecclesiastes, you know chapter three thanks to The Byrds .

Was it written by Solomon? Nope. We’ll explain why we know.

We talk about how the writer of Ecclesiastes seems to be in direct conversation with the writer of Proverbs. We also talk about how Proverbs would be “bad news” with its simple answers about death and suffering, where Ecclesiastes feels more realistic, true to life, than Proverbs.

At the time this was written there was very little understanding of a presence of God individually. There was also no concept of heaven or hell or any kind of afterlife, only Sheol — which sounds a bit like the Greek concept of Asphodel — where people go when they die. The text is pessimistic but also invites more moderation rather than hedonism.

Despite the differences from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes still isn’t a satisfying answer to the question of death, the injustices of life, or about how to live in hope. So, what’s the mature response? Both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are at their core talking about issues of justice and righteousness. Jesus is the Christian answer, as a prophet and sage. Listen in as Elliot begins to form his (unofficial) thesis on this.

We also talk about Erik Erikson’s stages of development. The final stage is integrity vs. despair, and Ecclesiastes seems to be someone who fell to despair. This episode refers to Rick’s sermon on the Fruit of the Spirit from June 29th, and a few more cultural references including Madonna (the singer) and the movie, “Dazed and Confused.”

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

Today we discuss the book of Proverbs which consists mostly of line after line of aphorisms – wisdom sayings (perhaps, common knowledge?). While it is mostly saying after saying, sometimes even ones that conflict with one another, there is a structure to it.

The early part of the book frames this book as predominantly the wisdom of Solomon, passed along and written down later by others. The book is written in the format of a parent or teacher to a child (specifically a son) or a student.

Of the Hebrew scriptures, this book is not really mentioned in the Gospels and New Testament. This is at least in part because it was one of the latest books added to the scriptures. We discuss why this is the least favorite book of both Rick and Elliot, mostly for its simplistic view of the world that doesn’t hold up to lived life.

We spend some time discussing “the fear of the Lord/God” and the ways in which fear is understood in the Bible in various ways. Mostly in Proverbs we are dealing with awe and reverence rather than terror or horror.

Rick discusses that Wisdom (Greek: sophia) is personified as a woman, who was present for and active in the creation. In our episode on the Gospel of John we talked about the Logos and you’ll note the similar language used to talk about Jesus the Christ. This is particularly interesting because it raises the question: are “sophia” and Christ one and the same? Elliot notes that some interesting debate about the nature of God can be found in Rick’s sermon from Trinity Sunday, when he talked about the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Rick notes that Proverbs 8 was used as a proof text by both sides, Arius and Athanasius, in the major arguments during that Council.

As we begin to close out, Elliot makes a recommendation of very approachable book about the Old Testament, “Getting Involved with God” by Ellen F. Davis.

Davis is also a resource for another writer brought up at the end of the episode. Natalee brings up the 31st and final chapter of Proverbs, and in particular “the Proverbs 31 woman”. We talk about how this particular section of the Proverbs is not attributed to Solomon, but rather to King Lemuel's mother. The text describing the Woman is an Hebrew acrostic poem – which we cannot tell in our English translations. Natalee notes the writings of Rachel Held Evans writings on Proverbs 31 woman found in the book, “A Year of Biblical Womanhood” as well as on Rachel’s blog.

Interestingly, Rachel Held Evans grew up in the town where the Scopes Monkey Trial was held in 1925 (100 years ago this month even!) and wrote about that in her book, “Evolving in Monkey Town” which has since been renamed, “Faith Unraveled: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions.” You can find more at https://rachelheldevans.com/.

And with that, we come to the proverbial end of the line. wink

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...

Today we talk about the Book of Job, starting with a quick chat on where the book came from, and what we know about its piecemeal composition. You’ll notice that the text starts and ends with prose and has a middle section of poetry. These sections were not all written at the same time.

Why was Job written, what is the major question it is here to answer, and how does it answer this question? How is Job’s answer in tension with the other answers offered both in our Wisdom literature and the other scriptures we’ve read through so far and upcoming?

What or who exactly is the cause of Job’s suffering? In our discussion we briefly review the origins of Satan, suggesting a book of the same name: “The Origins of Satan” by Elaine Pagels.

We get into the ways that Job’s friends deal with his suffering and a discussion on how we can deal with the emotions of suffering when we encounter it – especially the grief of others. Rick offers a resource, a book by Megan Devine called “It’s okay that you’re not okay.” Elliot also mentions an article by Parker Palmer on the “On Being Project” called “The Gift of Presence, the Perils of Advice.”

We get Rick’s favorite quote, Elliot points out the most sarcastic phrase in the Bible, and then we wonder – but does this story solve the problem of evil and suffering? And do we find this scripture satisfying in its answers?

Quick correction – we’re actually 36 episodes in, not 34! Whew, that went fast!

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

We're on a break this week, so we offer you this re-run (or as we call it, a back-track) of our episode on the Gospel of Luke. We're reading through Luke in our Sunday morning lectionary currently, so we thought it was a good time. Here are the details from our first time through:

On today's episode...

We discuss the Gospel of Luke!

Here how Luke, a synoptic Gospel, is both like, but also very different from Matthew and Mark which we’ve already discussed.

We go over some Christology – the theology of Jesus – eventhough we didn’t mean to!

And of course, we go down a few rabbit holes and mention afew spoilers – especially regarding Acts, which is likely written by the same author as Luke.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s EpiscopalChurch in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use yourn recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

The Rev. Rick Morley comes to you solo today with a shortepisode on how to pray the Psalms. He gives an in-depth discussion about the Psalter included in the Book of Common Prayer and then gives a demonstration of using SingtheOffice.com. You can check it out if you also want to learn to sing the psalms in Gregorian Chant.

We’re taking a break next week and then we’ll be back onJune 9th with our episode on Job.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...

We welcome to the podcast Sister Kristina Frances, Superior of the Society of St. Margaret in Duxbury, MA. Sister Kristina talks with us about the Psalms, praying and singing them in everyday life, and talks to us about the life of a member of an Episcopal Religious Order.

Hear her dispel some myths you may have picked up from popular culture and discuss the benefits of adding periods of silence to your daily life. (Observe that asterisk not just in the Psalms perhaps…)

Sister Kristina offered us several resources for ways to add prayer into daily life, including the Daily Office resources from Forward Movement, the Society of St. Francis, and the Mission of St. Clare. She also shared her favorite book with us, "Cats in the Belfry," and we laughed about a YouTube video containing silent monks.

If you want to learn more about Religious Orders, how to become a part of one, or just where you might be able to visit on retreat, check out all the resources linked from the Episcopal Church’s website under the section for Religious Orders and Christian Communities.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

We have a guest on the pod today, Elaine Sonnenberg Whitelock, St. David’s Director of Music. After an introduction to Elaine, we have a conversation on how Psalms are used musically in worship. Thanks to Elliot, we get several musical terms defined and we talk about favorite Psalms and Psalm settings.

In today’s episode you’ll hear clips of sung Psalms out of several of St. David’s worship services this year, directed by Elaine and sung by St. David’s Adult Choir or soloists. You can find the following at these links:

Introduction: Psalm 104 during Pentecost Sunday worship on Sunday, June 8, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/lsSxiAcaq3Q?si=BUw21fTo1wbvsmns&t=1096

Psalm 84 “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” from the Brahms Requiem sung at St. David's Easter Choir Concert on Sunday, May 4, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/3s6hBsvVyzI?si=oOEowq0JY0XWPrQ2&t=1162

Psalm 51 from Ash Wednesday Worship on March 5, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/egJg8hVEooA?si=APu5oq9v6MrqqmHs&t=2519

Psalm 22 arrangement by Peter Hallock at Maundy Thursday worship on April 17, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/SMr6GFdUYQs?si=L9ijCxt5mX7nKpZp&t=4373

There is also a very brief clip of the tune, Blaenwern, used with the hymn text, “Love Divine All Loves Excelling,” by Charles Wesley.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

Today's episode is part one of our June series on the book of Psalms.

Psalms is one of the longest books of the Bible – though, as we discover – not THE longest.

Who wrote the Psalms, and why do we (mistakenly) think it was King David?

We discuss what a Psalm is and the different styles and types of Psalms that are compiled into the book, from Psalms of praise to court psalms to imprecatory psalms – similar to the rage prayers of the Rev. Elizabeth Riley, an Episcopal priest, TikTok personality (@theRevRiley), and author of “Rage Prayers.”

We talk about how the Psalms are broken into five books, mirroring the five books of the Torah, and how the poetry style of the Psalms is frequently parallelism. What is the most important Psalm? Did you know that there are other "psalms" in the Bible – but we don’t usually call them that.

We end with our best tips for reading the Book of Psalms, and hope that they help you this month!

For this episode, Elliot references “The Book of Psalms” by Robert Alter, as well as our New Oxford Annotated NRSV Bible, as always.

PS: The Feast Day of St. Dunstan is May 19th.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠/

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

In the Book of Esther, we’re back to one simple story, from start to finish, a bit like the Book of Ruth. Though much bloodier than Ruth, this is a story you might find in a Children’s Bible, especially if you have “Bible Storybook from The Bible App for Kids” by YouVersion and OneHope like Natalee does.

We talk about the origins of the book of Esther, where and when it was probably written, and especially discuss the novelistic style of its writing. A work of historical fiction more than objective history, Esther is full of fools, comedic overreactions, reversals, and ultimate triumph for the Jewish people. This story’s goal is to tell a tale to explain the festival of Purim.

Did you realize that Purim is the only Jewish religious tradition authorized by a woman? We celebrate that and discuss Purim traditions, including masquerade and hamantaschen, before we jump down a rabbit hole with Rick. Rick’s rabbit hole includes the Septuagint, the Masoretic texts, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. We also learn that Rick is a Dead Head.

We end the episode by discussing the controversial nature of Esther and follow an unexpected turn to Martin Luther, who hated the book of Esther. Find out why and then have some fun with us in the Martin Luther insult generator, which surprisingly leads us back around to Esther.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...

We’re in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which are a combined story of the return of the Judeans from Babylon under Persian rule.

We talk first about the various feasts which are brought back in these texts, including the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot.

Then we discuss the Aramaic language being used as the official language of the Persian empire, and how its use lasted into Jesus’ time.

We move on to the growing standardization of temple liturgy during this period, as they try to reconstruct the temple in Jerusalem. Why did the first people to return begin rebuilding by starting with the altar, rather than the foundation of the Holy of Holies? We notice the opposition to the rebuilding, and how we find opposition to new things in our own day.

We also encounter some things in Ezra and Nehemiah that can be a bit troublesome. We consider how neither of them is ever quoted in the Gospels. In fact, Elliot points out several passages of Luke that stand in direct contradiction to the impulses of the writers of Ezra and Nehemiah. So, we wonder, how do we read these texts as Christians today?

In the end, we do find some joy in these two books, especially in the way the people rejoice and contribute both money and effort into the rebuilding of the temple, and in the freedom of getting to be themselves and come into their own again as a people.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...

We’re in the fourth and final of the Gospels, the Gospel of John. What’s clear here is that (in a sing-song voice) “one of these things is not like the other ones.”

John is missing parables and miracles are reframed as “signs.” His focus is strongly on belief, but why is that exactly?

Recorded during Holy Week 2025, on Maundy Thursday, we noted that John’s Gospel is missing the institution of The Lord’s Supper, the Holy Eucharist.

We also discussed the phrase “eternal life” and what it probably means to John.

We wrestled a bit with the history of how the Gospel of John, and many of our Gospels have been used throughout Christianity, for better or worse.

Finally, we ranked our Gospels in order of favorite to least favorite. Call in to tell us your own!

Does our podcast need groupie names? Let us know.

And if you didn’t recognize “Signs” by Five Man Electrical Band either, you can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/CxrsVV5N06I?si=AIy-661pil_C38Xe

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠ https://stdavidschurch.org/.

We continue the first part of this new section of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures written the Chronicler. This person (or group of persons) is responsible for first and second Chronicles and for Ezra and Nehemiah.

Today we focus mostly on the Temple, the heart to be found here in Chronicles, and a few niggling issues with some of what is here.

Are issues of the heart and pride bigger concerns for the Chronicler?

We also make note of what is not here, notably the faults of some of the kings of Judah, and specific prophets who took up so much of the text in Kings. This is probably in part because references to the northern kingdom of Israel are few and far between. This text continues to focus almost entirely on Judah, and only mention Israel (meaning the northern kingdom, rather than the whole of the Jewish people) when in direct relationship to the activities of Judah.

What of any of this content carries through into the New Testament and into modern day?

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org/.

On today's episode...

We introduce a new section of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures written by a new author, the Chronicler. This person (or group of persons) is responsible for first and second Chronicles and for Ezra and Nehemiah.

Since this account is a second account of the same stories we’ve heard in Samuel and Kings, it’s hard not to spend a good amount of time comparing the versions. We spend a bit of time considering the intentions of the Chronicler’s choices.

On the other hand, was this the best scripture source for a stewardship or capital campaign? Maybe…

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

Congratulations on making it through the Deuteronomistic history!

Today, we’ll hear and discuss the fall of both kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

This book is an account of some very bad kings. (Mostly for not worshiping in the right way in the right places and for abuse of power.)

There were also a couple of really good kings – Hezekiah and Josiah. What do you think, was Josiah even better than David?

We discuss sin and suffering in the perspective of the Deuteronomistic historian and, by contrast, today.

We talk about how name changes in 2 Kings are less about God doing great things and more about erasing identity.

You’ll also hear about the models of prophet and savior found in this book which resonate into the New Testament.

And finally, a little preview of what’s going to come next!

There were so many kings in these two books that Elliot decided to create a chronological list for each kingdom. You can download a PDF of it here.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We discuss the Gospel of Luke!

Here how Luke, a synoptic Gospel, is both like, but also very different from Matthew and Mark which we’ve already discussed.

We go over some Christology – the theology of Jesus – even though we didn’t mean to!

And of course, we go down a few rabbit holes and mention a few spoilers – especially regarding Acts, which is likely written by the same author as Luke.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/⁠⁠⁠.

Blessed Holy Week to you! We’re in 1 Kings – a time of, well, Kings. But also, maybe too many kings. And certainly, too many wives. And many, many prophets, sharing God’s rather unhappy word with all those kings, especially the prophet Elijah.

We’re in the beginning of the end – of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and of the Deuteronomistic History. We’ve got just one more book until we get a new point of view on this period in the story(ies) of our faith.

You know we love to keep it light, so our conversation includes call outs to Moby Dick, Macbeth, and a few musical numbers, if you know the references.

Today’s episode includes a brief clip of “Coronation Anthem No.1 Zadok the Priest” by G.F. Handel. The lyrics in the clip are, “Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anointed Solomon King.” The individual clip is by ihsandincer and licensed for use through Pond 5.

You might be interested in a full version of the song, sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey at the Coronation of King Charles as found on YouTube, here.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

We discuss the reign of King David, the greatness of it, and how it all falls apart.

We also touch on any archaeological evidence for the existence of a “King David”, even though it really isn’t the point, but you can look up the Tel Dan Stele (or Steely Dan) as you like!

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We discuss the second half of the Book of First Samuel. This section of scripture introduces us to David, who will become known as Israel’s greatest king. But first, he must contend with the first king of Israel, Saul.

At first close as father and son, Saul and David’s relationship quickly turns, possibly by God’s hand after his spirit departs from Saul?

We talk about David’s relationships with various people including Saul, Jonathan, Michal, and his other wives.

We talk about popular stories from this section, including David and Goliath, the Witch of Endor, and the story of Nabal and Abigail. We also discuss the cat and mouse wilderness stories.

We also spend a while discussing the idea of the “anointed one,” the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek).

Finally, we spend a while talking about the influence of this section of scripture establishing David on the Gospels and other writings of the New Testament. How have the writers of those scriptures used these stories and to what end?

At the end we make a request that you let us know: would you be interested in attending and participating in a live taping of the podcast with all three of us? Use the poll in Spotify or contact us by phone or email to let us know!

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We welcome a guest on the podcast, the Rev. Thomas Szczerba, associate rector at St. David’s. He joins us for the portion of the episode where we discuss the Book of Ruth.

Ruth might feel like a bit of a relief after the violence of Judges, but we talk about why it might not have been perceived that way when it was written.

We discuss how the book of Ruth is positioned differently in Christian Bibles than Jewish ones.

We discuss how Ruth is a book of relationships and review each of them.

Then we say goodbye to the Rev. Thomas Szczerba and get into the first section of 1 Samuel. We talk about how 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel are really the same text, having been divided only because the scrolls had a size limitation.

We discuss the birth of Samuel, a figure akin in many ways to Moses, and the importance of Hannah’s song.

We get into how this book is another transition, taking us from the time of Judges finally into the time of Kings in Israel.

Samuel and God are not in favor of a King for Israel, and yet they heed the people’s wishes, appointing Saul. However, this does not go well, as God has Samuel tells the people in advance.

We stop short of introducing Israel’s greatest King, David, leaving that for next week’s episode.

If you want to understand the Hebrew scriptures better, especially the concept of harem as we discuss again today, Elliot recommends “This Strange and Sacred Scripture: Wrestling with the Old Testament and Its Oddities” by Matthew Richard Schlimm. You can find a copy of this book, or any book, through https://stdavidschurch.org/bookshop

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

The book of Judges is not for the faint of heart. If you like “Game of Thrones” this might be the Bible book for you. We offer a content warning, noting that this book and our discussion of it is heavy material and should not be entered without caution for younger or more sensitive readers.

Today we’ll talk about what happens in leadership transition, especially when there is a leadership vacuum.

Judges isn’t the best name for this book. It might be better called “Chieftans.”

We review what kind of a “history” this book is, the authors’ perspective and what they cared about and didn’t care about in writing this down.

Finally, we review the many different judges and the downward spiral of their leadership, or lack thereof, over time. We talk about how the change in repeated refrain shifts from early in the book to the end, setting up the next texts we’ll be reading.

One more note: If you want to sound as smart as Elliot, getyourself a copy of “Howto Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now” by James L. Kugel,as he recommends.

One more note: If you want to sound as smart as Elliot, get yourself a copy of “How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now” by James L. Kugel, as he recommends.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

Today we’ll talk about Moses’ successor, Joshua…

and the Israelite community as it got established in the promised land. Could this be our least favorite book of the Bible so far? Despite that, this is one of our longer episodes!

We start off with a quick discussion of Lent (since we’re one week into it).

Then we get into Joshua itself, placing this book of the Bible in its context historically, literarily, and spiritually especially as we note parallels with Jesus. We talk about the consistent message that starts here and runs through all the Deuteronomistic history.

We discuss some terminology quirks – devoted doesn’t mean what we might expect here!

We discuss some of the important new characters found in these texts, including Rahab who is named in the Gospel of Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus.

We spend some time talking about the mark of the covenant with Abraham, and how it had not been followed for some time. We also talk about potential perspectives on this mark of the covenant from woman readers.

We also consider other perspectives of this story from the point of view of modern indigenous Christians, informed largely by the essay of Robert Allen Warrior titled, “Canaanites, cowboys, and Indians.”

Finally, we talk about the interesting way that this book concludes and leaves us primed for the action of the book of Judges.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode we discuss the Gospel of Mark, the earliest-written Gospel of the Bible.

Today’s conversation starts with the circumstances surrounding the initial writing of the Gospel of Mark. Do you remember who fiddled while Rome burned?

We ponder how the earliest Christians heard and understood this Gospel, and the developing Christology that you experience as you read each Gospel of the Bible.

We imagine the ways in which Christian tradition would be radically different if the Gospel of Mark were our only Gospel.

Finally, we talk about Jesus’ resurrection, other resurrection stories in the Bible, and which pop-culture genre is big on Lazarus.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We finish Deuteronomy and, therefore, the books of the Torah/Pentateuch.

We discuss strange laws from both Ancient Israel and modern day. We’ll talk about the shifts happening and the new laws God is bestowing as the nation of Israel plans to finish wandering and finally settle. We notice how justice is framed in these texts and finally, we review the transition of power from Moses to Joshua and Moses’ death.

In today’s episode we mention the writings of Anglican Bishop and Biblical scholar, N.T. Wright, specifically “Jesus and the Victory of God.”

Today is Ash Wednesday! If you’re in our area, please feel welcome to join us on Wednesday, March 5 for worship at 7 a.m. in the Church, 12 noon in the Chapel, or 7 p.m. in the Chapel or Livestream. We’ll also be offering Ashes to Go from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Wayne Train Station, if you can’t attend the full worship in person. Information may be found at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/lent.⁠⁠

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We get into the first section of Deuteronomy:

Who wrote Deuteronomy and when?
What does Deuteronomy mean?
What is the meaning of the change in tone found here?
We use (and define for you) big theology words like SuzeraintyTreaty and Deuteronomic History and Hermeneutics.
and we continue to wrestle with the writings.

Ash Wednesday is next week! If you’re in our area, please feel welcome to join us on Wednesday, March 5 for worship at 7 a.m. in theChurch, 12 noon in the Chapel, or 7 p.m. in the Chapel or Livestream. We’ll also be offering Ashes to Go from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Wayne Train Station, if you can’t attend the full worship in person. Information may be found at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/lent.⁠⁠

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠.

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode we tackle all the digits of Numbers:

Why is this section called “Numbers?” What else is itcalled?
Will the Israelites EVER stop complaining and requesting to go back to Egypt?
Who makes it to the other side of the Jordan?
Why is Numbers a darling of the New Testament writers, coming up in different ways in multiple later texts?

Learn more as we help you make it past the accounting of all the tribes to find the gems of story and all the strange details – red heifers and talking donkey included!

Ash Wednesday is coming soon! If you’re in our area, please feel welcome to join us on Wednesday, March 5 for worship at 7 a.m. in the Church, 12 noon in the Chapel, or 7 p.m. in the Chapel or Livestream. We’ll also be offering Ashes to Go from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Wayne Train Station, if you can’t attend the full worship in person. Information may be found at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/lent.⁠⁠

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We get into the second half of Leviticus and give you aquick preview of Numbers

Today we will discuss the harder passages of Leviticus and the concept of Holiness. What holiness is presented here, and what holiness do we follow today? We also get a quick preview of Numbers, with a musical close out.

We mentioned a book in this episode, which Rick is using toread along these passages, called"The First Testament" by John Goldingay.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s EpiscopalChurch in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We get into the first half of Leviticus and we might have found some reasons to love it...

Today we will discuss:

When Leviticus was written
The major themes and perspectives of Leviticus
What’s with all the blood?
How Leviticus influenced Jesus and the Gospels
How do we zoom out and understand this text, which seems so foreign to us today?

We mentioned a book in this episode, which was alsoreferenced in our Genesis 1-21 Bonus episode, The Consuming Fire, Hebrew Edition: The Complete Priestly Source⁠, from Creation to the Promised Land by Liane M. Feldman.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s EpiscopalChurch in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.

Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

The first of our Gospel Bonus episodes featuring theGospel of Matthew

Today we will learn:

When and where the Gospel of Matthew was (probably) written
How the Gospel of Matthew relates to the other three Gospels
What the word Gospel means and what it would have meant tothe people this was first written for
Matthew’s audience for this Gospel and how we can tell
And we answer your Matthew questions!

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s EpiscopalChurch in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

Rabbi Robert Green joins us again to discuss the rest of Exodus!

Today we finish out Exodus with our guest, Rabbi Robert Green from Basking Ridge, NJ.

Today we'll discuss:

The Tabernacle
The Temple in Jerusalem
All. the. details.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We’re answering your listener questions about the Bibleand our readings so far.

Hear about ways to have the Bible read to you, understand why we’re reading the Bible this way, listen in to our take on how we handle those “less believable” passages in Genesis and Exodus, and wrestle through the tough texts with us. We’ve even got an update on those Gospel readings you’ve been doing!

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode...

We are joined by a special guest, Rabbi Robert Green!

Today we are getting right into the beginning of Exodus with our guest, Rabbi Robert Green from Basking Ridge, NJ.

Today we'll discuss:

Why the Exodus matters and what Christians can learn from a Jewish perspective
The Passover Seder
Author Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg
God at God's Best and God at God's Worst
Rob Bell's book, "What is the Bible?"
Liberation as the call of God's people

Also, can you tell us when or in what song we sing, "Alight unto the nations?" Call or write in, please!

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s EpiscopalChurch in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

Today we'll be recapping the next section of reading from Genesis, chapter 22 through 42, with some spoilers for the very last chapters of Genesis through chapter 50. We're getting ahead a bit because we've got a special guest with us next week!

In the meantime, listen in to this episode where we discuss:

The messy family dynamics of the patriarchs
The Angel of the Lord
The (non) sacrifice of Isaac
Weeping
Fertility issues
Name changes
Joseph's dreams bringing the story to Egypt

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s EpiscopalChurch in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠.

This week's recap of Genesis chapters 1-21 went longer than we expected when we "geeked out" a bit. If you'd like to hear more about the authorship of the Bible, covenants, and recap some funny things we noticed while we read, this bonus episode is for you!

We mentioned a couple of books in this bonus episode:

The Bible with Sources Revealed by Richard Elliott Friedman and The Consuming Fire, Hebrew Edition: The Complete Priestly Source, from Creation to the Promised Land by Liane M. Feldman.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David's Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠.

Today we get started on recapping the readings from the prior week! We'll get started in the place that makes most sense - in the beginning! Today we're recapping Genesis chapters 1-21.

We did get a bit excited with everything happening in these chapters, so we've also got a special "geeking out" bonus episode if you want to hear more.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠Pond5⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠.

Welcome to Cross Connections, finding our connectionpoints and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Happy New Year! In today's episode we invite you into the scriptures, finally, with some tips for how to frame your reading time. Will you pray? Will you center yourself? Will you just get through it? Listen in for some reading tips as we get started with this year's reading.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You may also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠.

Wishing you a holy and blessed New Year!

Welcome to Cross Connections, finding our connectionpoints and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Merry Christmas! In today's episode we'll get to know your hosts a bit better including how they came to the Episcopal Church, and what background is informing their presence. We also discuss our favorite Bible stories and wonder what we might get rid of if we could - a question we might have to revisit at the end of the year. It's all some light-hearted fun as we look forward to beginning the reading challenge next week.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You may also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠Pond5⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Welcome to Cross Connections, season two, Cover to Cover as we read the whole Bible in a year along with you, from Genesis to Revelation, and discuss the content each week.

We haven't started reading yet - we'll start on January 1, 2025 - so until then, we’re talking about what Bible to read.

Your hosts, from St. David’s Episcopal Church (Radnor), in Wayne, PA are the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill. Join us as we discover how these stories connect us to God, to our inner selves, and to one another, in a world that tries so hard to disconnect us.

You can download our list of Bible versions you might like to explore, and if you'd prefer an app to a physical book, we suggest The Bible App.

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Happy Advent and welcome back to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at ⁠⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠⁠.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Welcome to Cross Connections, season two, Cover to Cover as we read the whole Bible in a year along with you, from Genesis to Revelation, and discuss the content each week.

We haven't started reading yet - we'll start on January 1, 2025 - so until then, learn why reading the Bible, cover to cover, in a year is a good idea.Your hosts, from St. David’s Episcopal Church (Radnor), inWayne, PA are the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill. Join us as we discover how these stories connect us to God, to our inner selves, and to one another, in a world that tries so hard to disconnect us.

____________

Happy Advent and welcome back to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at ⁠https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections⁠

If you have questions for us, you can call us at484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠⁠Pond5⁠⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠⁠.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Coming soon: Cross Connections, season two, Cover to Cover as we read the whole Bible in a year along with you, from Genesis to Revelation, and discuss the content each week.Your hosts, from St. David’s Episcopal Church (Radnor), inWayne, PA are the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill. Join us as we discover how these stories connect us to God, to our inner selves, and to one another, in a world that tries so hard to disconnect us.

____________

Happy Advent and welcome back to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Cross Connections is a ministry of ⁠St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA⁠. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on ourwebsite at https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections

If you have questions for us, you can call us at484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / ⁠Pond5⁠.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’sworship offerings and ministries at ⁠stdavidschurch.org⁠.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Happy Easter and thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Easter Day; The Feast of The Resurrection of Our Lord. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6

Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43

John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10

Today’s reflection was written and read by The Rev. W. Frank Allen. The Rev. W. Frank Allen has been Rector of St. David’s since 1997. Frank is a prayerful leader here and in the Episcopal Church, serving on Diocesan and national boards, and mentoring clergy in their ministry. He has taught a wide variety of courses on the Christian life and is particularly interested in connecting persons to God and to ministry through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He is married to Dr. Amy Allen and they have three grown sons.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

This was our final episode of the season. We thank you for listening. Cross Connections will be back this fall with new voices, a new format, and new explorations of our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together. If you’ve got an idea for a connection that you’d like to hear featured, or a person you’d like to hear from, send us an email at website@stdavidschurch.org with the subject line: Cross Connections idea.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Holy Saturday; the day of Easter Vigil. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16

Job 14:1-14 or Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24

1 Peter 4:1-8

Matthew 27:57-66 or John 19:38-42

Today’s reflection was written and read by Susan Barber. Susan Barber and her family (Josh, Jace, Ella, Wren, and Mila) have been members of St. David’s Church for the past 15 years. It is their North Star and home away from home.

To see a larger version of her daughters’ artistic reflections, please visit page 56 of our Lenten Devotional.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Good Friday. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 22

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

John 18:1-19:42

Today’s reflection was written and read by Joe Bonn. Joe Bonn and his family have been grateful members of the St. David’s community since 1988, where worship and service alongside so many friends in ministries such as lay assistants, ushers, the organ committee, and the vestry continue to enliven and refresh his faith.

To view a larger version of the icon, Extreme Humility by Benjamin Powley, please see page 54 of our Lenten Devotional.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Maundy Thursday. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 116:1, 10-17

Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10), 11-14

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Today’s reflection was written by Sue Hoaglund and read by Emily Given. Sue Hoaglund has been a member of St. David’s Church since 2000. She’s an active online participant in weekly worship, Education for Ministry (EFM), and the rector’s Bible study, and is very grateful for the St. David’s community. Sue teaches drama, German, and music at a charter high school and lives with her two daughters in Narragansett, RI.

To view a larger version of the art referenced, Jesus Washes Feet by Jenny Allio, please see page 52 of our Lenten Devotional. Art used with permission. Visit jennyallio.com for more. http://jennyallio.com/art/jesus+washes+feet.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Wednesday in Holy Week. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 70

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Hebrews 12:1-3

John 13:21-32

Today’s reflection was written by Scout Given and read by Emily Given. Scout Given is a junior at Conestoga High School and active member of St. David’s youth group. They serve in the leadership of the Gay/Straight Alliance of their school, are passionate about creating art, seeing live music, and exploring their new interests in philosophy and astronomy. To view a larger version of their artistic reflection, please see page 50 of our Lenten Devotional.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Tuesday in Holy Week. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 71:1-14

Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

John 12:20-36

Today’s reflection was written and read by Elliot VanHoy. Elliot VanHoy is the Director of Youth Ministry at St. David’s. He is responsible for planning and overseeing all the programs and activities dedicated to the middle and high school students. His mission is to create young disciples in a fun and safe environment. Elliot works closely with the youth choir and family ministries to assist in planning development.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Monday in Holy Week. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 36:5-11

Isaiah 42:1-9

Hebrews 9:11-15

John 12:1-11

Today’s reflection was written and read by Erik Fay. Erik Fay and his wife, Karen Louise, and two girls, Eva and Hanna, have been members of St. David’s for over 15 years.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Palm Sunday. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

The Liturgy of the Palms

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Matthew 21:1-11

The Liturgy of the Word

Psalm 31:9-16

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Philippians 2:5-11

Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54

Today’s reflection was written and read by Susan Nagy. Susan Nagy and her husband are long-time parishioners at St. David’s. She has served on vestry, fellowship, outreach, and pastoral care over the years and currently is in her third year of Education for Ministry (EFM) studies and continues to work on her spiritual life.

Today's episode image is The Mount of Olives; photo by Susan Nagy.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Saturday of the fifth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 85:1-7

Ezekiel 37:21-28

John 11:45-53

Today’s reflection was written and read by Meg Tredinnick. Meg Tredinnick has been a member of St. David’s for more than 25 years. She and her husband, Michael, have raised two sons who were both baptized and confirmed at St. David’s. Meg teaches high school science at a local independent Catholic girls’ school and has been involved with a variety of ministries at St. David’s, including youth education, the Fair, and Project Ensonga.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Friday of the fifth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 18: 1-7

Jeremiah 20: 7-13

John 10: 31-42

Today’s reflection was written and read by The Rev. Dr. Peter Stube. The Rev. Dr. Peter Stube is an associate priest at St. David’s. He is the Minister Provincial for the Third Order, Society of Saint Francis, Province of the Americas. Some of you may know him as Rachael’s husband (she has been at St. David’s longer than he has) and they have three sons, three delightful daughters-in-law, and nine grandchildren.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Thursday of the fifth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 105:4-11

Genesis 17:1-8

John 8:51-59

Today’s reflection was written and read by Mac McCausland. Mac McCausland and his wife Ida are long-time residents of the area, and for many years have been actively involved in another parish in our diocese. Late in 2020, when the pandemic first began to ease and in-person worship was picking up at St. David’s, they began to worship here, and just love it. They have three grown and married daughters, and four grandsons, all of whom live in the Delaware Valley.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Wednesday of the fifth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Canticle 2 or Canticle 13

Daniel 3:14-20,24-28

John 8:31-42

Today’s reflection was written by Richard Woodville and read by Deb Geffken. Richard Woodville has been a member of St. David’s Church for 22 years. He lives in Devon, PA with his wife, Faézé, both of whom look forward to their two adult sons, Thomas and Peter, who recently moved away, coming home for visits.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Tuesday of the fifth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 102:15-22

Numbers 21:4-9

John 8:21-30

Today’s reflection was written and read by Mary Garrett Itin. Mary Garrett Itin, her husband Bob, and son, Grant have been attending St. David’s for 12 years. Over the years, Mary Garrett has been involved with the military support ministry, co-chair of Second-Hand Rose, Christian formation, supporting refugees, and providing youth mental health First Aid trainings to St. David’s clergy, staff, and parishioners as well as the local community.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Monday of the fifth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 23

Susanna [1-9, 15-29, 34-40],41-62

John 8:1-11 or John 8:12-20

Today’s reflection was written by Tom Devlin and read by Edie Lewis. Tom Devlin and Marjorie, his wife now deceased, joined St. David’s in 1984. They both became active in a variety of volunteer activities, including the Fair, altar guild, adult educational programs, and flower delivery. In 2013, they moved to Dunwoody Village, Newtown Square, where they both continued participating in volunteer activities. More recently Tom has participated in the Sacred Ground program.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the fifth Sunday in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 130

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Romans 8:6-11

John 11:1-45

Today’s reflection was written and read by Clayton Platt. Clayton Platt grew up at St. David’s and returned to the church with his wife and three children when they moved back down from Connecticut in 2004. Professionally, he facilitates corporate training and serves as President of Meditation4Leadership. At St. David’s, Clayton is a lay assistant, has chaired the stewardship commission, and provides Christian care as a Stephen Minister. He is one of the church’s Stephen Leaders. Clayton has offered free mindfulness meditation classes on Friday mornings at 9am via Zoom for three years.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Saturday of the fourth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 7:6-11

Jeremiah 11:18-20

John 7:37-52

Today’s reflection was written by Bud Billups and read by Amy Dolan. Bud Billups and his late wife, Bee, partnered with (The Rev.) Bill Wood to work with the youth group in the 1970s. They also worked with outreach efforts, particularly Uganda. Bud served on the vestry in those days and Bee was sponsored by St. David’s to become a priest. After 27 years, they both returned to the area in 2018, and Bud is involved with the church’s efforts in Cuba. Their daughter, Kathy, lives in Devon and their son, Bo, lives in Washington, D.C.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Friday of the fourth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 34:15-22

Wisdom 2:1a,12-24

John 7:1-2,10,25-30

Today’s reflection was written and read by Roy Simpson. Roy Simpson has been a member of St. David’s for a number of years. He has served as an usher and been active in the men’s Bible study group and men’s fellowship activities.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy ofour 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Thursday of the fourth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 106:6-7, 19-23

Exodus 32:7-14

John 5:30-47

Today’s reflection was written by Mike Tucker and read by Deb Geffken. Mike Tucker has been a member of St David’s since 1985. His family enjoys all that the church has to offer. He can usually be found cooking with the men’s fellowship.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Wednesday of the fourth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 145:8-19

Isaiah 49:8-15

John 5:19-29

Today’s reflection was written and read by Chick Young. Chick Young has been attending St. David’s since January 2022 when he moved to Paoli. He participates in Family Promise of the Main Line (formerly IHN) and Easter/Christmas flower delivery ministries. He recently started as a lay reader.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Tuesday in the fourth week in Lent. The day’s reflection isbased on the following readings:

Psalm46:1-8

Ezekiel47:1-9,12

John5:1-18

Today’s reflection was written and read by Maria Leal. She says the following about her artistic reflection, which is today’s podcast image art: “I had seen a video on Instagram (check out abiona.venee if you want to see the process) and decided to attempt it in the shape of a water drop. I used multi-media paper and gouache paint – like watercolor and acrylic paint mixed together.”

Maria Leal has been the director of children’s formation at St. David’s for 11 years. She is wife to Fernando and mother to Robert and Marla, all of whom she wholeheartedly loves and make her life complete.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Mondy in the fourth week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 30:1-6,11-13

Isaiah 65:17-25

John 4:43-54

Today’s reflection was written and read by Nancy Collins. A longtime Episcopalian, Nancy Collins has worshiped at St. David’s since Palm Sunday 2021. Throughout the COVID pandemic, God bestowed unexpected graces. One of the greatest for Nancy was to find a spiritual home here.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the Fourth Sunday in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 23

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Ephesians 5:8-14

John 9:1-41

Today’s reflection was written and read by The Rev. Nancy Webb Stroud. The Rev. Nancy Webb Stroud was sponsored for ordination from St. David’s back in the early part of this century. After serving at St. Paul’s in Chestnut Hill and St. Peter’s in the Great Valley, she moved to Westfield, Massachusetts to serve as rector of The Episcopal Church of the Atonement. She recently retired and has happily returned to St. David’s as an elder statesperson.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Saturday of the third week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 51:15-20

Hosea 6:1-6

Luke 18:9-14

Today’s reflection was written and read by John Satterfield. John Satterfield and his wife Janis have been members since 2006. He has served on the vestry, including being finance warden and rector’s warden, and has held many other leadership roles within the church and for SDEDS. Currently, he is an usher and member of the investment committee. John and Janis have four children and two grandchildren and live in Wayne.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Season 1, Episode 25

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Friday of the third week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 81:8-14

Hosea 14:1-9

Mark 12:28-34

Today’s reflection was written by Eileen Kraut and read by Edie Lewis. Eileen Kraut is a native plant enthusiast and a lifelong tennis player. Her favorite ministry is Project Ensonga.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Thursday of the third week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 95:6-11

Jeremiah 7:23-28

Luke 11:14-23

Today’s reflection was written and read by Betsy Aikens. Betsy Aikens has been a member of St. David’s since 1983, participating in various ministries over the years. She and her husband, Jay, have two adult children and recently welcomed a daughter-in-law into their family.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Wednesday of the third week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 78:1-6

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 5-9

Matthew 5:17-19

Today’s reflection was written and read by Laura Nicholas. Laura Nicholas, a member of St. David’s since 2019, loves being part of the Gift Shop & Art Gallery outreach ministry. She and her husband Paul live in Berwyn where they raised their two grown sons.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Tuesday of the third week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 25:3-10

Song of the Three Young Men 2-4, 11-20a

Matthew 18:21-35

Today’s reflection was written by Bill Knapp and read by Amy Dolan. His wife, Suzanne, calls Bill Knapp a techie; unfortunately, as Bill says, she is spot on. Bill got involved with computer technology while in college in the late 1960s and ended up relocating to Philadelphia for graduate school. They have been members of St. David’s since the late ‘70s. In the ‘90s they took a multi-year sabbatical from St. David’s becoming members of St. Alban’s where Bill served on the vestry and as rector’s warden. They returned to St. David’s after Frank was called. Bill has been actively involved in outreach, concentrating on Uganda and an Episcopal church in northeast Philadelphia, Emmanuel Resurrection. He and Suzanne were married at that church, and it is currently pastored by a Ugandan-born priest.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Monday of the third week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 42:1-7

2 Kings 5:1-15b

Luke 4:23-30

Today’s reflection was written and read by Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt. Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt has been a member of St. David’s since 1987. She has been involved in several ministries over the years including coordinating acolytes, teaching Sunday school and confirmation classes, and producing the Christmas pageant.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the Third Sunday in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 95

Exodus 17:1-7

Romans 5:1-11

John 4:5-42

Today’s reflection was written and read by Ian Wilcox. A management consultant to the biotech industry, Ian Wilcox has been a member of St. David’s for the past ten years and serves on vestry. Ian resides in Villanova with his wife Meli, and their two dogs, and is learning how to be a farmer in rural Nova Scotia.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Saturday in the Second Week of Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 103:1-4 (5-8) 9-12

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

Luke 15:11-32

Today’s reflection was written and read by The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton. The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton is an associate rector at St. David’s, resource to the pastoral care commission, and chaplain to St. David’s Episcopal Day School. She particularly loves nurturing the spirituality of children, both at our school and in the family service.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Friday in the Second Week of Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 105:16-22

Genesis 37:3-4,12-28

Matthew 21:33-43

Today’s reflection was written and read by Nanette Dormans. Nanette Dormans joined St. David’s along with her fiancé, Andrew McGhee, in the spring of 2022. She is grateful to be a mother of four grown children and Nana to four granddaughters. Nanette retired from Wills Eye Hospital and is an avid rower.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Thursday in the Second Week of Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 1

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Luke 16:19-31

Today’s reflection was written and read by Pat Policella. Pat Policella has been a member of St. David’s for approximately 16 years, is a lay reader and chalicist, and knitter in the needlework guild. The most important things in her life are her family and all those she has come to know and love.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 31:9-16

Jeremiah 18:1-11, 18-20

Matthew 20:17-28

Today’s reflection was written and read by Elizabeth Palko. Elizabeth B. Palko is a mom of four children, Brady (7), Grace (5), Emmeline (3), and Henry (1). She and her husband, Gary, were married at St. David’s ten years ago and have been members of St. David’s since 2017. They have been attendees of the 9:30am family worship service since its inception in 2021 and cherish the love for worship that it has instilled in their children.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 50:7-15, 22-24

Isaiah 1:2-4, 16-20

Matthew 23:1-12

Today’s reflection was written and read by Anthony Khan. Anthony Khan and his family have been coming to the St. David’s Country Fair for the past five years. They officially joined the church in the fall of 2021 as they moved into the local area. For him and his wife Sharon, rooting their children (Elora and Eliska) in the word of God is vital for their youth development so they have strong values to guide their decision-making from the start. They are active members with the church across multiple ministries as their family grows with St. David’s Episcopal Church.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Monday in the Second Week of Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 79:1-9

Daniel 9:3-10

Luke 6:27-38

Today’s reflection was written by Benjamin Powley and read by The Rev. Thomas Szczerba, Jr. Benjamin Powley was raised in the Methodist Church, became a Baptist in College, and was received into the Episcopal Church by Bishop Turner in 1996. He came to St. David’s several years ago and loves to sing in the choir. Ben wrote an icon for our printed devotional which was used for the cover and may be found in full on page 54 for Good Friday.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the Second Sunday in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 121

Genesis 12:1-4a

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

John 3:1-17

Today’s reflection was written by Lynne Powley and read by Emily Given. Lynne Powley is a fairly new member of St. David’s and feels that she is just starting to get involved. She is so impressed with all the activities and ministries provided here: Bible study, outreach ministries, Education for Ministry (EFM), strong worship with outstanding music! So many ways to grow spiritually. . . to grow in grace!

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Saturday in the First Week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 119:1-8

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Matthew 5:43-48

Today’s reflection was written and read by Hilary Dash. Hilary Dash loves being a member of St. David’s Church and community and has been honored to serve as co-chair/chair of the St. David’s Fair for the past two years. She enjoys being creative, learning, laughing and connecting with wonderful people – especially her husband of 23 years, Michael, and their two teenage daughters, Hayden and Addie.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Friday in the First Week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 130

Ezekiel 18:21-28

Matthew 5:20-26

Today’s reflection was written and read by Julia Urwin. Julia Urwin is a lifelong Anglican, originally a member of the Church of England in Australia. She and her family joined St. David’s over 20 years ago. St. David’s has been key to Julia’s Christian formation. Julia serves on the vestry where her focus is in worship and adult Christian formation.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Thursday in the First Week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 138

Esther 4:1-6, 12-14

Matthew 7:7-12

Today’s reflection was written by Molly Connell Zonino and read by Natalee Hill. Molly Connell Zonino has been a member of St. David’s for 22 years. She’s been married to husband Pete for two years, has three kids who were raised at St. David’s, and three step kids. She serves on the vestry as part of three commissions: finance, fellowship, and SDEDS and sings in the choir. Besides St. David’s, Molly loves everything sports and everything theater.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Wednesday in the First Week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 51:11-18

Jonah 3:1-10

Luke 11:29-32

Today’s reflection was written and read by Gale Morrison. Gale Morrison has been a member of St David’s since 2010 when she and her family moved to Wayne. But long ago her ancestors worshipped at St. David’s; nine generations of them are buried in the churchyard.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Tuesday in the First Week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 34:15-22

Isaiah 55:6-11

Matthew 6:7-15

Today’s reflection was written and read by Amanda Spencer. Amanda Spencer has been a member of St. David’s for over 12 years. She, her husband, Charlie, and their two children, Abby and Sam, can be seen at church on Sundays, in the gift shop, at the Fair, or helping with the feeding ministries. Amanda feels blessed to have found St. David’s when she returned to the Philadelphia area, to have been married in the Church, have had both children baptized at St. David’s, and is grateful to hear the choir sing on Sundays.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Monday in the First Week in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 19:7-14

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18

Matthew 25:31-46

Today’s reflection was written by Chase White and read by Chase White has been at St. David’s since 2009. He is the devoted husband of Lizzy, and father to Chase Jr. and Collsen.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the First Sunday in Lent. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 32

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

Romans 5:12-19

Matthew 4:1-11

Today’s reflection was written and read by Sarah Schoettle. Sarah Schoettle serves on the vestry and has served on outreach, pastoral care, and family ministries. She and her family are active members at the 11:30 service and in Sunday school.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the Saturday after Ash Wednesday. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 86:1-11

Isaiah 58:9b-14

Luke 5:27-32

Today’s reflection was written and read by Jay Baldwin. Jay Baldwin and his wife Theresa live in Berwyn and have been members at St. David’s since 2000. Jay serves on the vestry. He is a verger, serves on several commissions, and is a regular participant in Friday morning men’s Bible study.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the Friday after Ash Wednesday. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 51:1-10

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Matthew 9:10-17

Today’s reflection was written and read by Jeff Rohrbeck. Jeff Rohrbeck is a long-time member of St. David’s and currently serves on the vestry.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is the Thursday after Ash Wednesday. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 1

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Luke 9:18-25

Today’s reflection was written and read by The Rev. Thomas Szczerba, Jr. The Rev. Thomas Szczerba, Jr. is an associate rector at St. David’s, supporting fellowship and outreach. Thomas and his wife, Marissa are big Star Wars fans; they actually named their two dogs, Luke and Leia. May the force be with you!

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Thank you for listening to Cross Connections, finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Today is Ash Wednesday. The day’s reflection is based on the following readings:

Psalm 103:8-14
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Isaiah 58:1-12
2 Corinthians 5:2b-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Today’s reflection was written and read by Leslie Lewis. Leslie Lewis has been a member of St. David’s since 2005. She is currently serving on the vestry and on the outreach and family ministries commissions. She is a dedicated volunteer at St. Gabriel’s in Philadelphia. Leslie is wife to Todd and mother to Hayden and Owen.

Cross Connections is a Communications ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

A full copy of our 2023 Lenten Devotional may be viewed or downloaded on our Issuu Publications site here.

Our Lenten Devotional Editor is Betsy Aikens.
Voiceovers recorded by Ned Miller.
Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given.
Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill.
Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at stdavidschurch.org.

Wishing you a holy and blessed season.

Do you ever wonder what is going on in the mind or heart of that person you exchanged chit-chat with over the coffee urn or in the grocery line? Are you yearning for a way to connect your everyday life to a greater purpose? Are you looking for connection in a world that tries so hard to disconnect us?

Join us on Cross Connections, a new podcast from St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Finding our connection points and the turns in our lives and faith journeys together.

Our first season of Cross Connections will offer daily devotions for the season of Lent. Watch for the first full episode on Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2023, and listen through Easter Sunday.

Cross Connections is an Adult Christian Formation ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA. We owe huge thanks to our Lenten devotional editor, Betsy Aikens for allowing her work to be the start of this podcast. Our Director of Christian Formation is Emily Given. Lenten devotional graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Voice talent by The Rev. W. Frank Allen, rector. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott / Pond5.

You can learn more about all of St. David’s ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org.